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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

#411

Post by frollogaston »

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

Web is the only serious open standard we've got for apps

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

#412

Post by frollogaston »

ColdStream wrote: post #185
hithre wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

These are problems the PC solved but we lost with mobile. Standard processors, BIOS, interfaces and general API's for use so it made systems kind of generic. Looks like those who made these things didn't want to repeat that mistake again. Unfortunately, I suspect things like RiscV are just going to accelerate this as it means anyone can make any spec they want so long as the application code compiles to it.

Smartphones are much tighter and more specialized. It's not like they decided against standardization for lock-in reasons, cause even within a single manufacturer there will be so many differences.

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

#413

Post by frollogaston »

po1nt wrote: post #322
uncletammy wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Is there a regulation preventing them from doing 2FA other ways in some countries? Chase bank in the US supports passkeys and SMS, you don't need the app. My wife doesn't even have a compatible phone.

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

#414

Post by officeplant »

100percentjake wrote: post #397
jarbus wrote: post #80

I really want to love mobile Linux, and have given it multiple shots before. But I just don't see how it will catch up with iOS/Android in the same way it caught up with Windows/Mac: - OEMs have poured an enormous amount of resources into the camera software, Linux cameras are years behind from what I understand. - Android/iOS have thoroughly optimized the UX in all sorts of subtle ways, the big one being their keybo…

I installed PostmarketOS with Plasma-Mobile on my ancient Pixel 3a a month ago as something to play with and I was actually astonished at how polished it seemed. The keyboard was perfectly usable, apps were quick to load, I could do silly things like open full-fat Blender or OrcaSlicer on a tiny phone screen if I desired. Sadly old Pixels don't support video out over USB-C for whatever reason so I can't do what I rea…

> Sadly old Pixels don't support video out over USB-C for whatever reason

Google opted against putting the physical components needed for USB-C DP out until the Pixel 8.

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

#415

Post by pjmlp »

frollogaston wrote: post #409
pjmlp wrote: post #407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So it is an OS or a kernel?

It's a kernel per se, and any OS built on it is considered a Linux OS. "The Linux kernel is the core of any Linux operating system." - kernel readme Linux.com refers to the kernel itself as an OS though, I think to relate to people who have only heard of OSes like Windows. And calls Android a platform based on the Linux OS :S

Pity that Android doesn't run any Linux userspace application, unless one makes use of workarounds, like termux having to fit within the constrains of Android sandbox and NDK limitations.

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

#416

Post by fooqux »

palata wrote: post #383
yyaakkqq wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the people deciding this are the ones selling the devices

I don't have issues with my Pixel running GrapheneOS in that regard. I have issues with goddamn banks doing that at the app level.

Yeah, and currently the hivemind-approved response to people complaining about apps not working in either GrapheneOS or Linux phones is to "just use the browser. Your bank has a website, right?"

Well, I fear that loophole is quickly closing with little fanfare.

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

#417

Post by crabbone »

reorder9695 wrote: post #294

I've come to the conclusion that I actually really like Android as an operating system, the internals seem remarkably well thought out and ideal for the mobile use case (so long as you're running a userdebug build with the ability to adb root in when needed), most of people's issues aren't really with Android (although Google reducing the AOSP release schedule isn't a good sign). I think the real problem is Google Pl…

I don't know what exactly do you mean by Android system. Does storage count? The idea of how applications aren't allowed to access each other's storage is very bad from the user perspective, for example.

Permission model of Andorid is hostile to the user and is designed to the benefit of the manufacturer. It undermines the users' ability to take advantage of their computer but allows the manufacturer / whoever installed the system to have undue and unwarranted access to the device.

My experience of using Android is very similar to using a corporate laptop configured by the least competent IT department of a large US bank: you are not allowed to do the basic and useful things, you are required to jump through a lot of hoops to have the remaining absolutely necessary things done, you cannot eliminate hostile functionality, you cannot be sure your personal stuff will remain personal (if it ever was...), it's a system that will automatically do things to you that you don't want done...

Basically, using Android sends me back to the early 2000s when this kind of setup was typical for MS Windows computers given to employees in large US companies.

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

#418

Post by fooqux »

inigyou wrote: post #329
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.

Don't go in person. That just wastes everyone's time as corporate will never hear about it.

Instead, call them. Insist to talk to a human. Corporate really doesn't like call center calls, and they usually have monitoring set up to track why people are calling.

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

#419

Post by fsflover »

summermusic wrote: post #166
jolmg wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

PinePhone (Pro) or Librem 5 > run a desktop Linux distribution (or Windows for that matter) that supports mobile features (calling, SMS, and data)? The above use ARM SoCs. Palm-sized x86 with cell modem? Doubt it.

Thank you for the recommendation, but I have a Pinephone Pro and I find it to be so utterly useless because of how slow it is and how buggy the software is. Maybe what I want is just something that doesn’t exist.

Pinephone Pro had a very small developer community and thus quite undeveloped software. It was discontinued for this reason. Librem 5 is being developed by both a community and a company, so it's much more usable.

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

#420

Post by crabbone »

inigyou wrote: post #329
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.

Not in my experience. My bank wouldn't even talk to me when they discontinued support for a phone I had. They don't even have anyone to complain to, which is by design. You can complain about non-technical stuff, but there's nobody to report problems with their Android app. They know full well that it's more important to you to have it working than it is for them to make sure it works for you. You will throw away almost your entire monthly paycheck to have a new phone to be able to access your bank account. They won't do as much as redirect your complaint to /dev/null.
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