Nokia and Intel release Meego source code

Developers given first look at merged platform

Intel has opened up Meego for the first time

Nokia and Intel have released the code for Meego, the development platform created by the merger of the companies' respective Maemo and Moblin platforms.

The firms expect to see the first handsets featuring the operating system later this year, along with netbooks, IP-connected televisions and a range of handheld devices.

"We are happy to open the repositories and move the ongoing development work into the open, as we set out to do from the beginning," said Imad Sousou, director of Intel's open source technology centre.

Intel has launched a Meego wiki page and a number of mailing lists to support the release of the code.

The first official release of Meego is slated for next month, and new features for the current version are expected to be made available in the next few days.

This release is firmly targeted at the back end, and the MeeGo distribution infrastructure and its operating system base from the Linux kernel to the infrastructure up to the middleware layer are currently ready for access.

A number of key subsystems are also available, including internet and social networking services, visual services, media services, data management, device services, and personal services, according to the firm.

Three versions are currently available for download relating to the Nokia N900, and Intel Atom-based netbooks and handsets. A full release is expected in May.