·What parts of the software are open-source? (Entry last updated on July 6th, 2007)
The player's Linux kernel is heavily modified from the original Linux kernel, and this modified source code is made available.
The Linux Emptool utility is open-source.
The tool which uploads data to the player's flash RAM (for things such as custom kernels or logo images) is open-source.
The specifications for the hardware and all input/output connections are freely available.
The actual player software and the Emplode utility are proprietary, and their source code is not made available to the public. The player software is part of a larger codebase which is used for newer products developed by Rio and other companies. So they can't open-source the player code.
However, there is enough available information for someone to develop their own player software if they were willing to expend the time and energy required. Others are already working on this, check around the Empeg BBS for information on these projects.