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Google Demonstrates Limits of "Open Source" for Android

Posted 09/28/09 at 08:31:15 AM  by Paul Lilly

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Earlier this month, we posted a step-by-step guide showing Android G1 owners how to root their phones and install a third party ROM. There are several upshots to doing so, including the ability to overcome the G1's meager amount of memory by installing apps directly to a SD card. Wtih the Android Market now sitting at roughly 10,000 apps strong and third party ROM developers churning out mature firmware, we felt the time was right.

Unfortunately, Google's timing couldn't be any worse. The search giant last week issued a cease and desist order to ROM developer Cyanogen, maker of CyanogenMod, arguably the most popular Android ROM out there.The problem, says Google, isn't that Cyanogen is hacking away at the open-source OS, but that he's also including (and distributing) a handful of closed-source apps, including Market, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps. 

Here's what Google had to say on its Android Developers blog:

"To encourage broad adoption, we arranged for Android to be open-source. Google also created and operates Android Market as a service for developers to distribute their apps to Android users. In other words, we created Android because the industry needed an injection of openness. Today, we're thrilled to see all the enthusiasm that developers, users, and others in the mobile industry have shown toward Android.

With a high-quality open platform in hand, we then returned to our goal of making our services available on users' phones. That's why we developed Android apps for many of our services like YouTube, Gmail, Google Voice, and so on. These apps are Google's way of benefiting from Android in the same way that any other developer can, but the apps are not part of the Android platform itself. We make some of these apps available to users of any Android-powered device via Android Market, and others are pre-installed on some phones through business deals."

The last line says it all. No matter how pissed off the Android developers are - and they're pretty pissed -- and no matter how much open-source advocates want to cry foul, the truth is, Google is within its legal rights, and even has a complelling reason for enforcing them. There's no doubt handset makers are paying Google a premium to pre-load their devices with proprietary apps, so ti doesn't matter that all of them can be obtained for free. Redistributing the closed-source apps on hacked ROMs that can run on a number of handsets could potentially cut into Google's business revenue.

At the same time, Google has also dropped a bomb on Android developers, who all must now figure out how to work around Google's restrictions, and whether it's even worth their time to do so. Should Cyanogen ultimately decide to call it quits, the Android community would lose its most active developer, who claims there are over 30,000 active installs of CM Updater, the 'One-Click' G1 root utility.

For the time being, Cyanogen said he is trying to come up with a workaround, including shipping the next version of CyanogenMOd as a "bare bones" ROM along with a utility for end-users to first backup their proprietary Google apps. Android ROM developers are also working on alternatives to these closed-source apps, all of which would appease Google and its business partners, but at the expense of pissing off open-source advocates, third-party ROM developers, and hacked G1 and Hero owners.

Should Google have let this one go? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.

COMMENTS:6
TAGS: operating system, Software, Google, mod, modding, open source, OS, android, rom, cyanogenmod
COMMENTS
avatarI'm gonna chime in here a

Submitted by mikeart03a on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 1:55am

I'm gonna chime in here a bit regarding Google's Apps and Android.

From what I can determine here, Google is asking the modder to not distribute their proprietary applications that are used to communicate with their services as it's Google's own code, and thus it's not open the public. Hence the cease and desist order regarding the bundling of Google Apps. Google does have a number of open APIs that allow third party developers to tie in their own software to Google's services, and that's the point, why provide APIs when you could use Google's own code, if it were open sourced, and tweak it a bit? It would be a lot easier for developers, yes, but also would kill a lot of innovation and motivation on both ends as well.

Regarding Android, Google did Open-Source the OS itself, thus allowing everyone access to its guts and workings. and allowing modders to do something. Google did say that it supports the work of modders, it's just asking them not redistribute it's Apps suite, while free, is entirely within it's legal scope as a software developer to do so.  

- mike_art03a
Owner, Network Admin
Michael Artelle Online Solutions
http://www.michaelartelleonline.com
michael.paiement@sympatico.ca

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avatar Cyanogen Mod will continue

Submitted by I Jedi on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 5:18pm

 Cyanogen Mod will continue bare bones. You can still put the Google apps. on there, but it'll be a bit more complicated. Although, if you're willing to root your phone and do geeky shit, then this should only look to be more fun.

http://lifehacker.com/5369648/cyanogenmod-to-continue-offering-custom-android-builds

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avatarThis story has 2 possible

Submitted by AntiHero on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 10:34am

This story has 2 possible arguments, both of which i agree with to extents. Being an Open Source OS, Android and everything that functions in it can technically be called Open Source, because most open source operating systems do not use closed source applications, however they could, but if they're built specifically for the operating system, then they technically took a closed source idea and made an open source app from it. All Cyanogen is doing is taking the base OS, giving it root, some minor tweaks, and then releasing. What I would do in google's case, is actually hire Cyanogen, and release 2 forms of the android OS. If Linux was restricted to Red Hat kernel, then the Debian kernel wouldn't have lasted long enough to form the most popular version of linux, especially among beginners. (Ubuntu) To break this down further, Cyanogen was making an altered version of the OS and letting people use it at will, but on the specific phones only. So really, the apps are staying but it's like those who take windows and tweak it to work faster. Let's face it, the HTC Android phones are a bit slow a times, but it's fixable with either the right app, or with flashing the ROM for Cyanogen's mod, which is just that, a Mod, short for Modification. A modification takes the base of everything and improves or alters for a specific user, or group of user's needs, or to fix an issue. 

Other end of this argument is that Google did make some of it closed source, however then they should say mostly open source. I think they should have let it go or hired Cyanogen.

I hope Cyanogen can cut a deal with google and improve the situation so he's not left with a base os. I honestly think Google should feature a backup system for everyone's android phones, somewhat like computers coming with os discs, some little flash drive that has the factory Android os and when you boot with it, you get an option to flash the ROM to bring it back to factory. A lot of people who have bricked phones are those who think that Cyanogen's mod was perfectly legal and then to not have a way to restore the operating system. This is a touchy subject considering the Open Source statement, however Google is a big enough company that if anybody can make it happen in thir favor, they can.

I don't like Microsoft, I associate with it.

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avatarGood idea

Submitted by Queenof1 on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 11:05am

I like the idea of google having some sort of backup for the proprietary apps. That seems like a fair way to handle things. And to ensure that the apps are going on the phones that they were meant to, the apps can be d/l from the cell phone company since "business deals" are already in place.

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avatarFree and closed source

Submitted by cigar3tte on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 8:40am

Unless they provide a way to distribute software through other means, Market shouldn't be only obtainable through a Google device.

I've looked at SlideMe, but I can't get apps I've already paid for from there.

Too much to ask that the Android Market be downloadable as a separate component?

 

"Ass so fat that you can see it from the front" -- Mos Def

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avatar I'm gonna side with Google

Submitted by nekollx on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 8:04am

 I'm gonna side with Google here.

Google gives us a metric fucton of stuff free and open so i can't fault them for keeping a few closed

------------------------------

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Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.

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