MeeGo v1.0 Released For Netbooks

The Linux Foundation this week released the open source MeeGo OS for Intel Atom-based netbooks. The "uber-platform for the next generation of computing devices,” can be installed over a USB drive, according to the Foundation.

MeeGo v1.0 is geared at developers and provides them “with a stable core foundation for application development and a rich user experience for netbooks,” the foundation said. Tools for development of the MeeGo Handset user experience will be made available next month.

The platform is comprised of Intel’s Moblin and Nokia’s Maemo projects. It features a 2.6.33 Kernel; modern 2D/3D graphics stack including Kernel Mode Setting, non-root X; universal plug and play; voice and data connectivity with Connman connection manager, Ofono telephony stack and BlueZ Bluetooth; and next-generation file system BTRFS as the default file system.

The OS includes applications for instant access to email, synchronized calendar, tasks, appointments, recently used files, and real-time social networking updates all on the homescreen. It also has support for multiple languages.

The Linux Foundation said the platform has been tested on several Atom-based netbook models from Asus, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and HP, among others.

Initial impressions in the Meego community were generally favorable, although some early adopters reported problems getting Wi-Fi to work.

In addition to the release for netbooks, the MeeGo project has released the MeeGo v1.0 software platform for the Nokia N900.

Prior to MeeGo, many client Linux projects were focused on desktop or smartphone devices, noted Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation. “The time is now for a platform that is exclusively built to be used across a wide variety of devices,” he said when MeeGo was announced in February, “and that takes full advantage of the superior computing power of each device category – longer battery life, better screens, location services, touch, 4G broadband, new vehicle technology and stronger processors.”

Instructions for installing Meego on a netbook are at http://meego.com/devices/netbook/installing-meego-your-netbook.

Intel and Nokia see MeeGo being used in many devices beyond netbooks and smartphones. The source code was released in April.