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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

#321

Post by po1nt »

hithre wrote: post #131
po1nt wrote: post #106

Windows Phone was a great idea and worked so well. But it was killed by the fact that people didn't want to maintain apps for 3 platforms. Nowadays when most of the things runs on web/electron anyway, isn't this the time to rediscover that idea? Make something novel? RTOS like response like blackberry, secure, fully opensource and such? With the era of LLM accelerated developement (don't crucify me), this wouldn't be…

Thanksfully it is not all web. Though indeed there is no lack of native multiplaform solutions. But app is not the hardest challenge compared to supporting all the hardware, camera, screens and the many core protocols

If the push is large enough, manufacturers will develop their own drivers. If not, the implementation should be much easier nowadays.

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

#322

Post by po1nt »

uncletammy wrote: post #115
po1nt wrote: post #106

Windows Phone was a great idea and worked so well. But it was killed by the fact that people didn't want to maintain apps for 3 platforms. Nowadays when most of the things runs on web/electron anyway, isn't this the time to rediscover that idea? Make something novel? RTOS like response like blackberry, secure, fully opensource and such? With the era of LLM accelerated developement (don't crucify me), this wouldn't be…

We should be eagerly sacrificing bank apps anyway. If your bank treats you with hostility, time to get a new bank.

Unfortunately banks act on regulations. I'd much rather suggest avoiding banks altogether but that's discussion for later.

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

#323

Post by _joel »

fsflover wrote: post #290
_joel wrote: post #263

Complete non-starter for me until banking apps support it (even rooted android would be a start).

So you are stuck in the walled garden. Alternatively, you could find a bank not forcing the duopoly on you. Worked for me.

I don't particularly care for the messing around. I'm of an age now where I've done that and prefer to spend my time not working around self-imposed tech issues.

Also, good luck finding a bank in the UK that can support that (without messing around with desktop web instead on mobile instead of the app).

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

#324

Post by netsharc »

azalemeth wrote: post #231
thelastgallon wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps we can think of this? Use a linux phone and an android phone as VM. For apps that are not immediately available as Linux apps, we continue to use the android VM. We continuously make better apps available on Linux and maybe, just maybe eventually switch completely to Linux phone.

Alas, the android VM will fail safetynet by not passing bootloader attestation. I really hate modern Google.

It makes sense to have these kinds of checks because of rootkits, but sadly the poweruser is fucked.

There isn't even an option to say "I know what I am doing and if a hacker takes all my money I won't cry to the bank". Probably the banks prefer that no emulators can snoop and see how exploitable their apps are.

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

#325

Post by stiray »

I bought Jolla Phone 2026. Was thinking about Pixel 10 and another round of GrapheneOS, but changed my mind.

Was using Sailfish OS on Sonys phone but drove me nuts for two reasons:

- had to reverse banking up to kick out the checks each time when new version came out and I became quite proficient at it (decompiled into git and each new version over it, then git diff, and fix the checks, committed the changes)

- worse part was that there was no bluetooth to android bridge and local bus company required it for contactless paying

There was nothing I missed from the phone, even reversing banking app was not really an issue, but bluetooth was just needed.

I defected to GrapheneOS after two years, now I am moving back, I hope for good. The fixed the bluetooth while for hardware I dont care.

I have solved the banking app issues by changing the bank and getting cheap old pixel just for banking app. It doesnt even have SIM, only wifi and used Automatize to turn on airplane mode on lock screen and turning it off for unlock.

I dont care about NFC payment or any other android junk, for photos I have EOS and phone just doesnt cut it, while camera is good enough for taking shots at everyday things like shopping list.

I really hope I wont need to see android ever again.

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

#326

Post by mike_hock »

asah wrote: post #274

the right answer is to deliver a usable SECOND device which happens to be linux based, and which has serves a purpose. Then over time, apps get ported. realistically, this device would need to tiny to justify the extra weight, device-to-keep-charged, etc. one idea: make it wifi-only and tether from your primary mobile device. This skips all the carrier nonsense, to focus entirely on the core use case(s).

I already have a second usable device and I don't mind the extra weight that much most of the time. It's called a laptop computer.

As soon as we get to a point that Linux on the phone works at all, I'm happy to switch completely.

Here, "it works" literally just means it works. Not "GPS doesn't work," "camera only half works," "interop with Android/iOS apps that you're forced to use doesn't work." That doesn't mean "it works." And of course "only works for 2-3 years and then the device gets abandoned" doesn't mean "it works" either.

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

#327

Post by severino »

CalRobert wrote: post #225
tarkin2 wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perfect is the enemy of good. Also, you can use the bank's website for most tasks. I think most non-techies could happily do this.

In Europe at least the banks website won’t function if you don’t auth with their app.

In Spain at least you can. I know 4 or 5 banks that let you auth via SMS, coordinates card, etc. If yours doesn't, I suggest that you complain. Some colleagues had to call theirs and insist that the bank's application didn't work on their phones. Reluctantly at first, they eventually changed their method to SMS.

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

#328

Post by CalRobert »

mdp2021 wrote: post #282
CalRobert wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We chose that when we stopped using cash.

> stopped using cash You stopped using cash? It is one of the most insane things I ever heard. You transactions are tracked, I assume? The rule in the eu (PSD2) is that a dozen private/public/hybrid/other databases, of unclear substantial identity, will record your transactions. And what if you had a an infrastructural shortage? No transactions then? How can people think of "cashless society" as something outside a d…

We agree. I meant in the aggregate. Cash is very rare here in NL at least.

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

#329

Post by inigyou »

zx8080 wrote: post #198

If only a few techies will be able to use Linux phone, banks will freely lock payment services access down to two platforms: ios and android. No way out, it's happening right now (in the name of "security", of course, but surprisingly it does not stop scam from happening). Web will be locked down too, via secureboot stack browser integration (not -s, it's already actually monopolised to chrome only, as FF lives on fu…

What banks care about is complaints volume and account closures. If you can't use your bank on your phone, go complain in person to your bank. Just do it even if you think nothing will happen. Best case they unlock the website for your account, worst case nothing happens but they still got a complaint and will have to do something if they get enough similar ones.

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

#330

Post by inigyou »

dev1ycan wrote: post #277
WorldMaker wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's what felt like what really killed Windows Phone. Too many things became "only available" through an iOS or Android app. Windows Phone was free as in beer towards the end and there's a possibility there would have still been a small but devoted techie audience on it, if so many things weren't already so broken from disappearing/vanished app support.

It always seemed insane to me that people accepted so easily to have everything locked behind "app stores", crazy garbage, even worse having SO MUCH PREINSTALLED BLOATWARE OUT OF THE BOX.

What do you mean by "accepted"? In a free market, buyers have to choose between the products that are available.
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