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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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It's frustrating that we're still not there (with even one daily-drivable phone), but it's getting closer and closer.
I also think it's possible to get a lot of value from these devices in the meantime- when used as pocketable tablets. I have to carry a light backpack around pretty often anyway, so it's easy enough to just throw an old Android in there for calls / SMS and tether a OnePlus 6 (with pmOS) to it for everything else.
I am still hopeful Linux is the future of mobile devices. I really dislike that on android 5 years of feature updates is really good and only the best phones can strive for this, where as a 10 year old laptop or desktop computer can usually run Linux without any problems and expect both security and feature updates as long as you want. Not even mentioning the limited choice in software that works in an android environment.
I currently use Sailfish which isn't what most people mean by mobile linux and does have a lot of problems, but hopefully my sailfish device I have now will see me through until mobile linux is at the point I feel like I can move across.
Phones right now are where computers were about 15-20 years ago.
Just getting to the point where you can keep one for more than a couple years before it's too old and slow to do anything.
I think it probably depends what you want out of your phone (and this goes for computers too). Most "budget" phones are more than sufficient for my usage which is light internet browsing, calls/texts, podcasts, alarm clock, calendar and a few other things. I don't really game or watch videos or other things on my phone so usually what happens is the phone stops getting supported before reaching the end of its life.
Before my current phone (which is fairly new), I used my last phone for 5 years and only gave up on it because it had stopped receiving software updates. I plan to keep my phone at least as long providing Sailfish keep supporting it.
You can run Linux on computers much older than 10 years. The kernel still supports the Intel 486, which was released in 1989. The developers only recently started talking about dropping support for it.
It's ridiculous that a typical smart phone is e-waste within a couple of years.
A reasonable article I feel. I am looking forward to trying mobile Linux on a secondary phone, but it's likely a long way off from being ready as a daily driver for most people.
Unless one of those Linux OS's can run Android apps through emulation with the same speed and reliability as an android device its probably not practical yet.
Have you tried the French edition /e/ OS? I'm on it ATM and it has a few good integrations like an app store that gives apps an privacy respecting rating and better calendar, contacts and tasks connectability with nextcloud
I've heard a lot of people have a good experience with GrapheneOS as well on the Google Pixel phones as well. Might be my next phone and OS to try
Never considered anything other than Android, but it's an excellent idea. It's a shame none of the options are good. Anyone have any insight as to why things suck?
Lack of funding. Throw enough money at this problem and it will be solved.
I have a PinePhone and the article is on point.
My understanding is: Android is here for many years now. When it was just released I got the HTC G1 and it was only barely better than what Mobian + Phosh present right now. Add to that many years of polishing by some of the most powerful corporations out there and you end up with Android as it is today.
Mobile Linux made unbelieveable progress. It is, in my opinion, almost as usable as a dumb phone as first Androids were. The problem is as others have pointed it out, we need people working tirelessly on thankless polishing of everything around it. It's hard without throwing money at that issue.
Even tho not fully free, there is SailfishOS, that looks usable. Haven't tried it tho.
I'd say wildly variable hardware configurations with poor driver support.
The situation would improve if hardware vendors would upstream the code, but I just don't see it.
As much as Alphabet sucks ass, I have had very good results with Nexus/Pixel devices and LineageOS. All the hardware seems to be supported right down to high-framerate mode on the camera on the Pixel2.
As others have said, it's a mixture of being very early in development, wild differences in underlying system components, lack of funding and lack of support from manufacturers. If a large corporation wirh ties to amartphone manufacturers stood behind mobile Linux and threw enough money at the problem, it could become as good as, if not better than Android in a few years time. Not that it would happen, I'm just saying.