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I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

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Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#151

Post by _carbyau_ »

One of the issues is the network effect self reinforcing by the organistions you'd normally trust to be above this sort of thing. Like government bodies requiring that you use one of two american phone OS. No webpage and no other options for you...

Example, across the whole of my 2.8 million people city, parking is app-to-pay. No meter, no ticket box - just a sign announcing to pay by app and a QR code.

QR code points at a webpage announcing which very limited selection of apps you have for iOS and android and the backup option to ring a number.

Ringing that number means you talk to a person, make an account for only one of the apps over the phone, then use the phone menu system each time you need to park.

If you have a dumb phone(can't scan a QR code) or no phone... you're fucked. No way to pay for parking. Expect your fine and go through the bullshit processes.

The world should NOT think it is great to be so dependant on two US companies, but here we are.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#152

Post by megous »

amelius wrote: post #39
friendlypenguin wrote: post #37

I really want to leave the Google and Apple Ecosystems, but I still need "these" Banking Apps. Some Banks don't even offer a Web based experience anymore.

Why doesn't the EU force these banks to support all platforms including web? I mean, if they can force Microsoft to support other browsers than IE6, then why can't they force banks?

EU botched even API requirements on banks. We could have had open API to every EU bank, but nope, it must have been some bullshit for big companies to slurp data en-masse, instead of API for end users to use their data privately and comfortably from whatever app they wanted, incl. their own.

Open/individually accessible APIs would have to have be a movement, like the one with open formats for interacting with eGov.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#153

Post by echelon »

megous wrote: post #122
vetrom wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Linux cameras can be made to work well, it's a matter of software. Case in point, newer Ricoh/Pentax cameras actually run an a Linux firmware. (See: GR IV and K-3 Mark II/III). Parts of the software stack are already there, but noones had the will to glue it together correctly for a mobile device usecase, yet.

It's not about will. You need quite some HW for proper calibration, or cut corners a bit. Calibration is otherwise a few step process with some steps having substeps for each light source type.

We're going to be able to dump phone firmware soon and reverse compile with LLMs.

This will become an assailable salient soon and by 2036 we should have dozens of competing phone operating systems and vendors.

We're going to do the same for robotics and everything that gets shipped to us.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#154

Post by tombert »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #68
tombert wrote: post #61

I have thought about buying one of the Pinephone things, because I want to actually own the computer in my pocket, but I have always hesitated because the hardware is always kind of ancient for these things. The Pinephone doesn’t even have 5G, so I am not even sure that my phone service will let me activate it now. What I would like is to take my existing iPhone 13 Pro and install a real Linux on it so I could guaran…

> You know, like we could do with pretty much any computer before smartphones. I don't remember all the details but I had a Mac G3 around the same time I started using Linux: I don't remember the story about installing Linux no Mac hardware as being a particularly easy one. Now I'm not saying that years after the fact, Linux wouldn't run fine on Intel Macs. But if I recall correctly it always has been a bit of a bump…

I didn't have a Mac in that era, but I did have a Macbook Air from 2014 and I ran Ubuntu and NixOS on it just fine, even at the time. I had to use rEFInd but it wasn't terribly hard.

On modern Macs, it's pretty easy to install Linux with Avahi.

To be clear, I don't necessarily need it to be easy to put another OS on there. I just want it to be possible. As far as I'm aware, there's no way (officially or unofficially) to install another OS on any recent iPhones. Someone might eventually figure out how to break the bootloader on the iPhone 13, but I personally think it should be something that the owner of the phone is allowed to opt into.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#155

Post by lytedev »

streb-lo wrote: post #76
tester457 wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a powerlessness to using Android. It's difficult to just do things. Even windows feels more "free." Phone OSes are built like prisons. Ideally Android would let you drop into a real shell, without having to deal with android sandboxing. Regardless, I use termux and tasker to get my automations done.

Probably because carriers don't want a bunch of poorly secured devices on their networks.

Can't you get USB modems and cram a SIM inside? Are carrier networks really more scary than the internet at large?

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#156

Post by __m »

juiceland wrote: post #144

Note that “I’m switching” here means “I’m now carrying two phones because I have to use Android.” FTA: > The no waydroid means that I can't access some apps that I need be it for online verification for logging onto bank and government services in Norway

will try the new jolla phone, it allows you to toggle app support for android apps.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#157

Post by pooploop64 »

I would love to do this. It's shocking how little Android offers for the hardware it uses. Recently I was thinking if I could install Windows 98 on my phone, even that would be better. At least I could have more than one app open without it burning all my work just because I dared to check info on a web page while filling a form.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#158

Post by xethos »

ymolodtsov wrote: post #73
Underphil wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone's situation is different I suppose. But I do tire when people choose the convenience over the freedom. Not saying that's what you're doing, but I hear it often enough.

What do you suggest using this freedom for?

In this context? Being able to put your foot down and say fuck Google, I will no longer put up with the anti-user direction of their platform, and switch to something outside the duopoly

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#159

Post by megous »

echelon wrote: post #153
megous wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not about will. You need quite some HW for proper calibration, or cut corners a bit. Calibration is otherwise a few step process with some steps having substeps for each light source type.

We're going to be able to dump phone firmware soon and reverse compile with LLMs. This will become an assailable salient soon and by 2036 we should have dozens of competing phone operating systems and vendors. We're going to do the same for robotics and everything that gets shipped to us.

Well, rkisp1 driver that drives ISP on RK3399 on Pinephone Pro is available upstream in fully supported manner for like 4 years. It also has full docs in publicly available Rockchip datasheets and partial docs in calibration manuals.

What have people done with it? Some mediocre support in libcamera? :) I don't think lack of handholding is an issue here.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#160

Post by imkac »

AshamedCaptain wrote: post #11
utopiah wrote: post #9

> If I have an issue or something I want to tinker with I can just ssh over from my PC either wirelessly or via USB. FWIW one can also do that on stock Android or its GrapheneOS variant pretty conveniently, including storage access, am, boot background processes, etc. It is not as complete as being root on Linux proper but still.

This is often said but if you want to "diagnose" something then the terribly limited Android shell is about the last place you want to be, and a sandboxed one on top of it is worse ....

Why debug your daily driven phone? You can use Cuttlefish or anything else.
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