TuxPhone
Encyclopedia
The TuxPhone is a mobile phone
which runs on free
and open-source software
, and is currently in the prototype
stage. The goal of the project is to develop a phone that anyone with basic soldering
equipment can construct, with support from the free
and open source software community for downloads, such as ring tones, backgrounds, and music.
which provided an online community for people interested in building their own phones. Eventually the club became a major part of the TuxPhone project.
The project has not been updated since 2009-01-20.
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
which runs on free
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
and open-source software
Open-source software
Open-source software is computer software that is available in source code form: the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.Open...
, and is currently in the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
stage. The goal of the project is to develop a phone that anyone with basic soldering
Soldering
Soldering is a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the workpiece...
equipment can construct, with support from the free
Free software community
The free-software community is an informal term that refers to the users and developers of free software as well as supporters of the free-software movement. The movement is sometimes referred to as the open-source software community or a subset thereof...
and open source software community for downloads, such as ring tones, backgrounds, and music.
History
The developers of TagSense Inc. originally got the idea to build their own phone after developing RFID readers for existing phones in early 2005. However, the cost to acquire the licenses to know the interfacing details on most phones was too high. Many at the company, Deva Seetharam in particular, thought about developing their own phone, so that they could interface additional hardware as they wanted. Surj Patel then came up with the idea to build a "do-it-yourself" Linux-based phone. The project started in November 2005 with the first prototype finished in January 2006. Meanwhile, Matt Hamrick started the Silicon Valley Homebrew Mobile Phone ClubSilicon Valley Homebrew Mobile Phone Club
The Silicon Valley Homebrew Mobile Computer Club is a club that furthers open phone development.-History:The club was founded in May 2006 and held its inaugural meeting at Google's Mountain View Campus...
which provided an online community for people interested in building their own phones. Eventually the club became a major part of the TuxPhone project.
The project has not been updated since 2009-01-20.