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Pebble Watch software is now open source

ericmigi.com

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Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#211

Post by [deleted] »

jrmg wrote: post #202
mid-kid wrote: post #99

For some of us software freedom enthusiasts it is worth noting that PebbleOS contains some proprietary blobs for some peripherals in the watch[1]. This is not just firmware you upload to the peripheral but also properietary .a libraries that run on the main core. Though to be fair to OpenDevices, this is source code they don't have acces to either. [1]: https://github.com/coredevices/pebbleos-nonfree/tree/57a94e2...

Hardware and software are fungible. Do you demand circuit schematics? Hardware description language source code for all the ICs? Does it matter if it’s a FPGA vs a custom IC? What about CAD files for the industrial design - some of that is ‘functional’ (camera lenses and antennas being obvious examples). If you don’t require hardware description language source or circuit schematics, does your position change if it’s…

[deleted]

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#212

Post by lanyard-textile »

DrammBA wrote: post #57

(Un)related new post made by rebble today: https://rebble.io/2025/11/24/rebble-in-your-own-world.html Doesn't address the multiple feed support for the app store, and seems to be calling Eric to action a few times, but it would be too much of a coincidence that these two posts come out so close to one another.

The complete 180 is jarring.

They went from “Core Devices to stealing and everything is terrible and we are making demands” to “Actually everything was fine all along oopsy sorry for the misunderstandings”…

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#213

Post by npteljes »

bytesandbits wrote: post #188
mid-kid wrote: post #99

For some of us software freedom enthusiasts it is worth noting that PebbleOS contains some proprietary blobs for some peripherals in the watch[1]. This is not just firmware you upload to the peripheral but also properietary .a libraries that run on the main core. Though to be fair to OpenDevices, this is source code they don't have acces to either. [1]: https://github.com/coredevices/pebbleos-nonfree/tree/57a94e2...

By that reasoning the linux kernel is also not open source. Be reasonable.

And, for this reason, different entities ship different versions of the Linux kernel (and system) as well.

For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisquel

The simple statement that it's not 100% open source is not an attack on the effort. It needs to be said, because the blog entry's title is "Pebble Watch Software Is Now 100% Open Source".

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#214

Post by npteljes »

pjc50 wrote: post #169
paxcoder wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So not 100% open source. Thanks for the info

Incidentally, this is one reason why there's not so much open source hardware out there: people get pedantic about it and apply gradually more unreasonable levels of requirement, rather than accepting partially or substantially open source solutions.

1. It's the other way around: because people don't care that much, that's why there is almost exclusively proprietary hardware around.

2. The people who require the "higher grades" of being open source are simply not a large enough market

3. Being open source is not a natural advantage of a product, in fact, it's more of a risk, liability, responsibility, and effort than being proprietary.

Hence, proprietary is the default.

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#215

Post by yjftsjthsd-h »

leo_e wrote: post #199

As someone dealing with open-source compliance in distributed systems, the purity tests in these comments are exhausting. Hardware is messy. IP licensing for sensors and radios is a nightmare. Getting a functional OS out with "only" a few binary blobs is a massive engineering and legal victory. I'd rather have a working, 95% open ecosystem that I can actually hack on, than a 100% pure theoretical one that never ships…

As one of those commenters: It's actually super easy. It's fine for your product to only be mostly open source. It's definitely completely understandable if you can't open up some of the blobs that you yourself licensed. All I ask is that if you can't actually ship 100% of the software on the device needed to actually provide the advertised features, that you don't make a big headline claiming that it's 100% open source.

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#216

Post by yjftsjthsd-h »

cdibona wrote: post #206
leo_e wrote: post #199

As someone dealing with open-source compliance in distributed systems, the purity tests in these comments are exhausting. Hardware is messy. IP licensing for sensors and radios is a nightmare. Getting a functional OS out with "only" a few binary blobs is a massive engineering and legal victory. I'd rather have a working, 95% open ecosystem that I can actually hack on, than a 100% pure theoretical one that never ships…

The closest we got to a fully open source android release was probably in the Nexus one days with some 9 proprietary blobs and , worse, user space support programs (IIRC the compass calibration routines, annoyingly.) , all for various chip/radio support.

And look how that ended up.

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#217

Post by drabbiticus »

yjftsjthsd-h wrote: post #215
leo_e wrote: post #199

As someone dealing with open-source compliance in distributed systems, the purity tests in these comments are exhausting. Hardware is messy. IP licensing for sensors and radios is a nightmare. Getting a functional OS out with "only" a few binary blobs is a massive engineering and legal victory. I'd rather have a working, 95% open ecosystem that I can actually hack on, than a 100% pure theoretical one that never ships…

As one of those commenters: It's actually super easy. It's fine for your product to only be mostly open source. It's definitely completely understandable if you can't open up some of the blobs that you yourself licensed. All I ask is that if you can't actually ship 100% of the software on the device needed to actually provide the advertised features, that you don't make a big headline claiming that it's 100% open sou…

For the sake of easy reference, I'll leave the relevant snippet from the linked article so people can decide for themselves with a bit more information:

> Another important note - some binary blobs and other non-free software components are used today in PebbleOS and the Pebble mobile app (ex: the heart rate sensor on PT2 , Memfault library, and others). Optional non-free web services, like Wispr-flow API speech recognizer, are also used. These non-free software components are not required - you can compile and run Pebble watch software without them. This will always be the case. More non-free software components may appear in our software in the future. The core Pebble watch software stack (everything you need to use your Pebble watch) will always be open source.

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#218

Post by jmcphers »

t0bia_s wrote: post #135
jmcphers wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eric has made it clear that the Pebble 2 Duo was always going to be a limited run because it was made mostly of leftover components and there's no reasonable path towards making new copies of those components. > Pebble 2 Duo is sold out! We are not making more. https://ericmigi.com/blog/how-to-build-a-smartwatch-software...

That's really disappointing! I want BW eink screen, I'm not interested in colour version at all.

It really is, I wish there were a version of the Time 2 that had a BW screen. I did manage to snag one of the Pebble 2 Duos before they sold out and I love it. The contrast and reflectivity is unbeatable.

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#219

Post by jhatax »

Larrikin wrote: post #118

A little surprised there has been no mention of the app being Kotlin multiplatform. https://github.com/coredevices/mobileapp I had heard of many smaller apps using Kotlin for their iOS app, but this may be the biggest all in multiplatform app I've seen. It would be awesome if there may eventually be support for writing Pebble apps in Kotlin.

From Eric’s blog post:

“Want to learn more about how we built the new app cross platform using Kotlin Multiplatform? Watch Steve’s presentation at Droidcon [1].”

1. https://youtu.be/UOQMDkCsCSw

Re: Pebble Watch software is now open source

#220

Post by bredren »

pastel8739 wrote: post #82
bredren wrote: post #80

I see a future where FOSS designs for consumer products compete with commercial releases. It will take far more sophisticated micro-manufacturing (like 3d-printing but different tools handling more types of materials). Get the jacket in your exact size with the best materials. Benefit from having incrementally improved from the original (for example under arm vent zipper angle improved). All of it unbranded or custom…

Really? To me it seems hard to believe that small-scale manufacturing could ever meaningfully compete with economies of scale.

My experience is that consumer products, for example winter jackets, have gone down in quality and way, way up in price.

The designs themselves are often just bad. It is almost like consumers are punished for not spending enough with bad color options. (You can see this in running shoes as well)

Even if the right aesthetic and function is found, there's no real consideration of body type or shape, you get a few sizes to choose from.

I think big brands have consumers over a barrel today. When the design and materials assembly are solved, I think people will pay more to get the thing they want. And I think they're more likely to keep them longer as a result.

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