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Linux now running on Apple iPhone (with video) – Google Android on iPhone next?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 · 4:17 pm · 30 Comments

“I’m pleased to announce that the Linux 2.6 kernel has been ported to Apple’s iPhone platform, with support for the first and second generation iPhones as well as the first generation iPod touch. This is a rough first draft of the port, and many drivers are still missing, but it’s enough that a real alternative operating system is running on the iPhone,” PlanetBeing reports for the “Linux on the iPhone” blog:

iPhone Linux Demonstration Video from planetbeing on Vimeo.

More info here.

Scott Nichols muses for Computerworld, “It looks like PlanetBeing isn’t just thinking of running Linux on iPhones. On his blog he also says that he is interested in working with people experienced with Google’s Android OS. Might this be an indication that we could have the Android OS running on our iPhones in the future? It sure looks that way. Though I doubt Google will do this, maybe it should get working on an official Android port before some very skilled hackers beat them to it.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Linux on iPhone. For everyone who’s been dying to use their iPhones as Web servers.

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Comment Feed

30 Comments

1 2 Next »

Metryq

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:27 pm · Reply

Linux: a rough first draft and many drivers are still missing
xx

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:29 pm · Reply

So fsuking what. Linux is a turd.
wefinish

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:37 pm · Reply

Still can’t run a printer with it.
MacGenius

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:39 pm · Reply

Linux is a turd

Yea but it’s a turd that lets you do what you want.

Turds are carbon based, work on it hard enough and it could become a diamond.

Portable wifi anyone?

Oh yea, Apple pulled the plug on that one didn’t they?
Raymond in DC

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:44 pm · Reply

OK. Now someone tell us how this makes the iPhone/Touch more useful or more enjoyable. This is just a stunt, by someone with too much time on his hands, to show it can be done. Big f*****g deal!

Face it. Linux outside the server room remains a niche player. Desktop Linux is a chimera. Check back in ten years and it will still be a bit player.
ron

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:45 pm · Reply

Why???????
Crabs

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:55 pm · Reply

It gives you the freedom to do whatever you want with your iPhone/iPod Touch. That’s why. It may not be for everyone, but for people that want complete control over their device, Linux is the way to go.
Macintosher

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:55 pm · Reply

MDN was a bit slow on the uptake with this one! It’s been on other sites for days and I thought that given the unMacness of the whole thing they wouldn’t feature it… good work on that comment, ron.
Demon

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 5:59 pm · Reply

What’s the point of Linux on the iPhone. MacOS X is UNIX and Linux is just the poor substitute for UNIX to make the DOS users more comfortable with the commands. My opinion is stop using the hacked up mashed Linux and start using a World Class UNIX (Free BSD is a good starting point). The FreeTards will never get a stable Linux OS on the iPhone that is anywhere within 10,000 miles as good as the iPhone’s MacOS X. Android is a joke compared to the iPhone too, so, stop wasting everyone’s time and go back to working on a useful port of something.
Connor MacBook

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 6:01 pm · Reply

Linux is the new Doom.
silver surfer

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 6:03 pm · Reply

WHO cares?????
ken1w

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 6:08 pm · Reply

Wow…! (not) Command line interface on a hand-held computer with no keyboard. Brilliant.

The guy on the video says, “The purpose should be fairly obvious.” The purpose being to run Linux on an iPhone. But most people would smile at that comment because they can’t fathom any reason to run Linux on an iPhone. Just to do it may be OK for these ultra-geeks, but that’s not a “purpose” for most people.
IONLYUSEOSX

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 6:20 pm · Reply

And the reason why we want to reinvent the wheel using Linux on the iPhone is?

How about making Flash work on it instead?
Mr. Reeee

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 6:34 pm · Reply

Linux runs on an iPhone. okay.

NEXT trick…
NCMacMan

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 6:54 pm · Reply

First off, this is a dual boot iPhone. I think that it shows technical prowess to do this and those responsible are quite the technical masters.

Another is that this shows the versatility of the iPhone, that it really is a computer, not a phone. This is more of an experiment anyway, why do people get their underwear in a bunch?

If you want wifi on your iPhone, jailbreak it. There are currently two apps that are available in Cydia that allow you to tether your iPhone to other computers to share the internet connection. A jailbroken iPhone allows you to access more features and a wider range of personalization than the stock phone.
Johan

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 7:18 pm · Reply

Why would one wish to have the utterly ugly UI of Linux on a beautifully designed iPhone????
the canuck

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 7:22 pm · Reply

Thanks for that. No really. Thanks.

Yawn.
Grifterus

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 7:58 pm · Reply

I’m a Mac head, but I can’t stand people bashing Linux because it’s not Mac.

OK, agreed: Mac OS X and the iPhone OS look better, are great and all that jazz. Other than that, I can think of many reasons why Linux on the iPhone might be useful, starting with the fact that you can carry a Linux machine in your pocket.

There are also other facts. First of all, we don’t need to just take whatever Apple gives us. If we like it, great. If we don’t, let’s change it.

Also, sure, the iPhone OS is a full-fledged Unix system, but it’s a Unix system you can’t tap into unless you jailbreak the Phone. So, as a Unix system is pretty useless right out of the box.

I’m NOT saying the iPhone is useless (I love my iPod Touch and I use it for work a lot), but I repeat, AS A UNIX SYSTEM is useless: No terminal, no SSH, no FTP, no access to the file system, etc.

Also, as a “poor substitute of UNIX”, Unix stopped being an Operating System per se a long, long time ago. As today, Unix is a certification given by The Open Group (owners of the Unix Trademark) to any operating system compliant with the POSIX specification.

http://www.opengroup.org/certification/unix-home.html

Linux never went to the certification because Linux never intended to be Unix, despite of the fact that it’s 100% POSIX compliant and it would pass the certification with flying colors.

As a matter of fact, there are worse kernels than Linux which are Unix certified.

So, let’s not badmouth Linux just because it’s Linux. Give me some real reasons, not BS reasons.
Re MacGenius... NOT!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 7:59 pm · Reply

Hello… are you stoned? WiFi distribution????? From where?
AT&T;wireless? from linux, NOT

Apple pulled the app because it was breaking the agreement that customers made with AT&T;(it costs more if you want to tether other devices to the network)

Why is it that linux proponents are always advocating breaking the law and pirating software
Grifterus

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 8:45 pm · Reply

Linux proponents, pirating software?

Name ONE PIECE of software pirated by Linux. And name any law broken by Linux proponents.

And please don’t say “Unix”. Linux is NOT a pirated version on Unix.

I believe you’re confusing Linux proponents with Microsoft. They are the ones breaking the law and pirating software.

And I can name examples in both cases.