The community has been working on OnePlus One Ubuntu Touch, and they are making good progress. They just managed to get Wi-fi going a few days ago, and now they have also gotten the OTA updates to work.
The OnePlus One Ubuntu Touch port is one of the first that were made public a few months ago, shortly after the porting guide was pu… (read more)
The year 2015 is certainly going to be an exciting year for Linux in the consumer space. Google is coming out with a brand new class of devices powered by Chrome OS and Canonical, one of the few Linux companies still interested in the Linux desktop, saw its first commercially available Ubuntu phone, the BQ Aquaris E4.5, hit Europe last week.
From among all the open source players active in the mobile space, Canonical’s Ubuntu seems to offer an experience closest to the ‘GNU’ and Linux experience.
Canonical has developed many new technologies to ensure its mobile dreams see the light of day. At the same time, the company has re-used much of the work done by the open source community. That’s the whole point of Linux and Open Source: reuse when you can, and create when you must.
Here are some of the features that set Canonical’s new Ubuntu phones apart.
First of all, people tend to discredit Chrome OS or Android as Linux soperating systems (OS). In my opinion that’s plain wrong. Linux is just the kernel and any OS powered by Linux is a Linux OS. As Greg Kroah-Hartman once told me, ‘Linux’ is just a kernel, everything else is just “fluff.”
There are two major factors that make the Ubuntu phone unique and set it apart from the rest. First of all, unlike other open source mobile platforms, there are no proprietary components in the Ubuntu phone, sans the binary blobs and device drivers which the hardware makers won’t open source. The second being the fact that Ubuntu phones expose their guts, letting users talk to them just the way we talk to any ‘Linux’ system.
However before you get too excited, keep in mind that the Ubuntu phone uses different technologies (for now) than the Ubuntu desktop. You can simply open the terminal and install apps with the majestic ‘apt-get’, but it is not recommended.
Michael Hall, a Canonical developer, elaborated on why users should avoid running apt-get on their Ubuntu phones. He told me, “You can only have one thing managing the system installation. By default on the phone this is the image-based updates. If you enable and start using apt-get to manage the system, you have to give that up. This has nothing to do with Click packages, btw, which will happily work with either an image-based or apt-get managed system.” (See below for more on Click packages.)
That doesn’t mean you are locked out of all good GNU user-land tools. Many developers are working on writing such tools for Ubuntu phones. When I asked about ‘terminal’, the most powerful tool in Linux-land, Alan Pope, another Canonical developer, said, “Yes, there is a community-maintained terminal app which is in the store.”
The Terminal was originally developed by Dmitry Zagnoyko but his work was interrupted due to Russia-Ukraine conflict. He had to stop working on the application and that’s when another developer Filippo Scognamiglio took over and practically re-wrote the app.
The rest of the ‘Linux’ apps are not far from the reach of a user. Hall adds, “You will also have the traditional GNU userland tools available in the shell, rather than the Android ones. Sudo also works out of the box, no need to ‘root’ anything.”
Ubuntu phones come with a large set of apps pre-installed. Almost all of these apps were created exclusively for Ubuntu Phones. A majority of these apps were developed by Canonical and the rest are being created and maintained by the community.
There is no standard set of pre-installed apps. Talking about pre-installed apps Pope says, “It depends on what phone and image you have, and they’re not all clear-cut – e.g. web browser is a “Canonical” app but has contributions from community people. Calendar is a “community” app but has contributions from Canonical people.”
The BQ phone ships with Telegram, Phone, messaging, contacts, camera, browser, media-player, gallery, System settings, indicators, Cut The Rope Free, etc. The phone also comes with apps that are developed by the community which include: Music, Clock, Calculator, Tagger, PathWind, and Reminders.
Since BQ is targeting the average consumer (however I doubt that an average user buys phones through random flash sales), the phones don’t come pre-installed with some of the most interesting apps such as Terminal and File Manager.
It’s quite obvious that major players are not going to write apps for a new and relatively smaller platform like Ubuntu. To address this issue Canonical introduced the concept of ‘Web Apps‘. It was in a nutshell integration of the web services, such as Gmail, with the OS through a browser. They are still websites running inside a browser, but with deeper OS integration . Some of these apps include: Facebook, eBay, Amazon, Twitter, HERE, Gmail, El Pais, Cinco Dias.
In addition to Web Apps, Canonical created another workaround to fill the gigantic ‘app-gap’. Instead of creating grids of apps to access different services or content, they created Scopes. Traditionally you open an app such as YouTube or Pandora then search for the desired track. In the Ubuntu Phone you start off with the content and then choose the right app for that media type.
There are two types of Scopes: aggregated and branded. Today, NearBy, Music, Videos and Photo are aggregated Scopes that collect the content from other scopes, often by media type. Then there are branded scopes which source content from the actual services such as YouTube or Vimeo. Users can search content directly by brand or by feed it to an aggregated scope, such as Video.
Besides apps and scopes, Canonical has developed many new technologies for the Ubuntu phone. The company developed its own display server Mir for the phone (and they also plan to use it on the desktop eventually).
Since a lot of ink has already been wasted on Mir vs. Wayland I am not going to waste more time on it. There might have been many reasons why Canonical developed some of its own stack when alternatives were available. It may have needed more control over the development of the stack to ready the OS for partners. At the same time it might have sounded easier to build their own solution to address their problem in timely manner, instead of having to spend time in persuading other projects to add the features they needed.
As Pope explained, “We needed all the apps listed above for a minimum viable product, and all the necessary support libraries to make that happen. For example, media player was needed for playing videos via Gstreamer on top of Mir, mediascanner for finding metadata about media on devices, media-hub for playing audio in the background.”
One of the most exciting technologies being used by Ubuntu phones is Click – a new app packaging format aimed at making life easier for developers. And I am assuming that it would take a much bigger role on the Ubuntu desktop. (See our earlier coverage: Can Ubuntu Click Address Linus Torvalds’ Binary Problems?)
Pope says, “Click is a cut-down Debian package. They’re easier to make, easier to distribute and deploy. Along with apparmor, click packages are confined so they can’t access data from other applications or directories without user confirmation.”
Canonical has also created a Click Store to further make the lives of users and developers easier while keeping Ubuntu secure.
Hall says, “The Click format and tools themselves don’t provide runtime confinement, only install-time confinement (they make sure one click’s installation won’t change another click’s installation or the system). It’s the Click store that provides you the runtime confinement, and it does this by only publishing apps that are run under a safe AppArmor profile (there are whitelisted exceptions to this rule for things like Terminal and File Manager, but not many). So side-loaded Click apps, or Click apps from an alternative store, aren’t guaranteed to be confined.”
In addition to this there is Unity 8, which is being developed for Ubuntu Touch and will also succeed Unity 7 on the desktop. Other new technologies that they developed include Dash, indicators and Tool kits.
It’s a tricky situation for any open source company. Especially when your software is going to deal with new hardware. You have to choose between existing open source solutions or creating new ones.
It’s a gift and it’s a curse.
At times it may be more challenging and difficult to work with an existing project to make changes that you need, and to add features that you require. That too in a timely manner because the product has to go on sale.
At times it could become excessively time consuming to sort out differences and get your features incorporated with an existing project; to an extent that it no longer remains a technical endeavor to deliver the code in time; It becomes a political debate.
That’s when companies like Canonical choose to chalk out their own solutions.
That said, Canonical is not re-inventing the wheel with every single component of the phone. They are reusing a lot of technologies. It keeps the cost of development low and at the same time helps those projects with additional contributions which come with new users.
There is a very long list of such technologies being used in Ubuntu phones. Pope pointed out some of the core components of Ubuntu phone where they are using the existing open source technologies.The list includes: Linux, cgroups, lxc, AppArmor, dbus, gsettings, apt/dpkg (used to build the system images) Qt, Android, Hybris, Maliit, Evolution-data-server, bluez, plus many of the usual desktop pieces like pulseaudio, systemd, upstart, network manager, gstreamer, telepathy, ofono, cordova, etc.
It seems Canonical is working in a typical open source manner. They are carefully picking what to create or what to reuse. When you are the anvil, bear – when you are the hammer, strike. Finally they have started to deliver.
And that’s what matters in the end. It’s all well as long as it’s open source.
Industries as diverse as finance, aviation, medicine, the military, manufacturing, and telecom are adopting real-time Linux to help control robots, data acquisition systems and other time-sensitive instruments and machines. NI’s integrated hardware and software platform, based on the NI Linux real-time OS, helps enterprises accelerate productivity and drive rapid innovation as they build these next-generation, real-time technologies, says Shelley Gretlein, director of platform software and customer education at NI.
As new corporate members of The Linux Foundation, NI will be working closely with the foundation to contribute to the PREEMPT_RT real-time Linux patchset – a key underpinning of the company’s cutting edge products.
“We have a vested interest in the long-term success of real-time Linux capabilities due to the mission-critical nature of our customers’ applications,” Gretlein said.
In this Q&A, Gretlein tells us more about NI, how and why they use Linux, why they joined The Linux Foundation, and what trends they’re witnessing in embedded technologies today.
Linux.com: What is NI?
Shelley Gretlein: Since 1976, NI (ni.com) has made it possible for engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges with powerful platform-based systems that accelerate productivity and drive rapid innovation. Customers from a wide variety of industries—from healthcare to automotive and from consumer electronics to particle physics—use NI’s integrated hardware and software platform to improve the world we live in.
At our core, we are an engineering company and fundamentally believe in providing platforms that help engineers innovate. As an organization, we invest approximately 16 to 18 percent of our revenue back into R&D. The Linux Foundation is an extension of our belief in innovation and why we made this investment.
How and why do you use Linux?
We use the NI Linux real-time OS in our products that are based on both the Intel and ARM architectures so our customers get real-time performance and reliability with the approachability and usability of a desktop OS, as well as the ability to augment embedded designs with the extensive ecosystem of Linux applications. In addition to the benefits of reliability and performance, we can also quickly add new technologies to our platform including embedded user interfaces and HMIs, USB 3.0, security features, and more.
What does this mean to your customers?
Aerospace and automotive industries face constant pressure to maintain cycle times, which are costly when you consider the level of investment from design to prototype to production. This is partly attributable to the proprietary development of legacy software. New car models are often iterative each year while broad car innovations occur every 5–10 years.
Contrast this with the mobile phone and tablet markets, which can accelerate productivity because they scale and avoid reinventing the wheel on redundant software development. While each of us may not need a new phone or tablet every few months, the innovation and technology behind the devices drive expectations in mainstream markets.
Through an open architecture such as Linux, users can address two problems: 1) accelerate software development, and 2) control software development costs using an open, nonproprietary architecture.
Why did you join The Linux Foundation?
We joined The Linux Foundation to ensure we could deliver the most valuable Linux features to our customers in a timely manner. We also have a vested interest in the long-term success of real-time Linux capabilities due to the mission-critical nature of our customers’ applications.
Our primary goal is to serve Linux users. That being said, we look at the automotive industry to see how trends may be playing out within mainstream markets. We see three consistent themes.
Users demand more connectivity in their day-to-day lives (always-on connectivity).
Users want experiences similar to those offered by their smart phones and tablets (engagement).
Users want these features at the right price point. For some time now, high-end vehicles have had the first two capabilities. Everyone else is left wondering, “Why isn’t that available in my car?”
What interesting or innovative trends are you witnessing in technology and what role does Linux play in them? How about in research and science? How is NI participating in that innovation?
There are several major technology trends happening right now. The rise of the lnternet of Things (loT) and the Industrial Internet of Things (lloT), in which smart, distributed devices will need reliability, connectivity, and security, are two trends that will impact many industries and benefit our society as a whole. This convergence is creating more collaboration and software is at the core. NI has been doing the “how” of IoT for a decade with our networked, distributed, intelligent embedded devices. Relying on Linux moving forward helps us incorporate the latest networking capabilities including time-sensitive networking, deterministic networking, and the critical security features that will protect IoT systems.
NI also continues to be a leader in research and prototyping tools for next-generation 5G wireless technology. We are working with Lund University to develop a testbed capable of prototyping a massive multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) system to address the capacity and energy challenges facing next-generation communication systems. Software defined radio (SDR) applications like this require platforms conducive to exploration and discovery, such as our USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral) devices. Researchers can use these SDR solutions for the flexibility to discover and innovate on the latest communications standards. Linux is a key part of these endeavors.
In addition, NI is collaborating with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, more commonly known as CERN, to push the standardization of all CERN control systems to Linux 64-bit OSes. This includes the Large Hadron Collider collimation system, which features applications that use LabVIEW system design software to control stepping motors on approximately 120 NI PXI systems. NI is pleased to have advanced lead users like CERN apply their extensive Linux experience in helping NI continue to release leading-edge products.
What other future technologies or industries do you think Linux and open source will increasingly
become important in and why?
Platforms to develop the IIoT exist today. The platforms that system designers choose need to be based on an IT-friendly OS so they can be securely provisioned and configured to properly authenticate and authorize users to maintain system integrity and maximize system availability. These platforms can achieve this through an open OS, like Linux, that helps security experts from around the world unite and develop the latest in embedded security. These platforms also need to be based on standard Ethernet technologies and incorporate evolving standards for a more open and deterministic network that meets IIoT latency, determinism, and bandwidth requirements while maximizing interoperability between industrial systems providers and the consumer IoT.
Are you hiring?
Yes, we are hiring. We encourage individuals to visit ni.com/careers to learn about the opportunities available at NI.
Interested in joining the Linux Foundation? Visit the corporate membership page.
As director of platform software and customer education, Shelley Gretlein leads a dynamic team of engineers, marketing professionals, and learning experts to ensure each NI software user is successful and productive. In addition, Gretlein works with R&D leadership to define current and future generations of platform software.
Since joining NI in 2001 as an applications engineer, Gretlein has held multiple leadership positions including manager of ANSI C and .NET software products in the Technical Product Marketing Group. Gretlein was also an integral part of the Real-Time and Embedded Software team where she helped facilitate the launch of the LabVIEW FPGA Module. In addition, Gretlein was senior manager of the Software Business Group where she led the adoption of the NI software platform.
Danishka Navin has announced the release of Hanthana 21, code name “Sinharaja”. The new release is based on Fedora 21 and is available in several desktop flavours. “This new release, Hanthana Linux 21, ships with several desktop environments such as GNOME, KDE, XFCE, Sugar, LXDE. There are several…”
Announced today, Docker Inc’s fourth round of investment gives it a $95m pot to deepen integration with AWS, IBM and Microsoft and add new features.
Back at the OpenStack Summit two years ago, Red Hat unveiled RDO, “a freely available, community-supported distribution of OpenStack that runs on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora and their derivatives.” The idea was that RDO would do for Red Hat OpenStack what Fedora does for Red Hat Enterprise Linux–helping to usher in new features driven by the community that could have a ripple effect.
Fast-forward to today, and RDO is steadily improving and getting some notice. Here are some notable citations about, and how you can investigate this interesting cloud project.
Plasma, the desktop for the KDE project, has just received a massive update and is now at version 5.3 Beta. It’s still under development, but users can already see the amount of work that has been done.
Plasma 5.x is the branch that provided a major upgrade to the famous desktop of the KDE project. It’s the most visible aspect of KDE, so people are definitely going to take notice when it’s being modified. This is the reason why changes to KDE Plasma are immediately visible … (read more)
