this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2026
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Linux Phones
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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:
- Sailfish🇫🇮
- FuriOS🇺🇸
- Ubuntu Touch🇩🇪
- Postmarket OS🇨🇭
- Mobian
- Pure OS🇺🇸
- Plasma Mobile🇩🇪
- LuneOS
- openSUSE Mobile🇩🇪
- Nemomobile
- Droidian
- Mobile NixOS
- ExpidusOS
- Maemo Leste
- Manjaro Arm
- Tizen
- WebOS
Linux Mobile Hardware:
- Jolla Phone🇫🇮
- Shift Phone🇩🇪
- FLX1🇺🇸
- Fairphone 5🇳🇱
- Volla Phone🇩🇪
- Librem 5🇺🇸
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Honestly the biggest problem is how much people are overthinking trying to make a Linux OS for a phone. Starting from zero and making a mess instead of just forking asop and redoing the UI/storage framework. We don't necessarily need something made from scratch just something that's actually open and in our control
The main issue is all the closed source hardware firmware for basic things like the microphones, cameras and radios.
The UI and OS is the easy part. It reverse engineering the firmware that is the issue
The UI userland is the easiest part of a linux phone, its basically all the stuff that is already running on desktop. Forking AOSP and redoing the UI/storage framework is a ton of effort and not the problem.
The issue is the kernel, even if you use a AOSP userland you still need to get all the hardware working in the kernel, unless you use vendor kernels but that contradicts the open and in our control part.
If you didn't start from scratch you can't be in control. Simply said. Also, the most difficult part is hardware and chipset drivers, stable supply of parts and so on. It's not that easy and no wonder to me why it takes literally an infinite amount of time to get a "linux phone" going - aaand keep it up.