In the previous installment of this three-part series, we took a look at the reasons why having truly open source-friendly Linux-based phones are not only a good thing to have but are also necessary to shake up things in the mobile space. The idea, of course, isn’t new and goes as far back as the OpenMoko community-driven project and even the mostly-but-not-totally open source Nokia N900 and N9. Those days are long gone, however, and the smartphone industry has changed drastically over the last decade and so have the attempts at making Linux phones. In this part, we take stock of the options that are currently available not just to Linux enthusiasts but to privacy and freedom-loving people as well.
I’d love to have a mobile operating system based on Linux that isn’t Android, but it seems like all the options still have a long, long way to go.
Given the fact that a half-decent intel cpu driver for linux took a decade to appear, I don’t expect to see a decent linux phone in my (statistically speaking) thirty years to remain on this planet.
I don’t see how that is a relevant comparison given that ARM is so common in the mobile world and very well supported under Linux. I mean every android phone is running the Linux kernel right now
So you mean intel is not very common in the desktop world, and that is why it didn’t have a proper cpu driver for 20 years?
I’d go for a Linux phone tomorrow morning, as long as I can install APK’s (or alternative appstore)
sailfish os? i’m running it currently and enjoying excellent (although admittedly not perfect) android emulation when needed.. don’t really get it why it got left out of this article..
Hi Thom.
Basically what you are saying is on why can’t you use GNU/Linux on a mobile phone. Historically speaking it is because the people that dedicated their lives, for providing you with the option to run GNU/Linux on the desktop, are now rather old. On desktop people that do want to use GNU/Linux can now in 2020 use it in a rather straightforward fashion. Due to their effort Android is what now dominates the mobile landscape. I guess most of the younger generation is OK with that and finds that sufficient. That is likely on why you currently can’t run GNU/Linux on a mobile phone and to be happy with the whole experience.
P.S. A few months back you basically did say that the father of GNU is a pedophile, prevents woman to flourish on MIT and good riddance to such people. People are being ignorant and in addition the current climate likely just doesn’t care all that much, to look beyond Android. In addition there are not all that much people around anymore, being prepared to invest a few decades of their lives for this cause. They rather use social media and stay clueless. And only focus on efforts that can be resolved in a day or two.