Dell commits to open-source Streak code

27th August, 2010 by adina
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Lionel Menchaca, Dell’s official blogger, has recently promised that the Streak’s approach to be Android would probably be open-sourced. As there have been critics that the company hasn’t given out source code for the tablet’s device drivers, Menchaca said that Dell would adapt to all applicable requirements and would even post details. Even if a timetable wasn’t available yet, more information is about to come soon.

The version of Android 1.6 that is used by Dell is based on a Linux kernel and it naturally fits under the GNU Public License (GPL); this necessitates that it open-source any new code. Without the company’s custom fractions of software, programmers haven’t had access to the drivers and other code which talks to the Streak’s exact hardware. Using the GNU Public License doesn’t yet carry a deadline for when the new code must be published; however, it’s usually supposed that the code will become available immediately or shortly before any new hardware or software ships.

Most of the Android phone makers which have their own custom interfaces (for example HTC) have posted changes they have made that would be covered by the GNU Public License.


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