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| - | {{Mer}}
| + | [[Image:Mer-logo.png|left|160px]] |
| - | | + | Mer is a new Linux operating system, built upon a thin base of Ubuntu Jaunty combined with the best open-source elements of Nokia's Maemo platform. |
| - | __NOTOC__
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| - | <imagemap>Image:Mer-logo.png|left|160px
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| - | rect 0 0 160 136 [[Mer]]
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| - | </imagemap>
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| - | <div style="clear: left"></div>
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| - | == Background ==
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| - | [[Mer]] is a new operating system for small, mobile touch-screen devices.
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| - | It is Linux based and layers the best open-source elements of Nokia's Maemo platform over a modern Ubuntu base.
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| | The goals of Mer include: | | The goals of Mer include: |
| - | * Integrate the best solutions for a wide variety of small form-factor devices | + | *Improving and developing parts of Maemo that are of interest to the Maemo community. |
| - | * Encourage wider access to device capabilities through the [[Mer/Documentation/Vendor Social Contract|Vendor Social Contract]] | + | *Making it easier to port existing desktop applications by hildonizing and adjusting them to the tablet form factor. |
| - | * Demonstrably provide an easy route to market for vendors | + | *Encouraging third party experimentation and development. |
| - | * Dramatically reduce costs to vendors of supporting EOL hardware | + | *Supporting tablet hardware no longer receiving updated OS software by Nokia. |
| - | * Focus, harness and support community contributions to the platform | + | *Making Maemo a generic platform for all tablet devices, including non-Nokia ones. |
| - | * Encourage and ease migration of existing applications
| + | *Focusing Maemo community efforts in platform-related areas |
| - | * Support experimentation, innovation and development
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| - | Mer runs on : 770, N800, N810, FreeRunner, SmartQ5, SmartQ7, Beagleboard, and to some degree on Zaurus, Loox; we'd like to support other devices too... talk to us.
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| - | == Mission ==
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| | Mer platform development will be done in the open, with public SCM repository, bugtrackers, and Wiki-based blueprint discussion. | | Mer platform development will be done in the open, with public SCM repository, bugtrackers, and Wiki-based blueprint discussion. |
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| | We should stop seeing the tablets as strictly under-powered embedded systems, and see them for what they really are: powerful, power-efficient, economical handheld computers. | | We should stop seeing the tablets as strictly under-powered embedded systems, and see them for what they really are: powerful, power-efficient, economical handheld computers. |
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| - | ==Frequently Asked Questions==
| + | Mer has evolved from discussion around [[Maemo_Reconstructed|reconstructing Maemo]] and a desire to make a proof of concept system of these thoughts. The M-R PoC developed into Mer after it was realised that it was - indeed - a viable environment for both developers and end-users. |
| - | * What is Mer?
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| - | You did read the bit above? Oh, OK... from a user's point of view Mer aims to be a replacement for Maemo/Diablo.... but better! Note that we don't think it's there yet :)
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| - | * Does Mer replace Diablo/OS2008 ?
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| - | Well...<br>
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| - | Nokia won't be upgrading 2008 anymore.<br>
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| - | We're talking to see if there could be an official handover (SSU) to 'community support' but nothing concrete yet.<br>
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| - | So in that sense, Mer will be one option to updating your tablet if you want something that is either broken, or not in, OS2008.
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| - | * What can I do with it?
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| - | Ideally you could install and run any app that runs on Ubuntu or Maemo extras.
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| - | Of course some apps just need too much resource, or need a mouse or are closed; but most apps will run.
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| - | You can't do that in Maemo/Diablo.
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| - | * Does it run inside Diablo?
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| - | No. Mer runs instead of Diablo - but don't panic, you can dual boot from one to the other; so if Mer isn't good enough just yet you can switch back to Diablo. Eventually we hope you won't need Diablo at all :)
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| - | * Can I install it on an internal/external SD card? (how big?)
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| - | Yes! It needs about 1Gb of space. The simplest thing is to use an empty 2Gb card.
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| - | * How do I install it?
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| - | Go to the [[Mer/Documentation/Installation|installation page]]
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| - | * What were the initial motivations for this project?
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| - | See [[Maemo Reconstructed]] for the initial proposal that lead to the Mer project.
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| - | == Status ==
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| - | Mer is new and [[Mer/Releases|constantly developing]] so the [[Mer/Status|status]] of support for hardware and applications is steadily improving.
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| - | Also check the [[Mer/Documentation|documentation]] page for more information.
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| - | == History ==
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| - | Mer has evolved from discussion around [[Maemo_Reconstructed|reconstructing Maemo]] and a desire to make a proof of concept system of these thoughts. The M-R PoC developed into Mer after it was realised that it was - indeed - a viable environment for both developers and end-users. On Thursday 2th May 2009 [[Mer/Ubuntu MID|Ubuntu MID]] decided to use Mer as their upstream. | + | |
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| - | == Events ==
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| - | The Mer team meets regularly at [[../Events | events]] to present and talk about Mer.
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| - | == Screenshots ==
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| - | Some from 0.16 [[Mer/Documentation/Screenshots|here]] and 0.15 [[Mer/Releases/0.15#Screenshots|here]].
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