Maemo 5 SDK Released for Nokia Internet Tablet Developers

Nokia's Maemo Linux group, responsible for the This company's Internet Tablet devices and their Linux-based operating system, have released the first software developer's kit (SDK) for Maemo 5, which is slated to be the next major update to the open source-based operating system that is used on Nokia's tablet devices.

For Platform Developers Only

Those hoping to get an idea of the user interface (UI) elements that will be present in Maemo 5 will be disappointed in this iteration of the SDK. This first release is meant for platform developers only, and features code that taps into the OMAP3 processor, cellular connectivity, high-definition camera, and hardware-based graphics acceleration.

This SDK is labeled as a pre-alpha release, meant only to give a high-level look at what is to come in Maemo 5. This will include major updates in Glib, GTK+, GUPnP, Telepathy, BlueZ, the X-server and renewed Hildon components, along with the new kernal setup.

Other features of the OS that are updated in Maemo 5 include Clutter, libcanberra, OpenMAX, PulseAudio, and Tracker. 

Support for Current Internet Tablets

Because Maemo 5 is designed for the OMAP 3 processor instruction set, current Internet Tablet devices (N800, N810, N810 WiMAX Edition) will not be officially supported when the new operating system is ready for release. Features such as the hardware-based graphics acceleration and the changes in the Desktop user interface and the Realtime Communication framework constitute a greater effort on Nokia's part than the project's scope.

However, because of the open source nature of the Maemo project and components, it is possible that the Maemo/Linux community may develop an OMAP 2 version of Maemo 5 that would use some of the same components, but be more directed towards OMAP 2 hardware.

Development Schedule

At this point, Maemo 5 has entered the stage where weekly updates will mark development progress. Changes during this iterative process will be documented on the table of changes page at the Maemo website. 

More Information

For more information about the Maemo 5 SDK, visit the Maemo website.

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