Greetings. How long has it been now since the G1 officially hit the streets? Just less than three weeks, right? I've been noting the breathtaking speed of G1 hacking developments since the (pre-version RC30) root access exploit was discovered -- a definite reminder of how very fast work can proceed in an Open Source environment -- whether hacking related or not!

Now comes word that full-blown Debian Linux has been brought up on hacked G1s, in a manner that coexists with the G1's native Android Linux OS.

I haven't looked at the G1 Debian myself yet. I hope that folks are configuring it appropriately to constrain Linux's typically rather heavy disk I/O behavior -- flash memory has a limited number of erase cycles, so proper memory wear leveling (whether in the OS and/or within the hardware itself) is crucial.

But please note again that this fascinating R&D only applies to G1 units that have had root access enabled prior to Android system release RC30. Phones shipped at -- or upgraded to -- stock RC30 would not currently be able to participate directly in these endeavors.

--Lauren--