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Can we please just go back to having some sort of Debian-based GNU/Linux on a smartphone. Just create a really great mobile interface on top of that. The more

Can we please just go back to having some sort of Debian-based GNU/Linux on a smartphone. Just create a really great mobile interface on top of that. The more I learn about Android, the more I think the whole thing is a waste of time.

SllX 2y ago
You say “go back” but that was never more than a niche thing. For better or worse, Google’s Android has pretty much always been the chief representative of mobile Linux. And far from being a waste of time, Android is the most widely distributed mobile operating system on the planet.
- owebmaster 2y ago
  > You say “go back” but that was never more than a niche thing. but you could walk to a phone shop and buy a Linux phone, for example FirefoxOS.
  - SllX 2y ago
    Firefox OS lived a short and obscure life years after Android entered the market and certainly wasn’t a GNU or Debian-like distribution of Linux.
  - Phrodo_00 2y ago
    Yeah, and there was also Maemo/Meego that was also sold on stores. Neither had a very high market share.
rmholt 2y ago
> just go back to having some sort of Debian-based GNU/Linux on a smartphone Two years of full time engineering man hours > Just create a really great mobile interface on top of that. Probably another 3 years of full time engineering man hours
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
pjmlp 2y ago
It was never a thing since OpenMoko, with exception of Nokia's N9.
Apocryphon 2y ago
There's still Sailfish OS... which is not open-source.
kop316 2y ago
Here you go: https://mobian-project.org/ https://mobian-project.org/ postmarketOS is based on Alpine Linux: https://postmarketos.org/ https://postmarketos.org/
- em3rgent0rdr 2y ago
  Still there is yet to be a device that is completely supported, see the following section which is currently empty: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices#Main https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices#Main
  - kop316 2y ago
    Interesting. I know the Librem 5 is usable as a day to day phone (I have been using it as such for 3.5 years), and a few phones used to be in that catagory. I guess they changed how they consider main vs community.

SllX 2y ago

You say “go back” but that was never more than a niche thing. For better or worse, Google’s Android has pretty much always been the chief representative of mobile Linux. And far from being a waste of time, Android is the most widely distributed mobile operating system on the planet.

owebmaster 2y ago
> You say “go back” but that was never more than a niche thing. but you could walk to a phone shop and buy a Linux phone, for example FirefoxOS.
- SllX 2y ago
  Firefox OS lived a short and obscure life years after Android entered the market and certainly wasn’t a GNU or Debian-like distribution of Linux.
- Phrodo_00 2y ago
  Yeah, and there was also Maemo/Meego that was also sold on stores. Neither had a very high market share.

rmholt 2y ago

> just go back to having some sort of Debian-based GNU/Linux on a smartphone Two years of full time engineering man hours > Just create a really great mobile interface on top of that. Probably another 3 years of full time engineering man hours

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

pjmlp 2y ago

It was never a thing since OpenMoko, with exception of Nokia's N9.

Apocryphon 2y ago

There's still Sailfish OS... which is not open-source.

kop316 2y ago

Here you go: https://mobian-project.org/ https://mobian-project.org/ postmarketOS is based on Alpine Linux: https://postmarketos.org/ https://postmarketos.org/

em3rgent0rdr 2y ago
Still there is yet to be a device that is completely supported, see the following section which is currently empty: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices#Main https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices#Main
- kop316 2y ago
  Interesting. I know the Librem 5 is usable as a day to day phone (I have been using it as such for 3.5 years), and a few phones used to be in that catagory. I guess they changed how they consider main vs community.