Openmoko

I have a Neo Freerunner. I got it to experiment with putting Linux and GPS together on a small handheld device. The fact that it happens to have a cellphone built in was not a factor.

It turns out that I am now using it as a phone and not using GPS right now at all. I still want to us the GPS but time and the other 14 GPS receivers that I have available all conspire against me.

I came by a $20 cellphone demo SIM card so I tested out its cellphone capabilities. I was able to test both GSM voice and GPRS data services for a month. I discovered my phone had the buzz problem and had it fixed in June.

Now I am using a pay-as-you-go T-Mobile SIM, and the Neo works great as a phone.

I am using a 4GB Sandisk MicroSD card. To avoid known problems with GPS on the FreeRunner I use an external antenna when I play with the GPS.

Current distribution

In January 2009 I settled in on the QTopia image. Shortly thereafter, Trolltech stopped supporting it and it morphed into the community supported QTmoko image.

I guess technically I should say "QT Extended on Neo FreeRunner"

Basics

Shutdown - hold down power key.

Wake from suspend - tap power key.

Not so basic

Bring up a WiFi connection -

Using a bluetooth headset for phone calls

Using a bluetooth headphones with media player and phone calls

GPRS networking with TMobile

Works fine once you know the secrets: http://johnsu01.livejournal.com/232100.html?view=280228#t280228

It's a ppp connection so have the extra kernel modules installed. Make the /etc/ppp/ link to /var/run/resolv.conf so that names get resolved.

Other distributions that I tried

I have had so many distributions loaded, the poor thing must be very confused.

Openmoko says that the "way forward" is FSO but it's just a framework right now.

OM2008.12 - Crashed too often when I had it set up with a usable set of tools. Openmoko with OM2008.12

FSO - just a framework, not usable for anything except development. Illume

SHR - FSO + some extras - "S" is for stable but it's not done yet! Phone works. There was no "testing" rootfs so I used the "unstable" (it was the only choice!) Illume SHR

Android - Phone app crashes every 30 seconds. UI seems a bit lightweight. Seems like a toy to me.

QT Extended - very nice. Seems very solid and user interface is good. Could not find WiFi support. (Perhaps I just need extra package for wifi?)

FDOM - too much cruft, like the name says "Fat and Dirty", cluttered UI Tried it out last year around August.

Debian - planning on loading it tomorrow

Gentoo - have not tried it; hard to believe, huh?

My phone

ME 354651011662048
S/N 8A8603722
DATE CODE 20080621
GSM 850/1800/1900