Open WebOS reborn as LuneOS for mobile devices
The operating system is an open-source alternative to Android and the many other operating systems available on mobile devices right now.
Open WebOS, the open-source port of the former Hewlett-Packard and current LG platform, has a new name.
OpenWebOS is now LuneOS, the team behind the platform announced on Monday. The full name was previously "WebOS Ports Open webOS" -- something that the group behind the mobile operating system said, "wasn't very catchy."
OpenWebOS was an offshoot of WebOS, the mobile operating system initially developed by Palm and transferred to HP when that company bought Palm in 2011. Although both HP and Palm attempted to get WebOS off the ground, both companies failed, and HP eventually open-sourced the operating system.
It was at that point that the team behind Open WebOS got to work on developing an alternative mobile operating system. It was also after that that LG acquired the rights to WebOS. The company is currently exploring its usage in televisions and other consumer electronics devices.
With LuneOS comes some improvements to the platform. The first release is being called "Affogato" and its stability has been improved for use on smartphones and tablets. The group behind LuneOS says that while its platform can work on the Google Nexus 4 and HP TouchPad, as well as the Galaxy Nexus and 2012 Nexus 7, its goal is to make it easy to port to other devices.
"Our main focus is not to add new devices as they appear on the market but instead to provide a stable, easy to use and easy to port software base," the group said.
It's also worth noting that LuneOS is not designed to take on iOS and Android. Indeed, the backers say that they're "not trying to reach feature comparison with Android or iOS."
Looking ahead, the team behind LuneOS is hoping to improve the project and bring more people into the fold. The group said that it's "small" and working on "a large project."
"We have a lot of parts on the service side in place but the app UIs need a lot of work from creative people," the group wrote in an announcement on Monday. "If you like webOS, know how develop on the web and enjoy working with an enthusiastic team on a new community built mobile operating system, don't hesitate to contact us through the available communication channels."
(Via Engadget)