Linux for cellphones?
 

I don't see a forum dedicated to Linux for phones.I had a fellow mention to me that he could install Linux on my phone,but I decided at that time to wait a bit before doing anything.Since then I have tried to contact him to no avail.

I understand that there are some phones slowly making their way into the market,but my trust level is now at minimum.I read that Iphones will have Covid tracking software included in upcoming updates.That troubles me to be honest,and I'm looking for a phone that doesn't have a bunch of crap and data mining included,so I thought a Linux OS on a phone would be just the ticket.(assuming I could find someone trustworthy to do the install).

Opinions or advice?

Fifth option down on the main forum list is https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-mobile-81

I did a search for "phones" and came up with zip.Hence the post in Noobs.

I did a quick glance over the Mobile forums,but obviously didn't look closely enough.

Thanks for the direction. :)

 

No problem - if you use the report button on your first post, you can ask a mod to move the thread to that forum, where it's more likely to get attention from people interested in the subject.


As for this...
This will depend on whether the specific hardware is supported - you mentioned iPhone but not what version you have?

I've never actually heard of people running Linux on iPhones, but a quick search shows it may (soon) be possible: https://fossbytes.com/linux-on-iphon...t-support-ios/

You may want to edit the thread title and post to clarify what device you have (and again make it more likely others with the similar hardware will look at the thread).

What devices do you have to work with? There's quite a few mobile linux projects out there. You might check and see if any of your devices are supported by any of them. Linux can be "installed" on android itself via chroot, but this is not going to do any good. A costum android ROM such as LineageOS would get you a slightly degoogled android experience but its still not really linux.

I apologize to all who responded.The fellow who offered to install Linux on my phone suggested to me that running Linux on my phone would be a walk in the park.After reading just a few posts from the likes of Mill J and ondoho,I realize that I am likely way too much of a Noob to even be thinking of doing this.

I have an Iphone SE first edition.I chose that phone as I was trying to avoid all things Google,and not that I am an Apple fan.Now I read that the Iphones newer updates are including the trace software,and I thought Linux would be good way to avoid companies pulling that underhanded type of crap.I probably should look for an Iphone forum to find out how to deny updates,or if there is a way to return to a previous release.

It'd really help if I knew what the heck I am talking about too.:redface:

You are correct. A real Linux phone will give you control over your device/os. However on most mainstream devices including iPhones, it's next to impossible to get mainline Linux running due to the locked down nature and proprietary blobs.

What I would recommend, is get a used, unlocked device such as the nexus 5(pretty outdated by now) that is supported by ubports, PostmarketOS or sailfishOS and install Linux on it. Then start looking for replacement apps on that platform and keep tinkering until you are comfortable with the system (might be never).

I've got a PinePhone, one of the very few REAL Linux phones. Very cool device, but right now it's still rough around the edges when it comes to software and battery life. It's come a long ways this year, but it's still very much work in progress.

Depends on what they meant with "install" and "running".
Ah well. they should probably have asked you if you have an Android phone before making such bold and overly enthusiastic statements.
Or if you plan to still use the phone as a phone afterwards.

FWIW, neither SailfishOS nor LineageOS are too hard to install on supported devices.

Ok.I might just go look for a used unlocked Nexus 5,as I wouldn't even know how to check which phones would be supported.I figure maybe an older phone woudn't be too expensive anyway.Plus,I need the frustration.LOl I suppose asking around and searching would yield guidance on how to do the install.

Thanks for all the advice fellas.

Slim

Not to confuse the issue or anything,but would the /e/project be a viable solution for a noob until such time as Linux is available for mainstream users? https://e.foundation/

Very likely. I never used /e/ but it is basically Android without Google. I do have several devices running LineageOS without gapps. You might check their list of supported devices.

Flashing custom ROMs is a great way to start with alternative OS's. It involves rooting the device, flashing a custom recovery (such as TWRP), and the finally the Rom itself. If you go with a degoogled Android OS you'll have a MUCH bigger selection of supported devices and likely a better user experience.

I had an Galaxy S3 that couldn't even idle 1 day on a charge. I flashed SlimROM and was able to go an entire week without charging. It was of course just idling all that time but still that's a big difference between a day or week on standby.

So yes, do some research on which Android ROMs support which device, how easy it is to root those device, if a custom recovery supports those device, and so on. For me it was easy since I had several Android devices laying around and I could target those device instead of deciding which phone to get.

Keep us updated.

I'm currently using an old Flip Phone which will no longer work after January 1 2021 AFAIK. I've been looking into Linux Phones, especially Pine64 and there are now quite a lot of review videos on YouTube from a month ago right up to a few days ago. Most of the positivity centers around the phone as a mobile computer rather than as a phone just yet, but things are improving very rapidly. There is a LOT of crowd funding in this area and apparently some people actually spend $1000+ for Librem 5. Samsung put up big bucks into Enlightenment seeking to explore and exploit OpenSource with good looks and small footprints.

I don't know quite what to do yet since it appears Pine64 phones won't deliver now until after January 15, 2021 and it still is unlikely to be a solid daily driver then... maybe in a year. At under 200 bux I just may get one and some cheap burner to get me by for another year.

I'd like to ask here since some apparently already have Pine64 Braveheart Phones if basic phone calls work OK for you. One review was from a guy who was so ill prepared he actually discovered there is a protective barrier to the battery terminals for shipping that must be removed for operation and this after he wasted 4 hours on a charger. He did make one phone call but it sounded garbled and I have no clue why that would be the fault of the hardware or the software and not just a random bad connection.

So are there any Pine64 Phone owners here who can comment on phone call quality?

Which operating system are you planning on installing on it?
Depending on your answer I might have some links for you.

Hi ondoho

I'm thinking Plasma or Postmarket. I don't really like Gnome but so far it looks like it's the most developed in Postmarket although 1 video with it (I doubt very representative) had bad call quality. I'm just trying to gather data.

Where do you get this info? I thought the Manjaro Edition is supposed to ship in November.

It was a kernel timing issue. Linux 5.9 improves this.



I've got a PostmarketOS Community Edition. Unfortunately I've been far to busy to try out several more SIM cards but I keep up to date via the PinePhone chat. As mentioned above it's a software problem, and it's improving...Fast.

I hate gnome on the desktop but Phosh is not gnome, Phosh is actually useable. Plasma Mobile is very buggy although way more polished anymore. Lomiri(ubports/unity8) is very polished although slightly buggy and doesn't play well with desktop apps. Sailfish is by far the fastest and most polished with the most apps.

I use Mobian, but the PinePhone has fairly poor battery life. The longest I clocked was over 24hrs on standby. Probably 2-3hr screen time is enough to drain the battery.