LG Electronics is trying to expand the webOS global footprint by developing an open source version of its platform, webOS Open Source Edition, now available to the public.
Available at http://webosose.org, the webOS is a web-centric and usability-focused software platform for smart devices. The operating system has constantly evolved, passing through its journey from Palm to HP, and most recently to LG Electronics. Now, released asan open source project, it is named webOS Open Source Edition (OSE).
webOS OSE can power various electronic products ranging from display products to mobile devices and home appliances. It is a Linux-kernel-based multitasking OS with support for HTML5 and CSS3.
LG hopes that web developers will use the OS to build apps and services for webOS OSE. With the initial release, they can port webOS OSE to Raspberry Pi 3 for use in their own projects. It will be extended in the coming future to be used for other kinds of devices with various form factors.
WebOS OSE uses Enact as the Web app framework. Enact is an open source Web app framework which is built upon React UI library and optimized for webOS. Enact facilitates app development, but also provides reliable performance regardless of the size and complexity of the apps.
Apache License, Version 2.0 has been adopted as the licensing model, to facilitate code change and distribution using webOS OSE.
LG has also entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a South Korean federal government body to advance its philosophy of open platform, open partnership and open connectivity.
The National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) is the governmental body within South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) responsible for developing the country's IT sector. LG will solicit webOS business proposals from hundreds of start-ups recommended by NIPA and shortlist the most viable ones to provide logistical and technical support with commercialization as the ultimate goal. With LG's backing, startups will take part in international events such as Open Source Summit and OSCON to share their ideas and initiatives with other industry influencers.