[maemo-users] Maemo different from GNU/Linux?

[From: Quim Gil]

ext Marcel wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I'm seriously planning to buy an N900 and I'm following this list for
> some time now. Someone here said some time ago that Maemo's userland is
> quite different from the typical GNU/Linux one. 

Judge by yourself:
http://wiki.maemo.org/Documentation/Maemo_5_Developer_Guide/Architecture/Top_Level_Architecture


> Having experienced the
> Neo Freerunner as "just like the Linux next door", I'd like to know what
> exactly is different from a typical (Could someone define that? :) )
> Linux environment.

The main differences come from Busybox vs full GNU tools and from a
mobile UI vs a full blown PC desktop UI. Still, the whole stack is a
quite Linux standard base with obvious mobile optimizations.

> Except the closed phone stack, of course... (It is,
> isn't it?)

It is, but the future is http://ofono.org/

-- 
Quim Gil
open source advocate
Maemo Devices @ Nokia