Scott Williams 🐧Feb 27

And it runs #Fedora!

XDA: I replaced Android with a full Linux desktop on my old phone, and it's shockingly usable
https://www.xda-developers.com/replaced-android-full-linux-desktop-old-phone/

#Linux #kde

I replaced Android with a full Linux desktop on my old phone, and it's shockingly usable

Pocketblue, based on Fedora Atomic, is great on the OnePlus 6.

XDA
Show threadRaptor Feb 27
@vwbusguy I wonder if android app emulation has gotten any better, that and terrible support for calls/multimedia messages, and speakerphone were my biggest reasons to go back to de-googled android.
Show threadChairmanderFeb 27
@raptor85 @vwbusguy It's surprisingly solid, but unfortunately doesn't cover all apps, most notably many that require certain security APIs from Google services (ie: many banking apps) which is very unfortunate. But besides higher power draw when having Waydroid is running and not all sensors being accessible for the Android app it's pretty seamless. Definitely still early days though.
Show threadRaptor Feb 27
@l_prod @vwbusguy unfortunate, so it sounds like it's pretty much still a no-go as a primary phone but has come a long way. Has multimedia text messaging at least been sorted out? It was in a pretty sad state last I tried it, you could get some basic SMS and that was about it.
Show threadScott Williams 🐧
@raptor85 @l_prod That's very dependent on the needs of the user. I knew people who were using Firefox OS for their primary and only phone before it was abruptly killed. The paradox is always that there isn't a critical mass of users until there is.
Feb 28 at 6:32pmWeb
Show threadRaptor Mar 1
@vwbusguy @l_prod true but firefox OS was also a decade ago and almost nobody used it for a reason. The critical mass really can't happen until the basics are covered, and in 2026 most banks require app auth for online purchases and some in-store ones, EV chargers are almost entirely NFC or app payment, you can't even change your flight at the airport for some airlines without the app. That support as well as modern text messaging are standard, required features for a vast majority of people.
Show threadScott Williams 🐧Mar 1
@raptor85 @l_prod It was certainly more useful and capable than the original iPhone was.
Show threadRaptor Mar 1

@vwbusguy @l_prod as a computer, as a PDA, but that's my point, linux phones are AWESOME pdas, I have a pinephone myself I use as a mini-terminal, they blow iphone and android out of the water. But then you try to make a call, or send/receive a text message, or authorize a purchase with your credit card, and it falls flat, even feature phones handle a lot of those better!

You try to put in a bug for any of these and everyone just tells you to pay with paypal and use matrix for chat instead...