Mobile Linux movement picks up pace

Linux is picking up more support in the mobile industry as a challenger to established players such as Microsoft and Symbian.

Mobile operating system maker Trolltech claimed on Tuesday it is kick-starting the mobile Linux market by launching the Greenphone, a Linux-powered handset it claims is fully reprogrammable.

Typically, mobile phone handsets are locked down by the manufacturer or operator so users can't easily change or tinker with the core software. By making the Greenphone available to independent software developers, Trolltech is hoping to encourage them to develop and test applications for Linux phones.

Trolltech is also hoping this will strengthen the position of its Linux mobile application platform and user interface, which is called Qtopia.

Greenphone will be offered as part of a complete software development kit (SDK) and includes Trolltech's Qtopia Phone Edition.

Trolltech said in a statement: "Although not intended as a commercial mobile phone, Greenphone has many of the communication functions and features found in today's sophisticated smart phones. Developers can exploit these features and functions in developing their own unique applications."

Tony Cripps, Ovum analyst, believes the Greenphone probably is the first open Linux phone released to developers. However, he believes industry giants such as Motorola are more likely to drive the market forward.

Back in June a mobile Linux alliance was formed between Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics and Vodafone. They said they would work together to develop a common mobile Linux-based platform.

Cripps said: "There needs to be a standardised version of Linux for mobile, if it's to be successful. It's the operators who will decide which platforms they are prepared to support."

Motorola has been backing Linux for some time, and shipped more than a million Linux-based phones in China in the second quarter of this year. On Tuesday, it revealed that 50 to 60 per cent of its phone platforms will be Linux-based within the next couple of years.

Greg Besio, vice president of mobile device software, told silicon.com sister site CNET News.com Motorola hoped to help specify standard modules of Linux software - at low levels such as the kernel and higher levels such as applications.

It also wants to encourage other companies to consider throwing their weight behind the co-operative programming effort.

Besio said: "If we make the investment, then another will make the investment, and then we start to get the power of the ecosystem in Linux."

CNET News.com's Stephen Shankland contributed to this report

Graeme Wearden writes for ZDNet UK