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The Android ecosystem has. Currently most mobile devices in the world run the Android Common Kernel, which is only a few patches of differences from mainline Li

by ajvs 5y ago

The Android ecosystem has. Currently most mobile devices in the world run the Android Common Kernel, which is only a few patches of differences from mainline Linux kernel, plus proprietary drivers. Considering the current state of fully Linux phones, we'd have never had a shot at being the market leader on mobile otherwise. In Android 12-based devices these drivers will become simply plug-in kernel modules, so all devices will run the same kernel and it will finally be able to be updated without messing with the drivers. This is in addition to less and less out-of-tree patches each year as more of them get upstreamed. This means Android is creeping very close to mainline Linux, and already some projects like postmarketOS have devices they've done the last few tweaks needed to run it on existing phones like the Poco F1. I don't think it would have happened otherwise that most mobiles worldwide would run almost-mainline Linux, so I'd say the Android project has been a net boon for Linux enthusiasts.

yissp 5y ago
That's a good point, but I would ammend it slightly - Android might turn out to be a net boon for Linux enthusiasts in the next few years. I'm definitely super excited, but I still feel like the mobile Linux ecosystem is still not quite there just yet.
- ajvs 5y ago
  I think progress will speed up over the next year once mobile Linux distros like postmarketOS can be flashed on many Android devices, similar to how LineageOS and other ROMs can be flashed to many right now. Currently it takes too much work to mainline an Android device, and the main supported phones like the Pinephone just have too weak specs for most users. Once new devices like the Pixel 6 start shipping and having the Android 12 requirement to run the Generic Kernel Image (GKI), then people will be able to use mobile Linux on powerful phones finally, as well as their old or cheap Androids.

by ajvs 5y ago

yissp 5y ago

That's a good point, but I would ammend it slightly - Android might turn out to be a net boon for Linux enthusiasts in the next few years. I'm definitely super excited, but I still feel like the mobile Linux ecosystem is still not quite there just yet.

ajvs 5y ago
I think progress will speed up over the next year once mobile Linux distros like postmarketOS can be flashed on many Android devices, similar to how LineageOS and other ROMs can be flashed to many right now. Currently it takes too much work to mainline an Android device, and the main supported phones like the Pinephone just have too weak specs for most users. Once new devices like the Pixel 6 start shipping and having the Android 12 requirement to run the Generic Kernel Image (GKI), then people will be able to use mobile Linux on powerful phones finally, as well as their old or cheap Androids.