Comment on Google Confirms Non-ADB APK Installs Will Require Developer Registration
Suavevillain@lemmy.world 2 months ago
We really need some money poured into the Linux mobile space because this is a terrible direction to go.
Plain AOSP is already pretty brutal. An alternate OS is practically a non-starter. Phones aren’t just web browsers and SMS.
Not to mention that the camera is going to suuuuuuuuck.
Forking or improving AOSP is more viable but none of the more mainstream ROMs want to piss off Google. That’s why most LineageOS forums forbid talking about defeating Play Integrity.
Also no GPU driver, because even if the manufacturer does actually provide it, some nerd within the community will block it for not being “free software” enough and that “for light 2D applications, CPU blitter is more than enough”.
On a mobile device? It’s more likely that only OSS drivers work and the binary blob driver only worked with a pre-Pandemic aged kernel. Or it needed a very specific userspace library that doesn’t work with a minimal libc.
“Free software enough” usually means “has a snowball’s chance of actually working”.
PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 2 months ago
dug my pinephone out of a drawer yesterday and gave it a whirl. still pretty rough unfortunately even after updating postmarket os.
Cool being able to SSH into my phone though
Suavevillain@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’m still hoping they can get to a state for more general users. I really want one still. I need a Linux phone doing the old sidekick designs.
tempest@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
The main issue will be application support.
Linux running on the desktop in 2025 is helped immensely by everything being web based. So long as you have a browser you are fine for a lot of general computing.
The phone space is ruled by apps. The phone makers and the companies developing apps prefer it this way.
Getting a banking app, or Uber or Facebook Messenger to work on a Linux phone is going to be a massive pain in the ass (ignoring the rest of the OS which is definitely not even close to useable for the general public).
I would love a Linux phone but we are so far away.
pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
That’s true, but for everything non-free, they always end up having a perfectly working web app that will accept my money.
PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 2 months ago
I’m sure there will be some sort of compatibility layer available. Android Linux based after all.
IronBird@lemmy.world 2 months ago
i’m just gonna switch to steam deck + gsm router
PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 2 months ago
tbh part of the rough experience for me may be down to the hardware. the ubports version of the pinephone i have is quite low power. 2GB memory and a little ARM Cortex-A53
Dojan@pawb.social 2 months ago
I thought you could do that on Android?
dev_null@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Yeah, you absolutely can, and without needing root or anything.