Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

media.ccc.de

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 282 posts

Re: Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

#71

Post by zozbot234 »

branon wrote: post #60
ddevault wrote: post #13

I'm typing this comment from a Poco F1 I set up with postmarketOS and Phosh earlier this week and so far it's very promising. Will write up a proper review next week. Much better than the Pinephone so far.

This is interesting. Communities like postmarketOS put in a lot of effort to adapt their distribution to hardware that would otherwise be running Android. Perhaps targeting commodity hardware is a more viable strategy than contending with newer platforms like Pinephone. Sure the device is more open, but most of the software support falls on the same community of developers. Lord knows they have enough build targets t…

> Perhaps targeting commodity hardware is a more viable strategy than contending with newer platforms like Pinephone.

It depends on the hardware. If it can be properly supported on the mainline kernel, then sure. Otherwise, you're not gaining all that much compared to just running a "cooked" Android-based ROM.

Re: Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

#73

Post by hrbf »

Teever wrote: post #31
nivenkos wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I think of a Linux phone, I really want something that supports a full GNU/Linux desktop as convergence. The Steam Deck does this perfectly!

Damn, you got me thinking now, that Valve of all people could probably put out a Linux phone. The Steam Phone could be a game changer.

For a niche market, possibly. However, I just don't see Valve as a company being interested in becoming a phone manufacturer. What would realistically be in for them? It's strategically mostly irrelevant to their core business, with the sole exception of the Steam Store. But to create, develop and support a whole phone platform (hard- and software) just to sell mobile games? I don't see it.

Re: Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

#74

Post by sleepymoose »

kitsunesoba wrote: post #22
NuSkooler wrote: post #18

It's mentioned already, but: Android. Discounting Android as "Not Linux" enough is a mind boggle to me. Perhaps not "GNU" enough, but certainly the spirit of Linux -- customized for the particular needs, stable, fast, works on a plethora of hardware, etc.

Vanilla Android or AOSP might kinda have “Linux Spirit” but I’m not sure what gets shipped on most consumer devices does… lots of random things locked down (including boot loader, sometimes), crapware all over the place, drivers and kernel changes that aren’t upstreamed making it difficult to install anything but carrier/manufacturer-flavored Android, etc. I think most people rooting for “smartphone Linux” are lookin…

>including boot loader, sometimes

Perhaps in the past, but it feels like more and more this is shifting toward the expectation, rather than the exception.

Re: Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

#75

Post by mixmastamyk »

Havoc wrote: post #16

Inclined to say no - mainly because of the camera. The gap between ability to mechanically take a pic and what the flagships are doing with AI driven post processing seems not only big but growing. Short of die hard linux/FOSS fans noticably worse pics is going to be an absolute show stopper

Shoot raw then import into darktable. This seems like the simplest way to get there until more infrastructure is developed.

Re: Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

#76

Post by 3836293648 »

JCWasmx86 wrote: post #6
rbanffy wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Erm... Android is Linux.

Just the kernel is Linux, but with the "Linux" that is meant here, it has basically nothing in common, be it e.g. in the userland or "the spirit". The Linux from "Linux Smartphones" e.g. fosters an open, user-first ecosystem, as opposed to the often very closed and locked Android Smartphones. Another examples are e.g. Safetynet or the Google Play Integrity API. Those primarily don't server the users. Or apps that eit…

Just the kernel is linux, but isn't basically all of the hardware support we need in the kernel?

Sure, we're still out of luck with trying to run mainline kernels, but what's stopping us from running normal GNU userland on top of a working Android kernel?

Re: Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

#78

Post by matrix12 »

cassianoleal wrote: post #64
matrix12 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very fine point. GNU runs on many operating systems, and so to conflate GNU and Linux seems absurd.

GNU runs on many kernels. GNU is part of the operating systems where it runs.

GNU is not a boolean value. One can use portions of it without throwing away everything they use.

Re: Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

#79

Post by jnwatson »

hrbf wrote: post #73
Teever wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Damn, you got me thinking now, that Valve of all people could probably put out a Linux phone. The Steam Phone could be a game changer.

For a niche market, possibly. However, I just don't see Valve as a company being interested in becoming a phone manufacturer. What would realistically be in for them? It's strategically mostly irrelevant to their core business, with the sole exception of the Steam Store. But to create, develop and support a whole phone platform (hard- and software) just to sell mobile games? I don't see it.

You underestimate the size of the opportunity. The mobile game market was $119 billion in 2021.

Re: Is there hope for Linux on smartphones? [video]

#80

Post by colordrops »

kitsunesoba wrote: post #22
NuSkooler wrote: post #18

It's mentioned already, but: Android. Discounting Android as "Not Linux" enough is a mind boggle to me. Perhaps not "GNU" enough, but certainly the spirit of Linux -- customized for the particular needs, stable, fast, works on a plethora of hardware, etc.

Vanilla Android or AOSP might kinda have “Linux Spirit” but I’m not sure what gets shipped on most consumer devices does… lots of random things locked down (including boot loader, sometimes), crapware all over the place, drivers and kernel changes that aren’t upstreamed making it difficult to install anything but carrier/manufacturer-flavored Android, etc. I think most people rooting for “smartphone Linux” are lookin…

Android has something called GSIs (Generic System Images) that will run on any device that supports Android 9 and above. They don't always support custom hardware, but this isn't really any different from pure Linux. Instead of building a mobile ecosystem from scratch, why not build a community around submitting drivers to a build based on GSI?
Post reply on HN