Linux on the iPhone: an exercise in pointlessness?
By Erna Mahyuni
So a few enterprising Linux programmers have figured out how to port Linux to the iPhone. Am I the only one to wonder why?
Now the wonderful Linux boffins behind this have attempted to make it clear on their blog, which you can read about here. Blogger Planetbeing even asks a question: “Why do I bother when I can just develop on an open platform instead with no such wasted effort?”
He even pretty much nails why I consider this an exercise in futility by saying “The iPhone already has a perfectly serviceable operating system that we can develop on. Why does it need another one?” And how does he justify trying to hack the iPhone platform? Well, he says he chooses hacking platforms based “on how much I like it”.
The iPhone, with OSX, is already pretty darn cool. It has an entire store dedicated to making apps for the shiny, overpriced thing. Proprietary apps. For a closed system. The Linux port isn’t very functional, either. According to Heise Online, here’s what works (and doesn’t) on the iPhone:
What it has: frame-buffer driver, interrupt support, serial and serial over USB drivers, .
What it doesn’t: no touchscreen, Wi-Fi, sound, support for cell phone and accelerometer functionality.
Note that what it doesn’t do are precisely why the iPhone appeals to a certain segment of users. Instead of trying to ‘fix’ the iPhone, why can’t we just have more programmers working on making Android more a serious contender? Heck, even Symbian’s going to open up its code, albeit under a far more restrictive license than the GPL but still more open that Apple.
Since we’re still years away from securing Linux a bigger share of the consumer desktop pie, then why not try and wangle the penguin onto phones? And not the iPhone, thanks. With Linux’s openness, it offers the potential for a flexibility not available on other mobile phone operating systems. Imagine a mobile phone OS which you can tinker with yourself, add the apps you want and not be crippled by your telco’s insistence that no, you can’t tether your phone to your laptop. If Linux geeks can spend hundreds of man hours creating more flavors of Linux than there are Ben and Jerry’s, then they can and should put some time towards making a truly mobile-friendly Linux.
And get away from that iPhone, for pete’s sake.
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December 4th, 2008
I think the overall goal was to some day run Android on the iPhone. Many people are skeptical about porting Linux over to any device at first but they soon come around once they realize. Take the first xbox, the Nintendo DS. The same arguments were made for these platforms but now have useful applications. While it is not for everyone the hackers will do what they want. If they would rather pick apart something that is closed rather then further develop something thats slightly open, its their choice.
December 7th, 2008
You don’t understand. Apple is perfect. You don’t mess with perfection. Choice is bad. It is worthless and redundant.
Next thing you know, there will be hundreds of automobile models, slacks, hats, people playing the same notes and only changing length and position. What a waste of time. Think of time saved if all our clothes were just black. Perfectly serviceable, same protection from the elements. I guess if designers can can waste hours of time and yards of material messing with the width of labels they can fool with colors. After all, there were perfectly serviceable MP3 players in 2000.
January 16th, 2009
I agree with Ken. What’s the point of having options?
PC’s used to come with Windows, a platform on which everyone could develop software. And someone added Linux to it. Did Linux bring anything to the PC?
What would be the point of having hundreds of enthusiasts developing open source applications without the orderly safety of Apple’s guidelines? Next thing you know, you’ll end up with copy-paste, SMS forwarding and email push shoved into your Linux without your (or Apple’s) consent along with Firefox, or even worse, Chrome running freely on your phone.
And nobody wants that.