What about SailfishOS?

I use it and it’s really nice.

That’s just some Linux userspace with an Android container and an Android kernel. It is mostly still Android kernel and drivers.

I don’t expect them to support devices for very long.

Hmm… are you sure?

In their docs they say it uses the Linux Kernel and bridges other Linux libraries including those used in Android.

It does provide a way to install Android apps in a sandbox.

They have their own hardware phones and do support some Sony Xperia phones, which is the one I have.

It uses the kernel from the SoC vendor, for example Qualcomm, for the Xperia 10 III.

This requires libhybris to get the drivers working with a non-Android userland.

This in turn means the phone can only be updated as long as Qualcomm continues patching the kernel.

And this is why you run an outdated kernel once Qualcomm drops support, which will happen quickly. It’s the same for other SoC vendors. They are in the business of selling SoCs, not supporting them.

Mainline support solves that. SailfishOS can also be built with a mainline kernel.

I am in fact working on mainlining the Xperia 10 III. Once I’m done, you can flash an image with a mainline kernel and continue updating the kernel until the phone breaks, not until Qualcomm stops caring.

Very interesting. Yes I run Sailfish on a Xperia 10 III.

But was not aware of the kernel being supported by the SoC.

Seems like you’re involved in an interesting project.

I’m quite curious about it.

Still early days, but hopefully I’ll at some point have it all working.

This is my current progress: https://git.erebion.eu/forgejo/erebion/pdx213-temp

Next step would be upstreaming some patches to the kernel, I just need to find the time.

Someone more skilled and knowledgeable than me in mainlining could probably get most of the remaining things done in a couple days, but I need to read a lot of docs and try out a lot of things.

That is some impressive stuff, well done!

I’m a software developer but nowhere near kernel stuff.

I do have a curiosity to learn more about kernel development.

Definitely will check it out later.

It’s not that hard, the hardest part is finding the right info, I don’t even know C. I just enable the components that have drivers and leave the rest until someone writes the driver. :)