SFOS described as open-source in Gemini announcement

asked 2018-02-26 20:46:40 +0200

luen gravatar image

updated 2018-02-27 10:03:29 +0200

Here we go again... In today's announcement of the partnership with Planet Computers regarding the Gemini PDA, Sailfish OS is described as open-source.

The project between the two companies sees Sailfish OS, an open-source mobile operating system based on the Linux kernel, available on the Gemini – a dual-boot Android/Linux smartphone with a full physical QWERTY keyboard.

It's not the first time Jolla tries to have the cake and eat it – either they have to fully open source central Sailfish OS components like Silica, Lipstick, core applications, etc. or they have to stop describing Sailfish OS as open-source.

This type of false advertising has been pointed out before (for example at the linked questions below) but I think we should continue to nag Jolla when it happens.

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Comments

12

In the meanwhile, open-source maniacs could go and fix issues in the open-source sections of the code, such as the AOSP camera driver for the Xperia X, which is much more useful than complaining about Jolla.

Giacomo Di Giacomo ( 2018-02-26 20:58:00 +0200 )edit
15

@giacomo-di-giacomo Asking Jolla to use a fair language when they describe their product doesn't exclude contributing to the open parts. I've done both.

luen ( 2018-02-26 21:08:54 +0200 )edit
11

@Giacomo Di Giacomo: when a company tells a bold lie in its marketing, they must be called out on it. They've claimed Sailfish OS to be 'open source' several times, and were reprimanded every time. The top dogs of the company have also over the years constantly claimed they would (little by little) publish the entire source code, but so far not much has happened.

nthn ( 2018-02-26 21:38:04 +0200 )edit
9

Also many contributions are blocked by the respective components or the components open source components interact with being closed source. So in many cases it's not like people don't want to contribute - they can't.

MartinK ( 2018-02-27 01:31:00 +0200 )edit
1

Is there an official statement by Jolla regarding this issue with core apps? My impression is that especially mail, contacts and calendar (or is that open source?) would be in dire need of the improvements the community could contribute.

rozgwi ( 2018-02-27 23:58:20 +0200 )edit