BBeOS - BlackBerry Classic Linux OS

A lightweight, secure, non-Android, Linux-based operating system for the BlackBerry Classic (Q20) that transforms this iconic device into a modern, privacy-focused smartphone.

🎯 Project Goals

• Native Hardware Support: Boot on ARMv7 architecture with full hardware integration
• Physical Interface Optimization: GUI designed for trackpad navigation and physical keyboard
• Core Telephony: Complete phone functionality (calling, SMS, Wi-Fi, GPS)
• Security-First: Privacy-focused design with minimal attack surface
• Open Source: Community-driven development with transparent codebase

📋 Hardware Specifications

BlackBerry Classic (Q20) Hardware

• SoC: Qualcomm MSM8960 (Snapdragon S4 Plus) - ARMv7 dual-core 1.5GHz
• GPU: Adreno 225
• RAM: 2GB LPDDR2
• Storage: 16GB eMMC
• Display: 3.5" 720x720 IPS LCD (1:1 aspect ratio)
• Keyboard: Physical QWERTY with trackpad
• Modem: Qualcomm MDM9615 (LTE/3G)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
• Battery: 2515mAh removable

🏗️ Project Structure

BBeOS/
├── docs/                    # Documentation and research
├── hardware/               # Hardware specifications and drivers
├── kernel/                 # Linux kernel configuration
├── rootfs/                 # Root filesystem builds
├── ui/                     # User interface components
├── telephony/              # Phone and messaging stack
├── tools/                  # Development and build tools
├── scripts/                # Automation scripts
└── releases/               # Release builds and images

🚀 Development Phases

Phase 1: Research & Feasibility (1-2 months)

• Hardware specification analysis
• Bootloader investigation
• Firmware extraction and analysis
• Go/No-Go decision

Phase 2: Bootstrapping (2-4 months)

• Minimal Linux kernel boot
• Basic hardware access
• Development environment setup

Phase 3: Hardware Support (2-4 months)

• Device drivers development
• Input/output systems
• Display and audio support

Phase 4: User Interface (2-3 months)

• Wayland-based GUI
• Keyboard-centric navigation
• Core applications

Phase 5: Telephony Stack (2-4 months)

• Modem integration
• Call/SMS functionality
• Network connectivity

Phase 6: Packaging & Updates (2 months)

• System packaging
• Update mechanisms
• Security hardening

Phase 7: Community & SDK (Ongoing)

• Developer tools
• Application ecosystem
• Documentation

🔧 Technical Stack

• Kernel: Linux 6.x with MSM8960 support
• Init System: systemd or OpenRC
• Display Server: Wayland with custom compositor
• UI Framework: Qt 6 or GTK 4
• Telephony: ofono/ModemManager
• Package Management: OSTree + Flatpak
• Build System: Buildroot or Yocto

📚 Getting Started

See the Development Guide for setup instructions and the Hardware Reference for detailed specifications.

🤝 Contributing

This is an open-source project. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

📄 License

GPL v3 - See LICENSE for details.