this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2025
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Mobile Linux OS PostmarketOS finances smartphone audio & Call reliability projects (postmarketos.org)
submitted 3 days ago by juergen@feddit.org to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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[–] 1XEVW3Y07@reddthat.com 97 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This is great news!

For those unaware, Google is continuously enacting policies that are closing down the open environment of Android, and I fear this will significantly harm projects like GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, and others.

If you can spare a couple dollars, please consider throwing some money at PostmarketOS or any other mobile Linux project you like.

[–] eldavi@lemmy.ml 25 points 3 days ago (1 children)

are you aware of any articles/documentation that can make a noob aware of how these projects compare to each other?

i'm going to eos on a nothing phone in the near future, but that's only because i can find step-by-step documentation with exact hardware and eos version on how to do so thanks to Lemmy.

[–] timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 days ago

Just donated some money to them. Haven't even tested a build yet but I'm excited based on what I've seen over the years.

[–] Pondis@lemmy.world 63 points 3 days ago (3 children)

The sooner there is a rom compatible with most android devices, the better.

I'd be off Android so fast.

[–] black_flag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 3 days ago (1 children)

And Signal gets on board

[–] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 20 points 2 days ago (4 children)

They already have a Linux app, I can't see them not making UI adjustments for Linux phones.

I'm also personally fine just using matrix but thats just me.

[–] trevor@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 day ago

The Linux app is just the desktop app, which doesn't have the functionality that the Android and iOS apps do. It only works when paired with an Android or iOS device, so you'd still be shackled to those ecosystems without proper support for a mobile Linux app.

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 23 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The Signal lead has been vocally against doing a fully fledged version for Linux for a while now. He really likes his closed ecosystems. "for security"

Desktop Linux is soooo insecure because users can access their own data.

[–] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 8 points 2 days ago

Ah, good to know. I don't really use it (just have previously) so didnt know that.

I'd be curious how that would swing with a heavy number of users switching to a linux phone.

[–] black_flag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Wait...signal has a linux-native standalone app that doesn't depend on android or iPhone? Since when??

Edit: looks like no

[–] Qkall@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] carotte@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Project status: archived

oof

i know Flare is another client for Linux, which does adapt itself to window size so it should work on mobile

tho it can’t be used as a primary device easily (so you’ll need signal on another phone) and from past experience, the linking can be pretty iffy

[–] black_flag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago

It's also that any 3rd party apps violate the TOS and if they discover that you're using it they'll boot you from the service

[–] Qkall@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 days ago

...i saw that... curious. #linuxphoneapps had a few options tho... but i, sadly, don't use signal... so not sure.

[–] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Agreed, just not the statement I was responding to, which I took as Signal - the company - getting on board with Linux mobile. But maybe I misinterpreted.

[–] black_flag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago

That was indeed what I meant

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Like 90% of the blame here goes to Qualcomm AFAIK :/

[–] cdzero@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Why is that? (Genuine curiosity)

[–] aaravchen@lemmy.zip 16 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Most of the chips in a smartphone are made by Qualcomm, both processors and peripheral chips like 5G modem, LTE modem, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Qualcomm chips require proprietary binary blobs to function, and usually only have a support lifetime of about 2 years. They also only supply those blobs to the manufacturer of the device.

[–] eldebryn@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Now I wish we had riscV mobile phones too...

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 days ago

Pine64 I think said they're making the next Pinephone when they can make it RISC-V.

Which either means they're enthusiastic about the pace of RISC-V development, or they don't want to make a new phone anytime soon.

[–] cdzero@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Ah that makes sense. Thanks.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 days ago

Qualcomm being what they are is the reason Apple was able to provide a better lifespan for their phones for like a decade (you'd get 5-6 years of iOS major version upgrades compared to 0-2 on Android phones).

Google actually pushed the Android ecosystem to do better by creating its' own Tensor SoCs which they support for longer... But they don't really make the drivers for those open source either. So we're still not doing better in that regard.

[–] immobile7801@piefed.social 3 points 2 days ago

I hope there's a good alternative soon. I'd love a Linux variant phone that is usable.

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

are there any decent devices that have a fully working pmos build?

[–] fell@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The best ones where basically everything works as intended are: OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, Xiaomi POCO F1

I have a OnePlus 6T and the only missing pieces are calls and camera. Both work, but not reliably yet. Everything else is pretty much there.

[–] Joelk111@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Shit, I have an old OnePlus 6 laying around, currently running LineageOS. Hmmmmm

[–] jumping_redditor@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

also have a one-plus 6t, mms and SMS are also spotty

[–] glitching@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

rooting for the guys although I don't want none of them things. I run my device without a modem on (hopefully I disabled it correctly) and I want it to run like my other shit runs - I turn it on when I want it, no doing shit in the background nobody asked it to, syncing to the clown, none of that.

the results are awesome - I get like days of standby out of a severely degraded battery that can't manage a whole day under android. still, I understand that other people need this stuff. for me, SMS and calls utilizing the utterly broken, insecure, and definitely compromised telecom infra shouldn't be a thing in 2025.

[–] domi@lemmy.secnd.me 12 points 2 days ago (3 children)

syncing to the clown, none of that

What did that clown ever do to you?

[–] glitching@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

stole it off jwz

[–] blinfabian@feddit.nl 2 points 2 days ago

i'd rather sync to a clown than a cloud tbh. the clown is more likely to keep my data safe

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago

Replace "clown" with "AI".

[–] jumping_redditor@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 days ago

if there was any voice protocol with anywhere near the adoption rate of phone service I could understand this

[–] OctopusNemeses@lemmy.world -1 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Will there ever be an app ecosystem for Linux phones. I don't see how could happen. I'm talking actual apps like banking or payment systems. Institutional software such as government apps that requires a stable platform. Not a janky Linux system that is prone to breakage every few updates or scatter across different distros. Seems like the year of the linux desktop meme could end up morphing into the year of the linux phone.

[–] Hazematman@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Why can't we just use banking websites? You don't need an app ecosystem for that. They just need to build a responsive website that will work on a computer or phone. If you have bank to bank transfer (like e-transfer in Canada) that can be done from the mobile website as well.

Payment like NFC payment is a different story. I suspect its unlikely we ever see that.

[–] pmk@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Banks sometimes need a 2FA app, this is what some people need "banking apps" for. The bank website itself is trivial to just use, but you need to be able to log in. In sweden, much of society, from fetching a post package to booking an appointment with a doctor or getting a bus ticket, relies on this 2FA app. You can barely function in society without this app.

[–] iopq@lemmy.world 1 points 17 hours ago

I wish everyone would just switch to standard OTPs

[–] AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Exactly. And as I said in another comment, you can make a wrapper for it if their website is not the most mobile-friendly. Any browser can handle everything beneath the skin.

[–] AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Well, they all have standard web interfaces, and so many apps are merely wrappers for it or a rebuilt front-end. On a Linux device one would presume you’ll have a standard web browser so all you need really is a wrapper for the website and the browser engine handles all security. Is there any reason not to just go that route?

[–] magguzu@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 days ago

Apps on Linux phones are just Linux apps that scale well.