Linux Phones

1470 readers

165 users here now

The Discussion on Linux-based Phones.

Benefits:

Hardware freedom.
Perfect operating-system competition.
Full utilization of specs.
Phone lifespan raises to 10+ years.
Less e-waste.

Linux Mobile Distros:

Ubuntu Touch
Sailfish
FuriOS
Postmarket OS
Mobian
Pure OS
Plasma Mobile
LuneOS
Nemomobile
Droidian
Mobile NixOS
ExpidusOS
Maemo Leste
Manjaro Arm
Tizen
WebOS

Linux Mobile Hardware:

Fairphone 5
Volla Phone
PinePhone
FLX1
Librem 5

⚙️Contribute

🧼Go Clean From the Duopoly:

💻Related Communities:

📰News:

💬Messager:

⌚️Watch:

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

604

Free Software Foundation announces a Librephone initiative to develop a fully free and open source smartphone (liliputing.com)

submitted 2 days ago by tal@olio.cafe to c/linuxphones@lemmy.ca

69 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Samskara@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I would say being able to use Linux daily was achieved a few years after Ubuntu came out, so almost 20 years ago or by now.

Linux on Phones has already peaked in 2009. The Nokia N900 running Maemo in 2009 was amazing. The Palm Pre running webOS was the other good Linux based phone. Both of these had their fan base, keeping them running and active for a couple of years before fading. Since then Linux on phones has been lingering on in obscurity across various projects. Firefox phone was the most promising for a while. Jolla is still holding on, continuing Nokia‘s legacy.

[–] qqq@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I'm not sure I agree that 2005 was the proverbial "Year or the Linux Desktop": I remember all the WiFi driver hell in the late 2000s, but let's say that was when Linux became a valid competitor because it's close enough. That's 10 years after Windows 95! That only furthers my point, but it does show that the phone progress seems to be slower by comparison. All of this is assuming we leave out Android of course.

In my personal experience I dual booted until around 2010

[–] Samskara@sh.itjust.works 1 points 22 hours ago

Yes, Wifi drivers were a bit of a hassle. However there was this wrapper which allowed windows drivers to be used and it was integrated into the Ubuntu GUI.

It was the age of the live CD. You could run Linux from a CD easily. Trying out Linux was as easy as downloading an ISO, burning it, and booting from it. Print computer magazines included Linux live CDs like Knoppix and DVDs regularly. Installing was easy as well with a nice wizard guiding you through.

OpenOffice, VLC, Firefox, Thunderbird, GIMP all existed. Hell, Skype had an official Linux version.