ButtUgly: Main_blogentry_310106

Nokia to release Python S60 as Open Source

Yup. It's official, and you can download the source code now. I understand it wasn't an easy process, but it's good that it's finally done. The licenses seem to be Apache License v2 and the Python License.

The source code for Python for S60 Platform will be made available to the open-source software development community through SourceForge.net, which provides free hosting to open-source software development projects and is the world's largest Open Source software development web site, hosting more than 100,000 projects and over 1,000,000 registered users with a centralized resource for managing projects, issues, communications, and code.

Ugh. I don't like Sourceforge at all. I've always found its interface to be repulsing, and I can never find what I am looking for.

Now, if only there were more open source hackers on S60... Symbian is difficult[1], and not very endearing to a casual programmer (though you could arguably say the same thing about MIDP Java). But I hope the source code will allow others to also work on their alternative programming environments (OPL, anyone?) for S60 as well. These new platforms do make smartphone programming a lot easier.

[#1]: There. I've said it. It's frigging obvious to anyone with half a brain, who takes a look at the SDK, anyway. I tried once to learn Symbian programming, but after four hours I got so scared and confused that I peed my pants, so I had to stop. And oh, my opinions are my own opinions, not the company opinions, yadda yadda.