Amazon puts code where its mouth is: releases Kindle source to the world

Well, here's a nice start to what Jeff Bezos was saying about giving the Kindle reader team some competition: Amazon just released source code for all its Kindle devices. It's fairly basic Linux underneath (kernel 2.6.22 on the latest 2.1 software), but obviously includes E Ink drivers and other relevant hardware support. What's unclear without compiling one of these and booting it up (to our untrained eyes, anyway) is whether Amazon stripped out its various DRM and licensed codec support -- MP3 and Audible seem very likely candidates for explosion, even if turns out Amazon did leave in its own Kindle Book DRM. We're also lacking an actual specific license for the code, though the folder we unpacked the OS to is called "gplrelease," so hopefully we're looking at the GNU General Public License -- which would mean manufacturers can take and repurpose this code to build their own Kindle clone / destroyer / gentle homage.

[Michael @ Jun 17th 2009 1:49AM]

Sorry bud, totally incorrect. Source code has been there since end of 2007...

[Michael @ Jun 17th 2009 1:50AM]

Oh yeah, FIRST!

[DR House @ Jun 17th 2009 2:25AM]

First to agree with you on that one

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Jun 17th 2009 2:35AM]

First!

[jbruer @ Jun 17th 2009 2:35AM]

Regardless of the "first" comment, Michael is right. Here's a quote of a quote from TechCrunch:

"Here’s a bit more about this from a technical perspective from commenter Rod Begbie:

'This isn’t the source to the Kindle application. It’s just the GPL libraries used to power the Kindle software, along with the patches made by Amazon to those libraries.

There’s nothing in the tarball that relates to reading books.'"

Original here: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/16/want-the-kindle-source-code-you-can-have-it/

But seriously, did we really think that Amazon would let us make our own Kindles, DRM and all?

[Geir E @ Jun 17th 2009 3:01AM]

Oh let them say first, it just nice to get to know the people who are going to be serving us hamburgers for the rest of their life. So don't stop them from having a little of what their mentally challenged brains can processs as fun, before the frying fat take their will to live.

[Newone @ Jun 17th 2009 9:35AM]

I'll give him credit. He was first and had some constructive to say too.

First without any other message=dimwit

Something to say, and then commenting first = not as dimwit

[iphonerulez @ Jun 17th 2009 10:01AM]

All this will be moot once Apple puts out it own iPad which will do everything because there's an app for that.

[jason @ Jun 17th 2009 12:11PM]

lol Lando, you obviously dont understand the meaning of the word "trolled"

[Kamokazi @ Jun 17th 2009 1:50AM]

Regardless of stripping stuff out, ensuring your content will be on more devices than your own, that still take a decent pair of cajones to pull off. Kudos to Amazon.

[iofthestorm @ Jun 17th 2009 3:18AM]

Err, it would take bigger balls for them not to, since they'd be violating the GPL. They didn't actually put out any code worth looking at, just the stuff that they used/modified that was already GPL licensed.

[Haters are idiots! @ Jun 17th 2009 1:52AM]

Why would they do this? I don't understand why they would want their competitors to have access to their code?

[McPOW @ Jun 17th 2009 1:55AM]

I'm going to hazard a guess and say the more ereaders reading their format, the more sales they make.

[bhorsting @ Jun 17th 2009 2:50AM]

They do this because they have to, they're using GPL licensed stuff and if you do that, you have to provide the source code. Nothing new here at all, move on...

[Wwhat @ Jun 17th 2009 7:35AM]

Yeah how grand of them to comply to the law, if you use open source software you agree to be open as the licence says, that's not a grand thing of them to do is it now.

[Martin @ Jun 17th 2009 2:04AM]

I think you're all overlooking the actual news here.

#define MARIO_BUTTON_MINOR

Games coming to Kindle confirmed. I hope the refresh rate isn't a problem.

[kelim @ Jun 17th 2009 2:09AM]

An e-ink Paper Mario??

[h_2_o @ Jun 17th 2009 2:29AM]

now maybe someone can put a pdf reader in the kindle

[Rakar @ Jun 17th 2009 2:39AM]

Candidates for EXPLOSION?

[Mark @ Jun 17th 2009 10:51AM]

Yeah, I assume he meant exploitation, misspelled it, and was sloppy and went with his spell checker's recommendation.

[avis @ Jun 17th 2009 2:58AM]

cool, hope Palm also does that soon..

[lens42 @ Jun 17th 2009 3:38AM]

Amazon doesn't care about the "Kindle". They care about selling content. I'm sure they will emulate Netflix and try to get their ebook delivery platform spread as far and wide as possible. They needed the Kindle hardware to get the ball rolling, but it is in no way an end in itself.

[Generic @ Jun 17th 2009 4:34AM]

The good news here is that the underlying code for a viable e-ink reader is out there for all the world to see and add to its succes. This will further make competition stronger and hence improve the devices that will be manufactured by others later on.

What is still unknown (at least to me) is whether this means new apps can be installed on the Kindle. Does this mean I can install a custom reader or do I have to go the iPhone way (pray for Apple's approval).

Also, just one more thing. The published code is basically a Linux kernel + drivers. Does it contain the required UI components or are those closed source. Frankly I didn't check and I don't knbow that too. This post implies that it minimal hence without the UI. If it does then I would predict that the Kindle will soon be a platform like the iPhone. If not, well, I'm a dreamer and life goes on.

[Dan @ Jun 17th 2009 4:49AM]

Why is this article still up?

It was debunked hours ago and other major blogs are now quoting you as if it's still true.

This is not the Kindle source, it's the patches to GPL code they used that they have to redistribute according to the license.

You can't clone Kindle with this, you can't even read a book.

[Hunt @ Jun 17th 2009 9:25AM]

Am I the only one who thought 'gplrelease' said 'girl please'?

Girl please!? *head movement*

[Yevon @ Jun 17th 2009 10:04AM]

Oh no you di'in't.

[Hackettman @ Jun 17th 2009 9:44AM]

Maybe we can get some modders to do something awesome to make the kindle worth it to non college students.....

[Game_playa @ Jun 17th 2009 10:48AM]

C++ FTW! If only I had worked on that instead of Java...

[Eric @ Jun 17th 2009 10:57AM]

This could very well be a simple challenge from Amazon to its detractors. "You think you can make one of these babies cheaper? Here ya go. Put your money where your mouth is."

Not sure, but sounds reasonable to me.

[CajunTechie @ Jun 17th 2009 4:58PM]

Amazon App Store Anyone? lol j/k please don't hate

[seon @ Jun 17th 2009 11:32AM]

Should I be happy that I know what # include means? I got into Buffalo University for Computer Science,I'm excited! I will be able to code stuff like that weeeeeee!!!!!

[RdG @ Jun 17th 2009 4:31PM]

hmmm.... I wonder why they didn't use the best operating system in the world - windows?