LuneOS is a
mobile operating system
A mobile operating system is an operating system used for smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or other non-laptop personal mobile computing devices. While computers such as laptops are "mobile", the operating systems used on the ...
(OS) based on the
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is a Free and open-source software, free and open source Unix-like kernel (operating system), kernel that is used in many computer systems worldwide. The kernel was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and was soon adopted as the k ...
and currently developed by the WebOS Ports community. With a
user interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fro ...
based on
direct manipulation
In computer science, human–computer interaction, and interaction design, direct manipulation is an approach to interfaces which involves continuous representation of objects of interest together with rapid, reversible, and incremental actions ...
, LuneOS is designed primarily for
touchscreen
A touchscreen (or touch screen) is a type of electronic visual display, display that can detect touch input from a user. It consists of both an input device (a touch panel) and an output device (a visual display). The touch panel is typically l ...
mobile devices such as
smartphone
A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...
s and
tablet computer
A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being computers ...
s. The OS uses touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching, and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen objects, and a
virtual keyboard
A virtual keyboard is a software component that allows the Input device, input of characters without the need for physical keys. Interaction with a virtual Computer keyboard, keyboard happens mostly via a touchscreen interface, but can also take p ...
.
LuneOS is the
open source
Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...
successor for Palm/HP
webOS
webOS, also known as LG webOS, is a Linux kernel-based multitasking operating system for smart devices, such as smart TVs, that has also been used as a mobile operating system. Initially developed by Palm, Inc. (which was acquired by Hewlett ...
where the user interface is rebuilt from scratch by using the latest technologies available (
Qt 5.15.0 / QML,
Qt WebEngine, etc).
It is not intended to compete with iPhone or Android on features. All devices can have a LuneOS port if they have a
CyanogenMod /
LineageOS
LineageOS is an Open-source software, open source Android (operating system), Android operating system for smartphones, tablet computer, tablets, and set-top boxes. It is community-developed and serves as the successor to CyanogenMod, from which ...
ROM available that works. LuneOS uses the minimal Android System Image that is created using
Halium which in turn is based upon CyanogenMod / LineageOS.
Currently, the system is still in alpha, with some internal hardware not supported and some applications still buggy. It can be updated without a reinstall.
It has the feel of the webOS formerly used on Palm and HP hardware, including a cards-based multitasking system and Universal Search. It has been described as "a niche mobile operating system maintained by enthusiasts".
Release schedule
See also
*
Enyo
*
Access Linux Platform
The Access Linux Platform (ALP) is a discontinued open-source software based operating system, once referred to as a "next-generation version of the Palm OS," for mobile devices developed and marketed by Access Co., of Tokyo, Japan. The platform ...
*
Ubuntu Touch
Ubuntu Touch is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system, developed by the UBports community. Its user interface is written in Qt, and is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Howev ...
- Linux Ubuntu for smartphones and tablets.
References
External links
*
LuneOS Forums
{{Qt
2014 software
ARM operating systems
Free mobile software
Mobile Linux
Mobile operating systems
Smartphone operating systems
Software using the Apache license