diff --git a/content/posts/mobile-linux-2025.md b/content/posts/mobile-linux-2025.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..62bc94b --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/mobile-linux-2025.md @@ -0,0 +1,198 @@ ++++ +title = "A 2025 review of Mobile Linux with postmarketOS v25.12" +date = 2025-12-31 +draft = false + +[taxonomies] +categories = [ "reviews", "mobile-linux", "aarch64" ] +tags = [ "postmarketOS", "v25.12" ] ++++ + +{% note(header="Note") %} +This was tested on a OnePlus 6T using Phosh as the desktop/shell. I purchased this phone from [Swappa](https://swappa.com) just for running Mobile Linux. +{% end %} + +## Donations + +I'd like to start this post off by saying I HIGHLY recommend donating to postmarketOS if you want devices to have a second life once Android support is dropped or if you want them to be Linux first (not Android) first! + +- [postmarketOS Donation page](https://opencollective.com/postmarketos/contribute) + +## Hardware + +This is an updated table based on my testing with v25.12: + +| Core Feature | Status | +| ------------------ | ------ | +| Wi-Fi/Bluetooth | Works | +| Touchpad | Works | +| Touch Screen | Works | +| Fingerprint Reader | Works | +| Cameras | Basic | * +| Speakers | Works | +| Headphone port | N/A | +| USB-C port | Works | +| SIM Slot | Not tested | + +* work but not ideal quality + +### Cameras + +Both work but they are not fully color and the quality is not best but I did not test them on Android using this hardware. + +### Wi-Fi and Bluetooth + +I was able to connect to my home network without issues. + +### Speakers + +The speakers work and sound great! + +### Battery + +Checking `upower -d` shows the following information: + +```bash +Device: /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/battery_bq27411_0 + native-path: bq27411-0 + vendor: Texas Instruments + power supply: yes + updated: Sun Dec 28 09:43:56 2025 (14 seconds ago) + has history: yes + has statistics: yes + battery + present: yes + rechargeable: yes + state: discharging + warning-level: none + energy: 4.6904 Wh + energy-empty: 0 Wh + energy-full: 21.5776 Wh + energy-full-design: 16.016 Wh + voltage-min-design: 3.4 V + voltage-max-design: 4.4 V + capacity-level: Normal + energy-rate: 0.396 W + voltage: 3.744 V + charge-cycles: N/A + time to empty: 11.8 hours + percentage: 40% + temperature: 27.5 degrees C + capacity: 100% + technology: lithium-ion + icon-name: 'battery-good-symbolic' + History (charge): + 1766940175 40.000 discharging + History (rate): + 1766940236 0.396 discharging + 1766940205 0.383 discharging + 1766940175 0.405 discharging + 1766940145 0.352 discharging +``` + +### USB-C port + +The port works for power and data as expected, I did not test any external docks and such though. + +### Fingerprint Reader + +I was not able to test this, it is under the screen unlike the OnePlus 6 which is on the back. + +## Software + +### Phosh + +| ![Phosh with no running applications](/images/mobile-linux-2025/Phosh-desktop.png) | ![Phosh with running applications](/images/mobile-linux-2025/desktop-with-running-applications.png) | +|:---:|:---:| +| *Phosh – empty desktop* | *Phosh – apps running* | + +The animations in Phosh are smoother than this video shows when shown in person. + + + +NOTE: The empty space on the bottom of applications in the overview is because of the keyboard placeholder being there. + +### GNOME Software + +After the shell the next most important for a mobile device (and desktop in my eyes) should be the software store/center and for that we have GNOME Software + +| ![GNOME Software, your go-to for software!](/images/mobile-linux-2025/GNOME-Software.png) | ![GNOME Software, your go-to for updates!](/images/mobile-linux-2025/GNOME-Software_app-listing.png) | +|:---:|:---:| +| *GNOME Software for software* | *GNOME Software app listing* | + +For an OS based on Alpine Linux I usually just do a `sudo apk update; sudo apk upgrade` but if you are used to a UI you can use GNOME Software for applying updates as well. + +GNOME Software, your go-to for updates! + +### Social Media + +For Mastodon usage Tuba is a great mobile (and desktop) client: + +Tuba, Mastodon and Pixelfed client + +### Smart Home + +I personally use Home Assistant and thanks to my friend [Cassidy](https://hachyderm.io/@cassidy@blaede.family) there is a nice looking application called Butler (it is a webapp but it works really well!) + +Butler for your home + +### Navigation + +GNOME Maps is included by default and it seems to be much better than the last time that I looked at navigation tools on Linux Mobile (there is also Pure Maps but you do need to get an API key to use it online I believe). + +GNOME Maps + +### Music Player + +The default music player in v25.12 is called Gapless and it works well on mobile plus it supports my FLAC files without issue. + +Gapless music player + +### Video decoding + +YouTube works without issue though Netflix (and I suspect other streaming websites) do not work, I suspect it is because postmarketOS ships with Firefox ESR rather than default Firefox. + +### File Transfer + +I used Warp in my testing if I wanted to transfer files (since MTP does not work it seems but that will be fixed soon!) and it worked well minus using a QR code as the application froze on the OnePlus 6T. + +| ![Warp accept file](/images/mobile-linux-2025/Warp-accept-file.png) | ![Warp transfer file](/images/mobile-linux-2025/Warp-transfer-file.png) | +|:---:|:---:| +| *Warp accept file* | *Warp transfer file* | + +I was also able to use `scp` (to transfer the screenshots in this post) and `ssh` without issue, for enabling SSH on boot use this [page](https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/SSH). + +## Tips & Tricks + +- To hide the keyboard press and hold the bar at the bottom of the screen + + + +- For screenshots and video recording I used grim and wf-recorder for those tasks + +## Closing marks + +If you have seen my older blog posts about Linux Mobile (I lost a few posts with my move) then you may remember how the open dialog (like with the Audio Player application in this example) did not scale well for mobile and kinda made them impossible to use. With that in memory I'm happy to report that it has been fixed in this example: + +It fits just right! + +I suspect this might depend on applications using a newer libadwaita version so your mileage may vary. I'm very happy to see additional process being made to make Linux work great on mobile devices, I know there are still issues such as banking, missing applications and such but I think there is a strong foundation here! + +Now a new interesting one to replace that issue! The print dialog! I was able to do this when trying to print out directions: + +It doesn't scale + +## Additional information + +There are some more resources for updated information about Linux on this device: + +- [postmarketOS Installation](https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Installation/Using_a_pre-built_image) +- [OnePlus 6 - postmarketOS Wiki](https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/OnePlus_6_(oneplus-enchilada)) - The 6T uses the same steps just a different image due to a bit different hardware + +This is some information about Mobile Linux applications: +- [postmarketOS Wiki Apps](https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Applications_by_category) +- [linuxphoneapps list](https://linuxphoneapps.org/apps/) diff --git a/static/images/mobile-linux-2025/Audio-Player.png b/static/images/mobile-linux-2025/Audio-Player.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5cf74ed Binary files /dev/null and b/static/images/mobile-linux-2025/Audio-Player.png differ diff --git a/static/images/mobile-linux-2025/Butler.png 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