The New WebOS, Open Source

**ModeratorOMD** · 10/04/2011, 11:04 AM

I hadn't given it much thought, but it makes perfect sense. WebOS... it stands for Open Source. It was meant to happen. Forget selling it, forget Android ports- forget the business scale. Make this open source, and it'll be the biggest thing ever. Who wouldn't get in on that? WebOpenSource. That's where the future of WebOS lies.

**jdod** · 10/04/2011, 11:12 AM

Though I like many open source projects and use several open source software packages, I wonder in this case if the lack of organized control would prevent hardware support of any mass amount. Without massive numbers of users, there likely would be no real app development.

Thoughts?

**Suntan** · 10/04/2011, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by jdod

Without massive numbers of users, there likely would be no real app development.

Thoughts?

Ding.

How many quality apps/games have been designed specifically for the consumer linux market? Yeah, that many.

-Suntan

**StuckwVerizon** · 10/04/2011, 11:21 AM

HP is too greedy to give their webOS to make it open source. They will keep saying they will be supporting the software while they will look for someone to buy it from them.

**samab** · 10/04/2011, 01:22 PM

Just because you open source it, doesn't mean that people will use it. LiMo and Meego are open source, so what?

**angiest** · 10/04/2011, 01:29 PM

In the US, this would likely limit you to AT&T with an unlocked handset. I doubt you could get an open source webOS flashed phone on the CDMA providers.

**samab** · 10/04/2011, 01:34 PM

Open source has nothing to do with GSM and CDMA, the cellular part in LiMo, Meego, Android... has always been close source.

**FenrirWolf** · 10/04/2011, 01:36 PM

I think open sourcing webOS would be fantastic. Imagine people porting it to existing smartphones, or at least fixing the various bugs that have plagued the OS over its lifespan

**angiest** · 10/04/2011, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by samab

Open source has nothing to do with GSM and CDMA, the cellular part in LiMo, Meego, Android... has always been close source.

I was referring to the ability to activate a device on a network, and not the ability to write the proper code to run the radio (or interact with firmware).

**samab** · 10/04/2011, 01:43 PM

Anything that touches the network, the SIM card and its authentication will be close source.

**samab** · 10/04/2011, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by FenrirWolf

I think open sourcing webOS would be fantastic. Imagine people porting it to existing smartphones, or at least fixing the various bugs that have plagued the OS over its lifespan

Palm/webOS with 500 engineers can't even port webos to other chipsets and you are tallking about porting it to other smartphones?

Open sourcing webos serve zero purpose. If you build it, nobody comes --- that's what LiMo and Meego are.

**bearda** · 10/04/2011, 02:05 PM

Never going to happen. There's too much content in webOS that HP would have to replace to make it usable. Just because Palm/HP licensed code from someone else for use in their products doesn't mean they can give it away.

**ModeratorOMD** · 10/04/2011, 02:54 PM

HP Touchpad, half a million users strong.

Open source is a more viable option than anything, as there is no open source tablet. Make WebOS open source, and it won't die..that's what the community should be asking for.

It's highly likely, because no one is going to buy WebOS...HP will have no other choice.

It would be BIG news.

**samab** · 10/04/2011, 02:58 PM

Motorola made millions and millions and millions of LiMo phones --- nobody cared.

SPECIAL REPORT: Motorola adopts Linux for future mobile phones - News - Linux for Devices

**StuckwVerizon** · 10/04/2011, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by DreamOWD

HP Touchpad, half a million users strong.

Open source is a more viable option than anything, as there is no open source tablet. Make WebOS open source, and it won't die..that's what the community should be asking for.

It's highly likely, because no one is going to buy WebOS...HP will have no other choice.

It would be BIG news.

When was the last time HP cares for the webOS community? They paid $1.2B on Palm to get webOS. They will rather sell it with $1 than make it an open source.

**samab** · 10/04/2011, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by passlogix

When was the last time HP cares for the webOS community? They paid $1.2B on Palm to get webOS. They will rather sell it with $1 than make it an open source.

I won't go that far.

For the last 10 years, there are only 2 categories of open source --- (1) small start-ups want to make a name out of themselves to get the PRPRPR $to$ $get$ $venture$ $capital$ $and$ $IPO$'$s$ $and$ ($2$) $big$ $giants$ $like$ $IBM$ $using$ $their$ $open$ $source$ $projects$ $to$ $bash$ $their$ $competitors$' $proprietary$ $solutions$.

Can't blame HP for not open sourcing webos --- because it doesn't fit in either of the 2 categories. They are a for profit company after all, and it serves them zero purpose for open sourcing webos.

**ModeratorOMD** · 10/04/2011, 03:42 PM

WebOS has been on the market longer than the Touchpad itself.

OpSo woud soar. The possibilities are literally endless. For instance, think what you could do with the flash? You could really do some magic tricks. Not to mention all the other stuff you could do with it.

You'd get a flood of people coming in, developing. I could see it slowly starting to take over. People don't like these other OS's as much as you'd think.

No one is looking to buy WebOS. In this vicious tablet game, that would be highly counter-productive.

WebOS is already an arguably world class operating system. I'm thinking of all the possibilities. It would be tremendous.

I think the whole community should be pushing for it.

**samab** · 10/04/2011, 03:55 PM

LiMo and Meego have a zillion corporate members --- nobody cares. LiMo corporate members don't even make LiMo phones.

Flash is a proprietary platform. Just because for whatever unreasonable reason behind your argument that HP would open source webos --- doesn't mean that Adobe is going to grant a license for Flash to whatever open source foundation that will spring up.

**ModeratorOMD** · 10/04/2011, 04:08 PM

Adobe wants to get on every tablet and phone platform they can, plus WebOS already has flash on it. Adobe will be good to us in that sense.

When you're developing in open source, once you start, you can't stop. And it's only logical to do open source. You've got an app store with little to nothing...

It'll be good for them, it'll be good for us...

**samab** · 10/04/2011, 04:15 PM

Handset manufacturers can already do that with LiMo --- and they have seats on the Board of Directors of LiMo, thus ensuring the direction of the open source project.

If HP open source webos, who is going to control it? HP.

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