OpenPandora Design Files Get Open-Sourced

[phoronix]

Phoronix: OpenPandora Design Files Get Open-Sourced

The design files to the Pandora Linux gaming handheld computer is now open-sourced for non-commercial use...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTcwNzA

[ebourg]

non commercial use != open source

http://opensource.org/osd

[kingu]

Debian and a whole range of other systems also run on the OP.

The License for the Labels and Manual was both for commercial and non-commercial use.

Everything else is subject to terms, but there is clearly an opening for commercial use. I imagine it being for use to produce things for the actual openpandora for now,
and whatever happens down the road.

License for the Pandora Case Files:
...any company/persons using for monetary
purposes or for resale must contact me first and possibly pay small
royalties, or a one time fee on sales and/or use...

...License for the Pandora PCB and LCD-Cable Files:
If you plan to use them for any commercial projects, please do contact us...

The important bit was however information and freedom for owners of the openpandora, making it to date the most open modern laptop available.

There is a nice day of pandora bundle available now for Rebirth and 1GHz model (faster)

[kingu]

While open source for software as-in-OSI doesnt differentiate itself from open source that doesnt respect such criteria, OTOH

free software, (when not meaning gratis), is exactly how that distinction is made. Both for hardware and software.

Imposing OSI open source standards on hardware doesnt make sense.

[Kivada]

It probably has something to do with this successor http://www.pyra-handheld.com/ looking to improve upon the OP in every way.

My only complaint about the Pyra is that they aren't going for 64-bit ARM Cortex-A57.

[kingu]

With how the openpandora is now an open design, the same goes for the planned pyra.

The following was intended as a PM for ebourg, but i dont think i can send those yet.

OSI-OS and FOSS

Users are encouraged to share their contributions and alterations in the community, I think that makes it a
for all intents and purposes other than the non-commercial clause free (as in freedom), but not copyleft, license.

Do you agree?

The notion of opening a design is something that further disqualifies open as a distinguishable metric, rather than freeing a design, which i think is more of an end to a means.

It cant be free-ed quantitivly, which is to say without mention of how it doesnt fully reach that goal, which is absolute.

Personally i think non-commercial is a (in this case) small cost of free (pun intented) as to how it differs compared to the vast omissions to that same scope covered by open (source) licenses.

Giving freedom is a laudible goal by its own merits, it cant be done while also taking away. That is only less, or a change in, restrictions. Open source while ideally free as in freedom, can impose restrictions, which is how opening up something that is bad just uncovers its true identity.

TL;DR And by that i mean doing things wrong is permitted by open rather than not fully free, but yet almost, as is the case here.

[dhead666]

@Michael

This is the definition of OSH, I recommend you to read it.

[dhead666]

This is the only definition I know of OSH.

http://www.oshwa.org/definition/

[kingu]

CAD and gerber files have been the source files for case and PCB production since schematics alone weren't enough to replicate something.

Open source has existed long before OSI, and there are multiple open design definitions, just as there are any number of open source licenses.

They are all so different it only makes sense to describe this as free, but non-commercial. Or, more precisely, not fully free since a commercial permit isn't explicitly given upfront.

For once Michael Larabel is actually right, and for reference, this is what he wrote:

The design files to the Pandora Linux gaming handheld computer is now open-sourced for non-commercial use.

[kaprikawn]

It probably has something to do with this successor http://www.pyra-handheld.com/ looking to improve upon the OP in every way.

My only complaint about the Pyra is that they aren't going for 64-bit ARM Cortex-A57.

There's a big thread on the openpandora boards about the chipset choice. The tl;dr version is they're limited by who is willing to sell to them (most don't sell in quantities below a certain threshold), and also they need support/drivers from the vendor to make the Pyra work. The OMAP is pretty much the only choice which ticks all the boxes.