Hackers run Linux on iPhone

01 Dec 2008 16:47

A hacker group has made the iPhone boot with a Linux 2.6 kernel, although many of the device's features are not implemented

A new front has opened in the ongoing arms race between Apple and iPhone hackers, with one hacker group making the iPhone boot with a Linux 2.6 kernel.

The announcement of the successful kernel porting was made on the 'Linux on the iPhone' blog, complete with instructions and source code.

Although a bootloader, kernel and a BusyBox terminal can be loaded, many features of the iPhone remain unimplemented: touchscreen, sound, accelerometer and networking, for example.

Input to the terminal must be made via a USB interface from another device that the iPhone is attached to.

The group that ported the kernel is derived from the iPhone Dev Team, which has been responsible for 'jailbreaking' previous iPhone software.

Linux on the iPhone. (Credit: planetbeing)

Story URL: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39568114,00.htm