Got the camera working — then gave it focus. Always focus 😉

SHIFT6mq now has proper 📷 focus, and it finally feels usable.

Build it yourself (for now): https://codeberg.org/sdm845/linux

#SHIFT6mq #MobileLinux #LinuxMobile #sdm845

On a bit of a streak today 🔥

Work in progress, but already a big milestone: the camera sensor on my SHIFT6MQ is up and running 📷

Still a lot to refine, but seeing the first photo come through feels great. Sharing the very first shot taken on mainline Linux with it 👇

#SHIFT #SHIFT6mq #LinuxMobile #MobileLinux #WIP #sdm845 #mainline

First picture from the dual front-facing IMX355 sensors on #Pixel3 📸

Both lenses are now alive under mainline Linux — standard + wide, just like Google intended. Still early bring-up, but seeing real images come through makes it very real.

Patch series:
https://lore.kernel.org/phone-devel/20[email protected]/T/#t

You can find already applied patches in the integration branch here:
https://codeberg.org/sdm845/linux/

#LinuxMobile #MobileLinux #Mainline #Kernel #OpenSource #sdm845

nice linux7.0-rc4 booting on sdm845-hdk with the dts for the hdk form the patchset currently in lkml

graphics, PCIe, Wlan still WIP

#postmarketOS #sdm845 #linuxmobile #mobilelinux

#RabbitHole: @okias is doing a lot work to mainstream #sdm845 patches to the #linux kernel. During a meeting of Phosh.mobi e.V. members I learned that there seem to be not many testers for #Shift6mq #axolotl. I still had a broken Axolotl sitting on my desk…

• repaired the phone that originally had been bought as part of a #ShiftPhone8 deal
  • cleaning inside (residue from water contact)
  • new display (two lines of broken pixels)
  • new usb-c pcb (didn't charge, data broke during testing)
• learned about edl to recover if phone wouldn't boot to fastboot anymore (yes, really had that situation later 😉)
• learned about the difference of fastboot and fastbootd mode
• learned about u-boot and the boot chain on the phone
• learned about dynamic partitions used in Android and how to use them from #linux
• learned about pmbootstrap
  • to build my own device images (mixture of existing axolotl and sdm845 to be compatible to the phone and the usage with u-boot and dynamic partitions)
  • changed pmbootstrap to build small (92M) boot image for boot_a/b partition
• tried to get more space for out of the phone for boot & root than provided by boot_a/b and system_a/b
  • resized userdata of Android
  • created two additional partitions for postmarketOS
• learned how to recover from kernel not booting without re-flashing
  • u-boot usb mass storage mode exports the mass storage of the phone over usb-c
  • phone connected to an aarch64 system (#Librem5 running #Mobian)
  • mounting encrypted partition, boot and what-else is needed
  • installing kernel packages via apk while in chroot on Librem5
• learned how to compile a kernel using ./envkernel.sh and pmbootstrap

Now I'm quite sure I can recover from any failure I will encounter while testing sdm845 kernels and I have the following setup on my Shift6mq:

• ShiftOS-L with small userdata partition in slot_b
  • applications for demoing the phone installed
  • work profile to contain closed source applications
• postmarketOS edge installed on partitions behind userdata
  • u-boot on rescue_a
  • 1GB pmOS_boot
  • 60GB pmOS_root
  • applications for demoing
  • multi-user: my testing user, demo user
  • everything except cameras work
• dual-boot possible on-the-go: enter fastboot (by holding vol-up at start), change slot, reboot

I put my notes on the postmarketOS wiki.

I started two merge requests:

• support audio configuration when started through u-boot in alsa
• add support for booting using u-boot and dynamic partitions to axolotl

I'll carry the phone at #clt2026 - Chemnitzer Linux Tage 2026 - on saturday 28th this month. I'll mostly be around the "Linux on Mobile" booth.

#6 #MobileLinux Hackday je zde!

v pátek 20. 2. 2026 od 10:00 do večera v

SUSE Linux, s.r.o.
Křižíkova 148/34
Praha 8 - Karlín

Doprava:
- tram/metro Křižíkova

Témata:
- od jádra (posílání patchů, b4, atd.)
- až po user-space (balíčkování, Flatpak, drobné opravy aplikací aby pěkně běželi na telefonech)
- Mobian
- pohnout s OnePlus 6 / 6T, Xiaomi Poco F1, Shift 6MQ #sdm845
- experimentování s #FairPhone 5

Prosím potvrďte účast i když dorazíte později nebo budete muset odejít brzy.

Budem se těšit!

Telefon: +420608263376 (také Signal)

Want a premium Linux shirt that actually looks good? 🐧📱

Our well-designed shirt (penguin holding a phone) is 100% cotton with a stitched penguin logo.

Available this weekend at the #FOSDEM #LinuxOnMobile stand.

Location: Building U, entrance UD2 — grab your size before they’re gone!

Model: @Standara3217

#FOSDEM2026 #MobileLinux #LinuxMobile #sdm845 #Mobian #Phosh #Linux