As we already mentioned it, we have started the work to support the Nexus S on Replicant. We are now releasing preview images, the first set for the Nexus S! You can now download the preview images: replicant-2.3 for crespo.
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:
Thanks a lot for this! We are indeed working on telephony and have good results, though we don’t think it’s stable enough to release new preview images.
We have a branch with data support (we got it working already) but it needs a bit more work.
Thanks for building and releasing newer images. Though, as this is binary-only form, I cannot say these are official Replicant images because the source code may have been altered (I cannot check).
In case someone want fresher images than the first preview, I have built myself a set which I successfully installed on my Nexus S today. Including working telephony! :) The data is unfortunately not working for me. I share my image set for whoever doesn’t want to build it.
Replicant 2.3 for Nexus S, built 15 Dec 2011, torrent file
Ah, thanks for spotting this, I thought “hardly” had the opposing meaning. Then “We are working hard on it” is indeed more appropriate.
Do you mean “this is *hardly* being worked on,” or “we are working *hard* on it”? (In case English is not your first language, they have opposite meanings.)
Pingback: Anonymous