What does it mean...

[rick311]

when a phone's source code kernal is released? this has some for the Eris, but how can you tell if it's new or old. and what will it do?

HTC - Developer Center

 

[scary alien]

when a phone's source code kernal is released? this has some for the Eris, but how can you tell if it's new or old. and what will it do?

HTC - Developer Center

Rick,

It means that the devs/ROM developers can take the source and improve on and fix old stuff and/or use this as a base to create new stuff (apps and ROMs).

There's a lot that wouldn't be published (i.e., Sense, bootloaders, recovery, etc.), but the base operating system should be there. I think that the hardware manufacturers are probably required to release the source code like this at some point as part of the open source agreements with Google.