OpenMoko has posted details on how to get the Google Android mobile operating system running on their own Linux-powered Neo FreeRunner mobile phone.
Google has released their open source version of the Android phone software distribution. In order to use it on the Freerunner, a number of patches need to be applied and a compiler with armv4 java exception support needs to be used to compile the software.
The installation is not for the faint of heart and there are still a few issues to work through: As it stands, the phone will not wake up from suspend mode, impacting battery life and the phone will lock up unless you set the screen timeout to never.
According to DigiTimes, OpenMoko is also planning a new phone for 2009. OpenMoko expects to market this new phone to a wider audience. To date, they have focused on developers but are planning to offer this next one to consumers. I also think DigiTimes’ reference to a new Android-based handset alludes to the fact that you can now install Android on the Neo FreeRunner rather than a completely new handset.