New Project: The Open2x Project.

[DJWillis]

I am not 100% sure this is really news worthy and I know people would rather be hearing about games, emulators or movie clips but I’ll post it anyway.

I am quite pleased to announce that a lot of gentle negotiation has paid off and I would like to unveil The Open2x Project.

This project is reasonably significant for one reason right now.

It will make the following available via its SourceForge project over the next week to 10 days.

• Full GPL Linux Kernel source (2.4.25) for the MMSP2 platform (GP2X is based on this)
• Full GPL Das U-Boot (1.0.0) bootloader source for the GP2X

The project already has in its possession both the Linux kernel and bootloader source thanks to assistance from MagicEyes Digital Co. Ltd. and will be making it available as soon as possible via SourceForge’s CVS system.

The projects aim is to use this as a basis to produce community driven open source operating solutions for GP2X with extra features, performance, stability etc.

Anybody with experience of ARM Linux kernel or low-level hacking is very welcome to get involved in the development effort. There are contact details on the site.

A little more information can be found on the following sites.

The Open2x Project Homepage
My Random GP2X Hacking Page

 

[unlucky]

Ok we need to get this on slashdot or boing boing or something i think this is incredibly important.... The system seems very close to entirely open source (maybe fully?) now? Amazing work DJWillis

 

[DJWillis]

Ok we need to get this on slashdot or boing boing or something i think this is incredibly important.... The system seems very close to entirely open source (maybe fully?) now? Amazing work DJWillis

​

Don't you dare Slashdot my poor server .

There is a lot of code to work through and sort but you can build a kernel with it. The bootloader code is very open for tweaking.

 

[Tobriand]

I'd say that's definitely newsworthy... sounds a good deal more promising than the previous situation - i.e. everyone in the dark. Especially when it comes to improving knowlege about how everything works, and hopefully, making it work better.

Idd, is this the complete code, or merely the kernel minus how it interfaces with individual bits of the processor (e.g. would access to Open2x code help facilitate the movement of the second CPU over from a GFX coprocessor to whatever people want?)

 

[Vimacs]

Definality great news, now we can seriously hope for more supported devices/ other maybe important tweaks

 

[Eolair]

I am not 100% sure this is really news worthy and I know people would rather be hearing about games, emulators or movie clips but I’ll post it anyway.

I'd say this is the top news of the month. Awesome

 

[DJWillis]

Idd, is this the complete code, or merely the kernel minus how it interfaces with individual bits of the processor (e.g. would access to Open2x code help facilitate the movement of the second CPU over from a GFX coprocessor to whatever people want?)

​

It needs sorting out and a bit of a stock take but things like that are in there, it is feature complete, people can use this to do some very cool stuff if they want to get there hands dirty.

As it stands now it is more of a generic MMSP2 kernel that happens to support the GP2X (and all its interesting hardware). The kernel GP2X will release with the device will have a number of patches against this kernel I would expect that we could import if appropriate.

 

[slygamer]

Well done DJWillis. This is excellent news. I shall be following, and hopefully contributing to, the progress of Open2X.

 

[wild_eyed]

lay person here, what does this mean to joe soap?

 

[zebedee]

lay person here, what does this mean to joe soap?

​

its a lot more freedom to do weird things with the gp2x , possibly help out in the quest for multiproccy goodness and itll shut up boingboing and some slashdot noobs who homed in on the dreaded DRM ... if its open source you cant DRM stuff as we could just disable the functionality again.

oh yeah nice one dj i'd run and hide your server if this gets slashdotted tho

 

[Huxley]

Well, that sounds great. You certainly have my support.

 

[Jarska333]

The avalanche has started, it's too late for the pebbles to vote.


Maybe...

 

[Chip]

itll shut up boingboing and some slashdot noobs who homed in on the dreaded DRM ... if its open source you cant DRM stuff as we could just disable the functionality again.

That's not entirely true. Acording to Anna on the GPH Q&A board, the GP2X copy protection system will be pretty much the same as the GP32's. Commercial games for the GP32 were encoded specifically for each GP32. Only the exact machine that they were encoded for (or at least had same ID code) could decode them.

Encoded executables will still be encoded even if you have the source for the kernel. Without the key (ID code) to unlock it, it's still gibberish to your machine. In my opinion, the commercial games for the GP32 were mediocre at best, and I don't expect much more for GP2X payware. The magic of the GP32 was the freely available games and emultors, and that's what I'm most looking forward to for the GP2X. It just so happens that it's these community-developed programs that will benefit most from Open2X.

If I understand DJWillis, he has the most basic kernel that GPH built on to make the firmware for the GP2X. People can then take that kernel and build on it to make alternative firmwares with more / different / better functionality. People will also be able to use it as a reference to better understand how the GP2X works at a very low level. This will make it much easier for someone coding something resource intensive (an emulator, for example) to squeeze the most out of the hardware.

This is a very good thing.

 

[yaustar]

*another pat on the back for DJWillis*

 

[junker]

this is great news!!

 

[haplo]

this is also very useful for adding support for add on devices. I'm looking to get orinoco usb wifi cards working with the gp2x and if we have the full kernel sources we can compile the network stack and use it with the orinoco sources to hopefully generate working usb wifi drivers

 

[skeezix]

Most importantly.. absolutely most importantly.. it means they're following the license and laws. If they didn't release source, they'd be violating the rights of thousands (all of the devs who ever participated in the kernel), and it'd cause some proper hell. By releasing the code, they're stepping up and saying 'we want to be part of the community' (instead of being crapheads) and it'll bring a _lot_ of pluses -- the Linux community will embrace the device and the word will spread like mad.

Seriously kick ass.

GPH is really doing well so far (well, from what we can see for an unreleased machine -- looks sharp, they've listened a little to the gp32 users (and not too much... listening too much is bad , modern OS and tools for devs, sharp screen ...

Thanks DJW for kicking this off.

Looks like everyone will be flashing new kernels in no time.

Hmm.... so many kernel hacks to do

jeff

 

[Alpha2]

Do you think maybe their resistance has been mostly because they were still tweaking the version inside the GP2X? If the version they released to you is a bear bones model that might be the case that they didnt want to release an unfinished version too early.

 

[Vimacs]

Did you see that? http://www.gpx2.com/support/support_sugest...=01&chk=&direc= http://www.gpx2.com/support/support_sugest...=01&chk=&direc=

Will you be releasing the source to the kernel once the software has been released?
under the GPL agreement you are legally required to release it if requested.

Failure to do so is really unacceptable for a company which promotes itself as pro open source.

We can release now....
let me upload it on this site....
Thanks.

http://www.gpx2.com/pds/pds_view.asp?index...bunho=2&part=01

 

[timbobsteve]

Does this mean a linux desktop OS perhaps ? would be nice to have a fully functioning desktop on GP2X.... even just a console would be good.

Also will this mean better driver support? I would really like to see a USB Wi-Fi dongle on my GP2X... if the drivers can be loaded then someone should be able to mod the USB key to accept external power.

Anyways... just some simple questions.

Good news... would like to see some linux-techies really get ahold of this system.