More details are available on our wiki

You can download the new set of images:

• Via the Download page
• Via the new ReplicantImages wiki page

Our Wiki was also updated with new pages regarding Galaxy S:

• Device page: GalaxyS
• Device status: ReplicantStatus
• Installation instructions: GalaxySInstallation
• Build instructions: GalaxySBuild

So, what’s the good news for Galaxy S owners? Well, most of the work we’ve done for Nexus S works as well on Galaxy S! Of course, there are still low-level adjustments to make to have it working as well, but it’s doable. A few weeks ago, I bought a Galaxy S device and slowly started the work. I was able to get the following features to work: graphics (as good as Nexus S), sound, calls, SMS, FM radio and accelerometers. The main problem I faced is installation: flashing the images via heimdall doesn’t work but it goes fine with CWM recovery, with all the correct image formats.

I think we will be able to release a new set of images for Nexus S, Galaxy S and Nexus One (hopefully with fixed data) and then, it’ll be time to start the work on GTA04 the amazing new replacement for the GTA02/Neo Freerunner board. Having Replicant running on GTA04 is the goal we’ll try to reach as hard as possible. We encourage you to help the GTA04 project with donations to fund the effort or by subscribing to the group tour to get your device at a lower price.

Bug reports, wiki pages and user accounts were migrated successfully, but it wasn’t be the case of the users passwords, which are in a different format from trac to redmine. As a result, if you had an account on trac and want to be able to use it on redmine, you’ll have to leave a mail at: contact@replicant.us in order to let us know and reset your password so that you can set the password you want.

From now on, use the following addresses:

• Redmine instance: http://redmine.replicant.us/
• Wiki: http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki
• Tracker: http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/issues

On the Android architecture, communication with the modem is done via the RIL (Radio Interface Layer). While the modem runs its own non-free software on a separate CPU, the RIL runs on the main CPU in Android userspace.

The only free RILs we know of are for the well-documented and widely-used AT command set. Back in July 2011, we were desperate to see that there was no free implementation for the Nexus S modem protocol. Fortunately, we weren’t alone on this one. After asking around on IRC, we met a talented developer who owns a Samsung H1 device, which originally runs LiMo, a mobile operating system with parts of free software, at least with the Linux kernel. The developer (who’s known on IRC as ius) was part of the effort to port Android to the Samsung H1, but he didn’t stop there. He also investigated the modem protocol used in the device. And the most incredible is that he did find out most of the protocol messages and data structures. We together investigated on Nexus S as well, and, thanks to this incredible luck we had, the protocol is the same for nexus s. We managed to boot the modem and obtained the first messages quickly. Then, we decided to push Nexus S support to ius’ lib, renaming it libsamsung-ipc for the occasion.

But the adventure didn’t stop there. Another talented developer known as morphis, who works on the SHR project, free GNU/Linux system for smartphones and who accomplished a huge amount of work to add support for the Palm Pre devices modem protocol in FSO (the middleware used in SHR that is in charge of communication with hardware interfaces, including the modem) decided to get a Nexus S and joined the effort to achieve a working implementation of the Samsung IPC modem protocol.

Several months of work later, here we are, the free RIL we wrote for Android/Replicant has grown enough to deserve the release of a new set of images.

On this release, here is a quick summary of which major components are working and which are not:

• Telephony is stable enough, there is working in-call volume change and audio routing, though we miss some features like conferencing
• SMS are working nicely, including multi-part messages, both on sending and receiving
• Data has a minimal implementation that is far from being ready (but can be set up manually), so this will be for next time
• Some other minimal features are there (SIM I/O, DTMF, SIM unlock, etc)
• Some are missing (USSD, working airplane mode for instance)

There has been no major improvement for other components nor devices, even though we release images for Nexus One as well.

The images are located, at usual, at our OSUOSL-hosted ftp.

Download Replicant-2.3 0002 preview images for Nexus S and Nexus One

This images includes the ipc-modemctrl tool (from libsamsung-ipc) that implements minimal telephony support. Please test this tool and give us feedback: http://trac.osuosl.org/trac/replicant/wiki/libsamsung-ipc.

Here is a list of what’s not ready yet in this preview image (but may be done in the future):

• RIL: this is the crucial library used to handle telephony and data connectivity (3G). This is being worked on very hard and will be there in some time
• GPS: we haven’t worked at all on the GPS side: it might be possible to have it working (needs work)
• Compass: it’s the same as in Nexus One (which works) but the kernel driver is different (needs work)
• Full Camera: Camera works but in Black & White preview mode and isn’t very stable

Here’s a list of what doesn’t work in Replicant and is probably not going to be achieved:

• 3D acceleration
• Whatever needs the non-free firmwares we don’t include (NFC, MFC, WiFi, Bluetooth…)

We are indeed not including any non-free firmware (100% free is our goal) and are not going to provide any free replacement for these as we are not skilled to write such replacement. Though, the kernel we use won’t prevent loading these firmwares if in place.

We also thought of porting u-boot to the Nexus S in order to have a free bootloader replacement but it’s apparently not possible as primary bootloader (perhaps possible chainloaded).

Anyway, we made a video of Replicant 2.3 running on the Nexus S:

And also made a gallery of Screenshots showing Replicant on the Nexus S:

This new Replicant version is based on the latest CyanogenMod stable release, 7.1.0, that is based on Android 2.3.7 and contains, as usual, only free software.

You can download these new images at http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/replicant/images/replicant-2.3/preview/0001/

Nexus One status under Replicant 2.3 should be the same as Replicant 2.2: what was working with FroYo should still work in Gingerbread.

Even though Nexus One is supported in Replicant, it doesn’t mean it’s a device we can totally recommend for freedom:

• It has a non-free bootloader
• The devices requires non-free firmware for making phone call and working audio
• The modem (that runs non-free software) controls the sound (including mic), the GPS and can read/write the main CPU memory (it also handle data connectivity and can send/receive data on its own)

• HTC Dream/Magic
• Nexus One

This new release features the following:

• Switched to the Android launcher on HTC Dream/Magic (should be faster)
• We have a newer RIL that should fix some issues on HTC Dream/Magic/Nexus One
• We added 2 wallpapers that Jan-Christoph Borchardt submitted (thanks a lot!)

Note that Replicant 2.3 images for Nexus One and Nexus S are on their way (you can already build Replicant 2.3 images if you want)!

We are still looking forward Hackers to help us bring some more freedom to the mobile word: there are many ways to contribute to the project!

This video itself is available under the Creative Commons BY-SA license, but other licenses may apply to the audio tracks (see on the video).

The audio doesn’t include any voice comment but the video comes along with subtitles that could easily be translated. The video is available in the free WebM video format on a 360p resolution, both with subtitles hardcoded (for English only) or with subtitles on a separate file.

See the video online (embedded player with subtitles):

Download the video:

• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, 360p, 25fps, WebM format (17Mb)
• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, 360p, 25fps, OGG format (17Mb)
• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, hardcoded English subtitles, 360p, 25fps, WebM format (17Mb)

Download subtitles:

• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, English, SRT format
• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, French, SRT format
• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, Turkish, SRT format
• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, Brazilian Portuguese, SRT format
• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, Spanish, SRT format
• Introducing Replicant on HTC Dream, Italian, SRT format

The video is now subtitles in many languages, thanks to the translators!

Happy Software Freedom Day and happy mobile hacking!

This device seemed an interesting target at first since it doesn’t have any technical restriction to flash a non-official operating system and kernel but also as it comes with the latest (free) version of Android, Gingerbread. Of course, even if Android Gingerbread is free, the device requires non-free bits (libraries, binaries, firmwares, etc) to actually use the full potential of the hardware.

The work was started at the end of July and the 100% free images of Replicant 2.3 that run on the device already contain a set of supported features. You can get a detailed state of the Nexus S support in Replicant at http://trac.osuosl.org/trac/replicant/wiki/ReplicantStatus#nexuss. All the source code is, as usual, available in Replicant’s gitorious repos. Though, we still miss a big part: the RIL, that is necessary for telephony.

We soon discovered that the hardware of the Nexus S was made in a way that gives better freedom guarantees than other Replicant-supported phones. You can read a rational concerning this aspect of the phone, along with a technical overview of the device at http://trac.osuosl.org/trac/replicant/wiki/NexusSTechnicalOverview.

Also, whereas the bootloaders for the other Replicant-supported devices are all non-free, it may be possible to port a free bootloader (u-boot for instance) to the Nexus S. A wiki page that comes with all the infos we have about this is at: http://trac.osuosl.org/trac/replicant/wiki/NexusSBootloader.

The next important steps in the Nexus S support are the following (in no particular order):

• find out if a free bootloader is possible for Nexus S and start the work on it
• write a free RIL so that we can use the telephony functions

and, when that is achieved:

• release official preview images
• replace the last replaceable non-free bits (GPS and compass for instance)

As usual, we are looking for new hackers to join the effort to bring some more bits of freedom to the mobile phone world.