diff README @ 50:a62e5bf88434

first round of documentation
author Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
date Sun, 18 Oct 2020 18:08:15 +0000
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+FreeCalypso Tourmaline firmware project
+=======================================
+
+In chronological terms, FC Tourmaline is our fourth firmware offering after
+Citrine, Magnetite and Selenite.  FC Tourmaline supports the following two
+fundamental modes of operation:
+
+* AT-command-controlled modem operation (no UI) is currently unchanged from
+  Magnetite hybrid; standard modem operation is supported on Tango/Caramel2,
+  FCDEV3B and Openmoko hardware targets.
+
+* The new work being done in Tourmaline is phone handset functionality - the
+  goal is to produce firmware that can operate a suitable hardware unit as an
+  untethered end user phone.  Only two hardware targets are supported in this
+  FC Tourmaline handset UI development venture: FC Luna development platform
+  and Motorola C139.
+
+See the following articles under doc for further details:
+
+C139-notes		-- running smallbw version of the UI on Mot C139
+Luna-notes		-- running both UI versions on FC Luna
+Modem-operation		-- using the modem configuration
+
+Technical details
+=================
+
+Just like FC Selenite, Tourmaline is derived from the hybrid config of
+Magnetite.  Also in common with Selenite, Tourmaline uses the new source
+version of Nucleus.  However, unlike Selenite, Tourmaline retains sole use of
+the original TMS470 compiler (runs under Wine), retains the original blob
+versions of OSL and OSX glue components of GPF in the default config (see
+doc/Blob-status), and includes both modem and handset functional configs.
+
+Purpose and goal
+================
+
+As of late 2020, FreeCalypso has achieved everything that needs to be done on
+the modem side: our Magnetite hybrid or Tourmaline stdmodem firmware running on
+our Tango modem module embodies complete fulfillment of our long-standing desire
+for a standard GSM+GPRS modem module with fully published circuit schematics and
+firmware source code.  No more significant work beyond maintenance is deemed to
+be needed on the modem side.
+
+OTOH, the other need for a FreeCalypso handset that can replace proprietary
+phones like Mot C1xx or Pirelli DP-L10 running their original proprietary fw
+still remains as unmet as it was when we started back in 2013.  Thus the new
+FreeCalypso work direction is to finally produce this FC handset, initially in
+the form of FC firmware running on Mot C139 (and on FC Luna to keep up the
+bigcolor config) and allowing the possibility of new FreeCalypso handset hw.
+
+Seen from the perspective of handset rather than modem functionality, the
+direction taken in Citrine and Selenite (going for 100% blob-free compilation
+with gcc) is the wrong way to go.  That direction would make sense if one cared
+only about modem functionality rather than handset, but we are currently in the
+opposite situation.  In the case of handset functionality, going for a compiler
+change to gcc in our current state when so many other parts are broken and in
+need of fixing would be pure insanity, and we are not going there.  Let us
+first produce a working FreeCalypso handset (with fw compiled with TMS470 under
+Wine, keeping the tiny remaining blobs) that can replace Mot/Pirelli's original
+proprietary firmwares for daily use, and *then* think about moving to 100%
+blob-free gcc - in this order.