1. HP webOS™ Homebrew by WebOS Internals
An insider's view of WebOS Internals &
the HP webOS™ Homebrew Community
Rod Whitby
Founder, WebOS Internals

2. All comments and opinions are my own.
Disclaimer
I do not work for HP.
All comments and opinions are my own.

3. Presentation Outline What is HP webOS™?
HP webOS™ Software Architecture
Homebrew Introduction
Homebrew Packages
Applications
Patches
Themes
Kernels
Preware Homebrew Installer
Preware Homebrew Documentation App
WebOS Internals
Distributed Open Development
Fundamental Principles
Relationship with HP/Palm
Vendor Collaboration
Homebrew Influence
Some Homebrew Achievements
Future Plans

4. What is HP webOS™? Mobile OS developed by Palm circa 2009
Pre, Pixi, Pre 2, Veer, TouchPad, Pre 3
True Multi-tasking
Unobtrusive Notifications
Just Type
HP Synergy
Touch to Share
Full Web
Javascript
HTML5, CSS
Linux, C/C++, Node.js

5. HP webOS™ Software Architecture
Linux Core OS ( Embedded LTS)
OpenEmbedded Userspace
udev, busybox, upstart, gstreamer
Unlocked Bootloader (from day one)
LVM Filesystem, ext3, fat32 (media/USB)
Node.js OS & App Services
IPKG Package Management
Jailbreaking/Rooting
Novaterm =>
Developer Mode
Konami Code (upupdowndownleftrightleftrightbastart)

6. Homebrew Introduction What is this Homebrew stuff all about?
A robust community of
developers and fans has
evolved around homebrew ...
Palm generally can’t offer
support for these apps, but we
do support the community’s
ability to create and use them
(at their own risk).
John Zilber
Palm Global Business Unit

7. Homebrew Applications
Applications not suitable for the App Catalog:
Access to PIM data
Undocumented API calls
Executes Linux commands as root
Requires root system call access
Requires root native file access
Applications simply ahead of their time:
Mojo apps before 18 Aug 2009
3D games before 07 Jan 2010
Hybrid apps before webOS 2.0
Service code prior to node.js

8. Homebrew Patches Modifications to webOS JavaScript files:
Change UI features
Add new functionality to webOS
Hide existing functionality
Improve performance
Extend third-party apps
Advanced Configuration patches
Configurable functionality
Tweaks configurability
Auto Update Patch Technology
Handles webOS OTA updates

9. Homebrew Themes Skinning of webOS UI and applications:
Launcher icons and wallpaper
Quick Launch bar
Colour schemes
PreThemer.com (1800+ themes)
PreCentral.net (~100 themes)
Themes MUST be removed
before each webOS OTA update.

10. Homebrew Kernels Custom kernel modifications:
CPU over-clocking (500MHz → 1GHz+)
Temperature sensing
Compressed swap space
Later incorporated into webOS 2.1.0
Additional Kernel Modules (e.g. crypto)
Multiple safety features:
Automatic temperature limits
Battery level scaling
Fail-safe on start-up

11. Preware Homebrew Installer Application
Universal Package Installer
Applications
Patches, Themes
Services, Kernels
Feeds hosted on ipkg.preware.org
Palm app catalog feeds
Direct package installs
Web URLs
attachments
Filesystem
“Just Type” to search
Blacklist apps / authors

12. Preware Homebrew Documentation App
A Starter Kit for Homebrew:
Step-by-step guides
Numerous screenshots
Links to further information
Pointers to support forums
Always kept up to date
… available in the official App Catalog!
(Would Apple allow that?)
Full disclosure: I'm the author and I get the cash.
Currently #1 ranked app in the webOS catalog …

13. WebOS Internals - Distributed Open Development
Globally distributed team
15 core developers
5 countries (au, ca, ch, fi, us)
Round-the-clock development
6 timezones
All work in public repositories
git.webos-internals.org
All information in public wiki
Auto-build from public source
Open public testing feeds
… but read the rules first.
Image © (modified to add penguins)

14. WebOS Internals - Fundamental Principles
Open source, open information, open communication
Respect all copyright licenses and terms of service
Respect commonly accepted legal and ethical frameworks
Do not increase device return rates to carriers or HP
Do not risk permanent damage to the user's device
Do not degrade the security of the device as shipped
Do not condone groups or individuals who violate these fundamental principles

15. Vendor Collaboration Respect Copyright and IP Uphold Early Access NDAs
How does WebOS Internals maintain a collaborative working relationship with HP?
Respect Copyright and IP
Uphold Early Access NDAs
Not Compete with App Catalog
Maintain Device Security
Report Device Vulnerabilities
Public Logs of Discussions
What support has HP/Palm & Carriers provided to homebrew developers?
Server hardware donations
Sprint HP
Developer devices
Including pre-release TouchPads
Travel expenses
NYC Dev Day
Right here, right now

16. Homebrew Influence Impact on official webOS releases
Inclusion of some popular patches
Use of compcache compressed swap space for legacy devices on webOS 2.x
Security vulnerability fixes
Impact on device performance
Safe overclocking kernels inc. compcache
Performance improvement patches
Impact on customer loyalty & retention
Upgrade to webOS for legacy devices
Sprint Pre+ (comms board swap)
Sprint Pre 2 (comms board swap)
“In the future we want to do more to reach out to you guys who have created these communities and create first-class relationships with you.”
Ben Galbraith
Palm Director of Developer Relations
"We are really amazed at what this group has done and are very impressed by the work."
Mitch Allen
Palm CTO

17. Some Homebrew Achievements
Safe Overclocking Kernels
Save/Restore
FreeTether
Meta-Doctor
Sprint Pre 2 hardware upgrade
Legacy webOS upgrade
Global paid app catalog access
Tweaks patch customisation
X Window System server in a card
Ubuntu chroot installer
TrueCrypt kernel support

18. Future Plans What is WebOS Internals going to do next?
Port all our applications to webOS 3.0 & Enyo
Create new custom kernels for the HP TouchPad
Assist the community in porting patches to webOS 3.0
Expand the capabilities of Touch To Share …
Are you an open source developer who is interested in developing for webOS ?

19. Questions?
Thank You!
@webosinternals