The open source community has been watching the wrestling match between Google (s goog) and Cyanogen, open source developer Steve Kondik, with rapt attention. Kondik is the developer who has been producing enhanced CyanogenMod, an Android ROM build for months. CyanogenMod is based on the “open source” Android build, with special functionality cooked in. Recently, Google created a hubbub when it sent a “cease and desist” order to Kondik, drawing the ire of the open source community. The move surprised the community given Google’s professed love for it, and especially given that Android has been open source from the beginning.
Google has stated that there are apps inside the Android builds that are in fact not open source — Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube chief among them. The fact that these are commercial apps and not open source, means they cannot be incorporated in a free, open source build such as CyanogenMod. Kondik has indicated he will produce the mod without these apps, making a utility for users that aids in the removal of them before modding, and easy re-installation after his mod has been applied. The end result is the modding process has gotten more complicated, and the community is understandably unhappy.
A new Android developers alliance has been formed, the Open Android Alliance, that intends to produce open source versions of the restricted apps included in the standard Android build. These versions could then be distributed within mods distributed as open source. This seems to be a big task, so we’ll have to see how well it goes. I can’t see open source versions of Gmail and Google Maps in particular that will replace the commercial Google versions.
Google is understandably taking heat over this situation, but as is often the case in these open source arguments things may not be as they seem. It is very possible that Google has commercial contracts prohibiting them from allowing these apps to be included in open source versions. Stranger things have happened. Allowing the inclusion of these apps to continue, could set dangerous precedents for them going forward. Only Google knows.
I suspect that if CyanogenMod included the HTC Sense interface used on the Hero I am currently evaluating, that HTC would follow Google’s example. It is the same principle.
It seems to me that Google should not be including commercial apps in an open source OS in the first place. It is ultimately their responsibility to remove them, not the developers. They could have avoided a lot of grief if they had done so, and not thrown it on the backs of the developer community. That’s what doesn’t sit well with me over this whole situation. You can’t give a cupcake away and tell the recipients they can’t eat the sprinkles.
Google gave our buds at GigaOM this statement to clarify their position:
The power of open source is that the community can shape it as they see fit. One thing we know for certain — innovation doesn’t come from a single source. Google supports and encourages developers to make Android better.
It sounds good, but we’ll have to see how things progress going forward.
No comments:
Post a Comment