WebOS Internals attempting the unpossible: webOS 2.0 FrankenDoctor for older devices 69
Fri, 05 Nov 2010 9:57 am EDT 
webOS 2.0 will be coming to Pre, Pixi, and Plus variant devices in “the coming months,” but if you’re like us, you want webOS 2.0 right now because you have the attention span of a... hey, who finished the ice cream? Thankfully, the masters of satisfying our impatience - the code genies at WebOS Internals - have decided that they don’t want to wait either.
With the release of the 2.0-restoring webOS Doctor for SFR’s Pre 2, Rod Whitby and the gang have taken to hacking and splicing the 2.0 Doctor with the already released webOS 1.4.5 Doctor. Yes, that's a gross oversimplification, but all the code gibberish is far over this author's head (as evidenced by my calling it gibberish). In essence, they’re setting out to make a webOS FrankenDoctor, with the aim of installing webOS 2.0 before Palm and carrier partners finally get around to releasing the update. Really, who wants to be at the mercy of Sprint and Verizon?
Right now it’s very raw. As in it’ll render your device unusable and possibly physically damaged. There’s a reason the forum post on the subject starts off in 24-point bold red type. But, if you’re of the super-geeky Linux inclination, capable of in-depth debugging, and feel like chancing a permanent bricking of your spare Pre (do not, I repeat, do not try this on your primary device), then feel free to join in. After all, it takes a village to make a Frankendoctor - or maybe the village chases and kills the Frankendoctor - never could get that straight. In any case, there are roadblocks to be overcome.
Just don't blame us if things go south in a hurry - if patching and kernels are homebrew, then this is, well, we don't know what to call this except for friggin' awesome.
Source: PreCentral Forums; Thanks to sketch42 for the heads up!
69 Comments
I've got 5 bucks on someone to do this right now hahah jk
this is very interesting. Come on webos internals team!
Wait, "unpossible?"
Seriously???
That was pretty clearly a joke.
It's a perfectly cromulant word.
Lol, yeah. Guess I was looking at it way too up tight... Btw, I believe it's cromulent. I actually had to look that word up because I've never seen it before. This community even teaches you new words! Rock on precentral!
Like "Robustified" and "Expurgated"
Nope. Expurgated is incromulent.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expurgated
Am I the only one concerned that efforts like this will lead to HP/Palm being less likely to release code like this in the future? Something strikes me as problematic here. It reminds me of the leaked ROMs that I used to see (but not install) when I had Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices. Maybe I'm just being paranoid...
I don't have much concern because this is the open model webOS uses. Also legacy devices are going to get the update eventually- hopefully this month. (Used to have BB and RIM was TERRIBLE at leaving older devices out in the cold- probably in part because of terrible memory and processor specs of older devices) I'm not tempted right now with my overclocked pre+ and can wait 1-2 months. But I imagine I would be tempted if my carrier never updates. (did mexico ever get their updates? )
I'm with you in this part.. It sounds awesome because we are the users and it's good for us, but on the other side it's not good bussines as a company for HP.
I can see HP getting a little nervous, but hopefully the Palm folks can assure them that WebOS Internals knows what they're doing.
Why would this bother HPalm?
They'll release webos 2 on older devices anyway.
This will only allow a few geeks to play with it a bit earlier.
There's 0 drawback for HPalm here.
agreed if anything it's + for HP bc when they ppl who think they know what their doing ( this ppl other than the internals crew) brick their pre and now they have to purchase another one...mo $ mo $ ha! Side note, wake up Sprint and make a **** statement that says were getting the Pre 2 with 4G when release them next year, as much as your company **** blows and sticks it n deep @ least you guys use vasoline unlike Big Red...so save me a new **** and get your **** together!
The difference is that this effort is done without violating any copyright law or redistributing proprietary Palm files. Just like all other activities that WebOS Internals embarks on.
-- Rod
I wonder what will come first
1. Webos internals safe release of webos 2.0 to the public
or
2. The carriers release of webos 2.0 to the users?
hmm...
It's been said Nov 11th is when pre 2 will hit verizon.... so i really feel deep down it will start moving out that day
I tend to think there will be at least a month delay before there is any public availability of WebOS 2.0 on current devices, and then after that it will be up to the carriers to push it out. I'll be surprised to have 2.0 on my Verizon Pre+ before the new year. Look how long it took for 1.4.5, and that was a minor update.
I could be wrong of course.
I'm guessing 3 months minimum. I doubt they will release it for the original pre on Sprint until the new 2.0 devices have been out for a while. And yes, I mean that the new devices will be on Sprint, and hopefully we will see them shortly after CES.
Hell I will even try it on my main device. Bring it on.
hey who finished the ice cream =)
This would be pretty cool. But Rod, one question: You spoke up about porting webOS to a hero, but isn't this virtually the same thing? Or is it legal because it is being used on a webOS device?
This is legal because we are individually getting the software from Palm and not redistributing our modified versions.
wow these guys are really the driving spirit behind webos. If they didn't work their magic, palm would have died long ago. This hack also looks intriguing, but I can't risk destroying my phone.
I'm behind standing behind the webos team at all times. It has been posted > "Do not attempt to do this unless....
You guys rocks! :)
sweet just like on my evo i had froyo months before sprint released it.love to have web os 2.0 on my pre early
Precentral and webOS internalz are the best. Fact.
+1
I couldn't even finish this article because Derek's photoshop had me ROFL. Even better than his marriage photoshop.
+1000! I love that pic!
Yes, this is one of my favorite ones yet. Great job Derek! :-D
Yes, love the pic!
https://twitter.com/#!/o2online_de/status/29596654567
at least they say the release is planned to be still in 2010, limiting "coming months" to "in the next 8 weeks"
Good luck...if you're on O2.
This is a high quality article. Not only is the subject matter exciting, but the delivery was nothing but clever. It's reasons like this I frequent this site daily.
I admire Derek's writing, as well. A good balance of fact and sacastic humor.
Nothing is impossible.... What could kill this frankenstein would not be the village but the army of Verizon lawyers with Palm forced behing to throw the C&D order spear in it's heart.
Yep, can't have a working GPS on webOS 2.0 now, can't we? I really, really hope Sprint skipped on the Pre 2 to introduce the next generation webOS phone. I hate Verizon...
Look at the smart phones Sprint is coming out with right now. They are only interested in the "gee whiz-bang" 4g variety right now. If they are going to sell the phone for more that $free right now it has to have 4G, and they ain't budging on that.
I think the question is should they take their time and people hard earned money as donations to do something that could be worthless if the carriers release before or around the same time they actually figure this out.
Donations from the community are spent on server hardware and hosting expenses for the Preware package feeds, and development hardware for porting Preware, patches, kernels and applications to later webOS versions and later devices.
Our developers do not receive donations as cash for time.
As for the time spent, the pursuit of fundamental knowledge never needs an explanation.
-- Rod
'[i]"As for the time spent, the pursuit of fundamental knowledge never needs an explanation" [i/]
Rod...in your post, is the last sentence from some sort of inspirational book, or a "popular" quote/saying? ...or are those your words?? ...I think that is an awesome line; it is so true; it sounds like it should've been said by the likes of Socrates, Plato, A. Einstein, etc... and IMHO, if it's not already, it should be a "mainstream" quotation!
Duh! Just dawned on me that I could 'google' the sentence...so I will. I did. No matches....
Hmm. You awesome guys will rock with webos 2.0 on the ipad ;-) Let's do the frankenpad.
Once Frankenstein is alive he will want a bride! Watch out WebOS Internals he may pick you.
Derek, how much fun do you have making these Photoshops? I can only picture a giant, wide grin as you attached the bolts to the Sprint Pre in the image.
we need releasemypre to release another video to "encourage" the release of webos 2.0.
I'm all on board with this. I say screw the carriers. I'd just recommend to try this on your spare, spare Pre. That spare Pre might become your primary Pre overnight thanks to the build quality.
The gauntlet has been thrown.
nice job webosinternals dudes. There is no limit to what you guys can do!
Pic is funny.
WebOS Internals is amazing.
The ice cream was yummy.
UNPOSSIBLE... It was a joke. As in so impossible that it's unpossible... As in this isn't even a word impossible. I like it.
I also love Derek's faux photo images. This and the smartphone beauty contest are just hilarious.
I think the question is should they take their time and people hard earned money as donations to do something that could be worthless if the carriers release before or around the same time they actually figure this out.
I really hate how when your on your pre and hit refresh it reposts the last one that you posted!
I hate that too!
Why does Rice play Texas?
Because its hard.
Donations from the community are spent on server hardware and hosting expenses for the Preware package feeds, and development hardware for porting Preware, patches, kernels and applications to later webOS versions and later devices
Our developers do not receive donations as cash for time
As for the time spent, the pursuit of fundamental knowledge never needs an explanation.
-- Rod
I wanna give the peeps at webos internals a hug. No homo though.
"Me fail English? That's unpossible."
-- Ralph Wiggum
Nice article Derek. (Seriously.)
Note that one of the major reasons for doing this is so that we can understand the webOS 2.0 doctor, and what it does to your device when it upgrades you from 1.4.5 to 2.0.0 - this is going to be a major upgrade and if we want homebrew to continue working, then we need to understand it.
-- Rod
Please tell me again--I seem to have forgotten. Exactly what incentive does Sprint have to release webOS 2 for old Pre and Pixi minuses? I mean, they haven't even committed to carrying the friggin' Pre 2!
I am afraid the only webOS 2 I see may come from Frankendoctor!
Sprint has billed themselves as the "open" network, and if they don't allow the upgrade, at least through the expected life of the phone (2.5 years?) then they risk a big marketing black eye for their efforts.
Also, there will be little reason not to, so long as the upgrades are compatible between the new devices and the old. At some point they won't be, of course, but at least the first few upgrades after 2.0 should.
Any chance you guys could pull out and port the code for flash?
I hope this has a added effect of causing HP to accelerate their 2.0 update to legacy devices and apply extra pressure on the carriers to not delay it. Bless you internal lads.
I don't have a device to spare, so, Alpha Testing isn't in the cards for me. But, frankly, I would love to see the WebOS Internals team get this working BEFORE HP releases the official version and I would be happy to be a Beta tester, or even a paying (contributing?) user of the stable Franken-version. If history is any indication, it will be cooler, and offer more bells and whistles than the official version.
Good luck guys!
Oh MAN. Why'd that person have to mess it up and have the thread closed? *le sigh*
If you read PreHype's previous ten comments it's not a surprise.
Way to go PreHype. You are a boyle on the face of this community that should be lanced off with due haste. Shame on you! Reread and respect the hard work that is shared among us all in the pursuit of knowledge. You at least owe Rod an apology (if not the rest of us).