MeeGo

MeeGo
Company type	Linux distribution
Industry	Mobile operating systems, Consumer electronics software
Founded	February 2010; 16 years ago
Founder	Linux Foundation, Intel, Nokia
Defunct	September 2011
Fate	Discontinued; succeeded by Tizen and Mer
Area served	Mobile devices, consumer electronics
Key people	Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo (Nokia CEO at launch), Stephen Elop (Nokia CEO during discontinuation)
Products	MeeGo OS for netbooks, smartphones, tablets, in-vehicle infotainment units, SmartTVs
Owner	Linux Foundation
Parent	Linux Foundation

MeeGo was a now-defunct Linux distribution managed by the Linux Foundation, created by merging the source codes of Intel’s Moblin and Nokia’s Maemo. It was designed for use in mobile devices and various consumer electronics, supporting an array of hardware such as netbooks, basic desktop computers, tablet computers, communication gadgets, in-vehicle infotainment units, SmartTVs, IPTV receivers, and smart phones.

Initially, Nokia intended MeeGo to serve as its main smartphone operating system in 2010 but ceased its development in February 2011, leaving Intel as the sole developer. The Linux Foundation discontinued MeeGo in September 2011, opting instead to back Tizen, a new platform developed by Intel in partnership with Samsung. That same year saw the emergence of a community-driven continuation called Mer. Finnish startup Jolla utilized Mer as the basis for creating the Sailfish OS and introduced the Jolla Phone toward the end of 2013. Additionally, another Mer-based project named Nemo Mobile was established.

MeeGo functioned across multiple device categories—including handheld gadgets, automotive infotainment systems, netbooks, and televisions—by integrating a shared core with tailored graphical interfaces for each device type. It combined Intel’s Moblin, which was Fedora-based, with Nokia’s Debian-derived Maemo to establish a cohesive platform. Upon its launch, Nokia’s CEO at the time, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, highlighted MeeGo’s potential to develop into a leading global ecosystem among operating systems.

History

The MeeGo T01 version was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress event in February 2010 by both Intel and Nokia. Their goal was to merge Intel's Moblin and Nokia's Maemo projects into one consolidated platform that would encourage a wide-ranging third-party application ecosystem. Intel pointed out that Microsoft's insufficient support for the Atom processor under Windows 7 was a significant motivator behind MeeGo’s creation. On 16 February 2010, Nokia rebranded its Maemo 6 initiative—known internally as Harmattan—as an official MeeGo variant, continuing its development under this new identity for devices such as the Nokia N9, while earlier Maemo versions remained unaffected.

Key contributors like Aminocom and Novell played important roles in MeeGo’s progress by working alongside the Linux Foundation on build infrastructure and product development efforts. Amino expanded MeeGo support to television devices, whereas Novell incorporated technologies from openSUSE, including tools like the Open Build Service and the ZYpp package manager. In November 2010, AMD became an active member of the consortium developing MeeGo.

A significant change occurred on 11 February 2011 when Nokia declared its decision to adopt Windows Phone 7 as its primary platform, effectively ending its involvement with MeeGo and its collaboration with Intel. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop characterized MeeGo as an innovative future project rather than a fallback option. Despite this strategic pivot, Nokia released one MeeGo-powered smartphone that year—the Linux-based Nokia N9, running the "Harmattan" interface.

On 27 September 2011, Intel and Samsung Solstice announced plans to replace MeeGo with the Linux-based operating system called Tizen, scheduled for release in 2012. Meanwhile, developers from the community-led project Mer continued advancing MeeGo independently from Intel and Nokia. Several former Nokia engineers involved with MeeGo went on to establish Jolla, which launched Sailfish OS—a platform built upon technologies derived from MeeGo and Mer.

System requirements

MeeGo was compatible with both ARM and Intel x86 processors that supported SSSE3, and it utilized btrfs as its standard file system.

User interfaces

MeeGo offered several graphical user interfaces, known as User Experiences ("UX").

Netbook

The Netbook UX originated from the Moblin interface and was developed using the Clutter-based Mx toolkit alongside the Mutter window manager. The Samsung Netbook NP-N100 operated on MeeGo's platform.

This netbook edition incorporated essential Linux applications such as Evolution for email and calendar management, Empathy for instant messaging, Gwibber for microblogging, the Chromium browser, and the Banshee media player, thereby enhancing both productivity and multimedia functionality within the interface.

Handset

The Handset UX was built on the Qt platform, integrating both GTK+ and Clutter to maintain compatibility with Moblin applications. To run Maemo’s Hildon apps, users were required to install a ported Hildon library. Software distribution occurred through Intel AppUp or Nokia's Ovi digital marketplaces.

The MeeGo Handset UX "Day 1" prerelease debuted on 30 June 2010, initially targeting the Aava Mobile Intel Moorestown platform, with developer support extended to the Nokia N900 via a 'kickstart' build configuration.

Smartphone

MeeGo OS version 1.2 "Harmattan" serves as the operating system for the Nokia N9 and N950 smartphones.

Tablet

Intel unveiled the Tablet UX running on a Moorestown-based tablet at COMPUTEX Taipei in June 2010. The MeeGo project includes an entirely open-source Tablet UX developed using Qt and the MeeGo Touch Framework. Intel showed interest in combining Qt with Wayland, rather than relying on the traditional X11, aiming to utilize advanced Linux kernel graphics capabilities to improve user experience while simplifying system architecture.

Specific minimum hardware requirements were not detailed. The WeTab, equipped with MeeGo T01 featuring a customized interface, was released in September 2010.

In-Vehicle infotainment

The GENIVI Alliance, consisting of automotive manufacturers and industry collaborators, adopted Moblin combined with Qt as the basis for its 'GENIVI 1.0 Reference Platform' designed for In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) and automotive navigation solutions. In April 2010, GENIVI and BMW announced their shift from Moblin to MeeGo to promote standardization of IVI platforms throughout the automotive industry.

Smart TV

Intel initially intended to create a MeeGo variant tailored for IPTV set-top boxes; however, this initiative was subsequently discontinued.

Licensing

MeeGo’s architecture incorporates a range of original and upstream components, all distributed under Free Initiative-approved licenses such as the GNU General Public License. To allow hardware manufacturers flexibility in customizing user experiences, MeeGo’s licensing strategy requires that its reference User Experience modules be released under permissive free software licenses—except for libraries that extend MeeGo APIs, which are governed by the GNU Lesser General Public License to prevent fragmentation; meanwhile, applications may be subject to separate licensing terms.

Technical foundations

MeeGo Core combines components from Nokia's Maemo (which is Debian-based) and Intel's Moblin (originating from Fedora). It employs RPM package repositories and stands out as one of the earliest Linux distributions to implement Btrfs as its standard file system.

The majority of applications within MeeGo's Jolla interface utilize the Qt widget toolkit, while also offering support for GTK+. The final release incorporates MeeGo Qt version 4.7, Qt Mobility version 1.0, and OpenGL ES version 2.0. Furthermore, MeeGo includes support for software frameworks such as Accounts & SSO, Maliit, and oFono.

The process of building software packages is handled via the openSUSE Build Service.

MeeGo/Harmattan

MeeGo was initially created through a partnership between Nokia and Intel, combining Nokia's Maemo 6 operating system foundation with a unified handset user experience, which was later branded as "MeeGo/Harmattan." On 21 June 2011, Nokia released its inaugural MeeGo/Harmattan smartphone, the Nokia N9.

Mer

The Mer initiative started as an open-source reimplementation of Maemo for the Nokia Internet Tablet N800. Although it was temporarily discontinued in favor of MeeGo, Mer was revived following Nokia and Intel’s departure from MeeGo development. Now maintained by the community, Mer preserves the MeeGo codebase and supports various user interfaces through APIs such as Qt, EFL, and HTML5/WAC.

Several former MeeGo user interfaces have been adapted to run on Mer, including the handset reference UX now known as Nemo Mobile. Additionally, new tablet-oriented UXs like Cordia and Plasma Active operate on Mer. Mer is widely regarded as the true successor to MeeGo since Tizen diverged significantly in its API design.

Nemo Mobile

Nemo Mobile is a community-driven operating system built upon Mer, focusing on mobile phones and tablet devices.

Sailfish OS

Created by the Finnish startup Jolla, Sailfish OS integrates Mer following Nokia’s exit from MeeGo development. Jolla was established by former members of the Nokia N9 team with the goal of commercially revitalizing MeeGo technology. The Sailfish OS and its SDK rely on Mer’s core tools and APIs (Qt 4.7, Qt Mobility 1.0, OpenGL ES 2.0), featuring a multitasking user interface designed to distinguish Jolla smartphones from Android and iOS platforms.

Notable characteristics include:

Broad hardware compatibility enabled by Mer’s kernel abstraction layer
Utilization of Qt, QML, and HTML5 technologies
An open-source core combined with proprietary Jolla user interface elements
Continuous contributions to Mer from both Jolla and the Sailfish Alliance

Sailfish OS strategically aims to offer an alternative mobile operating system ecosystem that builds upon MeeGo’s heritage while targeting niche markets seeking differentiation from mainstream platforms.

Tizen

Despite being introduced as a successor to MeeGo, Tizen shares minimal architectural similarities with it and is more closely derived from Samsung’s LiMo platform. Primarily developed behind closed doors by engineers from Intel and Samsung, Tizen does not incorporate the Qt framework central to MeeGo’s API set; therefore, it cannot be classified as a true MeeGo derivative.

SUSE and Smeegol Linux

On 1 June 2010, Novell revealed a SUSE Linux variant that featured MeeGo’s Netbook user interface. The openSUSE Goblin Team created Smeegol Linux, which merges openSUSE’s foundation with MeeGo’s netbook-oriented UX. Smeegol enhances this combination by including elements like the Mono-based Banshee media player, NetworkManager for network setup, and an updated Evolution Express email client. Users are also able to personalize their own versions of Smeegol Linux through SUSE Studio.

Fedora

Fedora 14 integrated selected components from the MeeGo initiative, resulting in improvements to its desktop interface.

Linpus

Linpus Technologies built their solutions on top of MeeGo's Netbook and Tablet platforms, broadening their range within the MeeGo environment.

Splashtop

The most recent iteration of the instant-on operating system, Splashtop, developed by Splashtop Inc. (previously DeviceVM Inc.), complies with MeeGo standards. Upcoming Splashtop releases will be MeeGo-based and are scheduled for commercial launch in early 2011.

Release schedule

During the 2010 Intel Developer Forum, MeeGo declared a biannual release timetable. By May 2010, version 1.0 was available for Atom-powered netbooks alongside a code release for the Nokia N900.

Version	Kernel version	Release date	Description	Netbook Models	Handset Models	Codename
1.0	2.6.33	31 October 2008	Primarily targeted netbooks; included a mobile code drop exclusively for Nokia N900.	Asus EeePC series, Dell mini10v, Acer Aspire One lineup, Lenovo S10, MSI U100/U130, HP mini 210, Toshiba NB302.	Nokia N900 (No handset user experience)	Arlington
1.0.1	2.6.33.5	17 July 2009	Kernel enhancements, improved USB booting, upgraded 3D capabilities, fixes for browser and email clients, refined window manager.	Same as version 1.0 netbooks.	None	Boston
1.0.2	2.6.33.5	2 August 2009	Updates to X-Server, Connection Manager, Package Manager interface, and Perl language support.	Same as version 1.0 netbooks.	None	Cupertino
1.0.3	2.6.33.5	8 October 2009	Included Chromium browser update and Connection Manager improvements.	Same as version 1.0 netbooks.	None	Dallas
1.0.4	2.6.33.5	3 May 2009	Security patches and enhanced compatibility with Lenovo S10-3.	Same as version 1.0 netbooks.	None	Emeryville
1.0.5 - 1.0.7	Kernel versions unspecified	November 2009 – February 2010	Core system updates and enhancements to netbook software.	Same as version 1.0 netbooks.	None	Fairbanks to Honolulu
1.1	2.6.35	28 October 2010	Introduced support for touch devices with a Handset user experience.	Netbook models not specified.	Aava and Nokia N900.	Irvine
1.1.x (1.1.1–1.1.3)	2.6.35	November 2010 – January 2011	Security updates, syncevolution and connman improvements, enabled remote file access.	Netbook models not specified.	Aava and Nokia N900.	Jefferson to Lakeside
1.1.99 (Beta)	2.6.35	24 February 2011	Beta release of MeeGo version 1.2 targeting Nokia N900 and additional handsets.	Netbook models not specified.		Mallard
1.2	2.6.37	19 May 2011		Nokia N950 (developer devices only), Nokia N9.	Newark
1.3	2.6.37	2 October 2011		Nokia N950 (developer devices only), Nokia N9.	Otsego
2.0	3.0.21	17 August 2012		Devices unknown.	Provo
2.7	3.0.94	(Cancelled) November 2013		Devices unknown.	Quincy

Launch

In February 2011, Nokia revealed a collaboration with Microsoft focused on mobile devices, coinciding with the exit of Alberto Torres, the head of Nokia's MeeGo team. This development fueled uncertainty regarding Nokia's commitment to MeeGo or the Windows Phone platform.

By September 2011, Nokia had released its inaugural MeeGo smartphone, the Nokia N9, prior to the anticipated launch of Windows Phone 7 later that year. Additionally, the first MeeGo-based tablet, WeTab, was introduced in 2010 by Neofonie.

Come July 2012, Sotiris Makrygiannis, the lead developer for MeeGo at Nokia, along with several other team members, had departed from the company.

Companies supporting the project

Company	Industry	Targeted device	Support method
Acer	Computer hardware and systems	Tablets, notebooks	Released the Iconia M500 tablet powered by MeeGo
AMD	Hardware and computer systems	Laptops, personal computers	Contributed engineering expertise to MeeGo development
Asus	Computer hardware and systems	Laptops	Provided MeeGo as an operating system option on Asus Eee PC X101
Asianux	Software development	Tablets	Developed a MeeGo version of Midinux 3.0 tablet based on Asianux Linux
Collabora	Software services	Not device-specific	Delivered consulting services for MeeGo projects
DeviceVM	Computing and software	Personal computers	Integrated MeeGo into Splashtop PC products
EA Mobile	Gaming industry	Tablets, smartphones	Supported MeeGo and planned future mobile game releases on the platform
Gameloft	Gaming sector	Tablets, smartphones	Announced intentions to develop mobile games for MeeGo devices
GENIVI Alliance	Automotive industry	In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems	Adopted MeeGo as a standard platform for automotive infotainment solutions
General Motors (GM)	Automotive manufacturer	IVI systems	Participated in GENIVI Alliance utilizing MeeGo for IVI applications
Hancom	Software development	PCs and laptops	Aimed to expand MeeGo adoption within the Korean market
Igalia	Software consultancy	Devices ranging from mobile to desktop	Contributed to MeeGo development and sponsored related conferences
Integrated Computer Solutions	Software consulting	Embedded and mobile devices	Created custom software solutions for MeeGo device manufacturers
Intel	Semiconductor industry	Smartphones	Principal sponsor and developer of the MeeGo platform
Jaguar Land Rover	Automotive sector	IVI systems	Intended to implement MeeGo in upcoming car infotainment units
Lanedo	Software consultancy	From embedded to desktop platforms	Developed software for MeeGo and supported community events
Linaro	Software development	Mobile devices	Enhanced MeeGo performance specifically for ARM architectures
Linpus	Operating system software	Laptops and netbooks	Produced Linpus Lite Computer featuring MeeGo OS
Mandriva	Software industry	Personal computers and laptops	Developed mini systems operating on MeeGo
Metasys	Computer software sector	Laptop PCs	Utilized an operating system based on MeeGo
Nokia	(Telecommunications and software)	(Smartphones)	(Manufactured two MeeGo handsets (N9 and N950); discontinued MeeGo development in 2011 in favor of Windows Phone)
(Groupe PSA\|PSA Peugeot Citroen)	(Automotive manufacturing)	(IVI systems)	(Planned integration of MeeGo into new vehicle infotainment platforms)
(Red Flag Linux)	(Linux operating system)	(Tablets, IVI systems)	(Incorporated elements of the MeeGo user interface into their Linux distribution)
(Samsung) Solstice	(Platform provider)	(Smartphones)	(Collaborated with Intel on developing MeeGo)
(ST-Ericsson)	(Wireless semiconductor manufacturer)	(Smartphones)	(Included support for MeeGo within U8500 platform)
(Tencent)	(Online services provider)	(Smartphones)	(Partnered on next-generation mobile devices and applications utilizing MeeGo)
(Turbolinux)	(Linux operating system vendor)	(Smartphones)	(Expressed verbal support for MeeGo)
(Wind River Systems)	(Mobile software developer)	(Smartphones)	(Intel-owned; planned to port MeeGo across multiple platforms)

External links