As Koolu has released their source code today, we are more than close to a fully port. Even more, we are close to fully working android, because Sean McNeil has promised to insert an on-screen keyboard in the next images.
- Make compatible Linux kernel (done)
- Replace ARMv5 specific code (done)
- Create images (done)
- Replace hardware specific code (done)
- Adding additional software, like on-screen keyboard
Koolu is an organization that is actively distributing open source phones. For the moment it sells only the Neo FreeRunner, because it is the only open source phone (That is still sold). Next to that, Koolu port and installs third party software to the Neo FreeRunner.
They also claimed, they wanted to sell Neo FreeRunner with Android before the end of Novembre. The deadline is already past, but they rescheduled to decembre. Looking at the status, it is really realistic to have a working Android system on the Neo FreeRunner before this year's end.
When getting issues become a help?
The Android images were offline for a couple of days. That's because all the images (Om2008.9, FSO, Qtopia, Android) contained a media codecs where neither Openmoko or Google has license for. So they removed all the images containing this media codecs and are regenerating them without the media codecs. While they are looking at solving the licensing problem, they encountered an advantagement.
Because the media codecs isn't included in the source code, Koolu comes in a situation it is easier to release the source code instead of the binary images. So that's what happened and Koolu has released a git containing all the Android sources and the patches Sean McNeil has produced.
How close can you get?
Yestarday, Sean McNeil made a new image for the Neo FreeRunner. This image still hasn't an on-screen keyboard, though there are already several solutions. They only need to be patched into the Android source code. Sean McNeil has promised to include them in the new images, but has forgotten them. So how close can you get...
