Closed Source Packages in Maemo, why?
 

Ok, it's decided, I will not buy the N900.
I am the only one who finds it outrageous that Nokia makes proprietary software into an operating system that they say it's Free?

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Awww.. It's not so bad. We still retain the freedom of choice, remember?

}:^)~

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

There's no conflict at all between "closed source" and "free (as in beer)".

Nor is there anything wrong with hybrid/mixed-source platforms.

Unless you're Stallman, in which case, all things should be free (as in speech AND as in beer), and personal-hygiene should be optional and smell like bunny farts. But, for us normal people, there's nothing wrong with clearly defined hybrid platforms ... nor bathing.

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

You are perfectly free not to buy it.

Nokia is not saying that the operating system is "Free". Open source does not equal "Free", and open source does not also mean 100% open code.

If you are waiting for a device that will be "100% Free", and something that will be of relatively high quality, my humble prediction is that you will need to wait A Really Long Time Indeed.

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Nokia is like Canoncial: Free software to save money, and proprietary software to keep users in a certain form of submission. Hypocrites.

Nokia is a manufacturer of hardware and service provider they can therefore make a profit with 100% FOSS.

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Depending on what you mean by "open code" (open source vs open standards), I disagree with that part.

open source == open source (100% of the source code is available). Otherwise, there's no point in calling it open source.

If some, but not 100%, of the code is available, then you've got a hybrid platform, not an open source platform.

For example, Google Android is open source (100% of the code is available and re-usable, as far as I know). But, HTC's version of Android is NOT open source; it's a hybrid open/closed source platform (the parts they took from Google are open, but their Sense UI code is not).

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

It is a coin with two sides - as the Capt'n (ironically) remarks, we still get to choose ;) More than others.

I can already see loosing parts of the functionaliy compared to my N97 with some limitations (like e.g. no portrait, issues with syncML, poor OVI integration, no turn by turn navigation). And yes, it will become complete over time.Until EOL the product will be perfect (like any NSeries with v30 FW).

Maybe I shouldn't have handed the E71 to the wife - but who's the geek, then? :rolleyes: Just kidding, of course it is a must have :)

BTW, did you already vote for Browser portrait mode?
http://maemo.org/community/brainstor...reen_rotation/

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Normal people? normal people?

They are people like RMS that created the Free Software and their communities. And now that big multinationals have seized upon the concept, we should be imposed proprietary software, continue to contribute, keep quiet and suffer?

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

No one is imposting proprietary software upon you. Not even Microsoft.

And just as you are free to choose your platform, free to contribute to open projects, you are also free to contribute to non-open projects. That's what freedom really is: the freedom to choose. To choose whether or not you'll use open vs hybrid vs closed software; to choose whether or not you'll contribute/write open vs hybrid vs closed software. And just like you deserve those freedoms, so do other people. Including the people who run corporations of all sizes.

(and, really RMS is anything but normal, in both the good and bad implications of that statement)

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Well.

Naturally there is a long answer that doesn't need to be written here, but naturally there is interest for Nokia so that we don't spend Much Time and Effort in creating something that then some company from Asia could just create a slightly cheaper device, put the same piece of software there (the "100% FOSS Maemo") and make a profit. A hybrid model gives much back to the open source, gives opportunities for developers to do what they want on the platform while also giving some reason for a company to start utilizing open source in their products. Everybody benefits. Even Linus T. understands and supports that. ;) (Recall the GPLv3 discussions.)

But anyway, I'll stop on commenting on this more on this thread - after all, this is about portrait mode support, not about fundamentals of open source.