It’s much less effort to have something based on Android open source project though.
commander@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Eventually I’ll try one. I feel like it can be like desktop Linux where it take a very many many long years until it starts to chip away at single digit values of market share
balder1991@lemmy.world 4 days ago
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
It’s also less interesting.
Using regular Linux means you can do a ton of stuff you currently can’t on Android:
- plug in a USB hub and use it like a desktop - Steam Deck does this
- run regular desktop/server software - want a portable Minecraft server? Go for it!
- do things w/ btrfs snapshots so you can restore phone state if you mess something up (e.g. I accidentally uninstalled an app and lost settings)
- keep getting security updates long past when anyone in their right mind expects to get them
Android is already FOSS, and you can get phones with minimal stuff on top of the FOSS core. That’s cool I guess, and I use one such distro (GrapheneOS), but it’s still Android at the end of the day. I want something different, but I still want basic phone stuff to work (calls, SMS, MMS, camera, etc).
balder1991@lemmy.world 4 days ago
I think the problem is there’s just too much work that needs to be put in these things and people don’t really think about it. Android has at this point almost 2 decades of refining the experience for phones, so it’s a good starting point.
But the most important thing I guess is software. People often neglect how much time and effort is put to refine software to the point it becomes polished and bug free. Android has a mature stack to build apps that is very difficult to replicate.
But to be more clear I didn’t mean just getting a degoogled Android and settle with it. Android could also evolve in other ways that aren’t in Google’s interest, such as allowing you to have a sort of Dex that’s actually a Linux Desktop Environment.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
The thing is, I don’t really care about Android apps, and honestly supporting them probably adds a bunch of limitations since they have a lot of expectations on the system.
I just want an immutable base system w/ flatpaks, a basic dialer, a robust SMS/MMS app, Firefox, and good enough battery life (15 hours w/ moderate screen on time). Basically, openSUSE Aeon or Fedora Silverblue with phone-specific apps.
I’m happy to help port the various software I want to use, but I need the phone to work as a phone first.
commander@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Realistically, I would probably try a google free Android long before I’d try a more pure linux phone
mesamunefire@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Ive tried a couple of times, ended up bricking a phone and had to re-do another. Linux phones are hard to get set up (for certain models).
solrize@lemmy.world 4 days ago
It’s worse. Linux desktop is only possible because of the relative consistency and openness of x86 PC hardware. Phones are nothing like that. At best we will have retro Linux handhelds with phone functionality.
GrumpyDuckling@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
There’s x86 socs. You can buy a linux tablet right now.
solrize@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Yes the HW isn’t comparable to a modern phone though.
RecallMadness@lemmy.nz 3 days ago
This is the reason I haven’t given it a chance.
Not that I’m unwilling, but with no common hardware, I’m reluctant to go out and buy something.
I can go buy a pinephone for postmarket, but won’t work for sailfish. I can get an Xperia for sailfish, but I’m out of luck for postmarket.
Not to mention, I’m reluctant to drop a chunk of cash on aged hardware, whose successor doesn’t look to be as well supported.