https://redlib.perennialte.ch/r/linux/co...id_phones/ (link is reddit redirected via redlib project for privacy)

Running a linux OS on android phones
Hey, so I just recently bought a galaxy s21 phone and since then I learned about the recent changes android is making, which basically would require third party developers to go through a verification process in order to allow folks to download their apks. I have concerns about this, since I use apks that Google and Android are not happy with to say the least, and I'm worried that this verification process will allow them to pick and choose who to verify and who to block, meaning I and others won't be able to download these apks anymore.
So I'm trying to look into alternative OS I can install on android. So far I learned about some of the different linux mobile OS, but I'm concerned that I won't be able to run them on my galaxy s21.
What phones should I look for in order to properly run and install a linux OS without potentially getting my phone bricked? I'm very new to this whole ecosystem so any and all advice is appreciated.


As always we need to be spreading the narrative of fully unlocked hardware and FOSS drivers to these people who want to go the libhybris ex-android hardware direction.
Find more posts like this using this link https://redlib.perennialte.ch/r/linux/se...rict_sr=on

Hi!

I have played around with my pinenote, and all was well. I am uncertain if it was I that messed up, but after a while the on-screen keyboard became unusable because the special keys stopped working.

Here is the problem, which appears in all apps, but let's say in a terminal: all normal keys work (for instance, typing ls). However, backspace does not, Enter does not. The result is that I cannot run any command in the terminal. Ctrl and Alt also seem to be broken


What I suspect is some setting got broken when I added and enabled some other keyboard layouts I use on most computers. I vaguely remember Enter did not work on those layouts, so I reverted back to the preinstalled "en" layout, but that one does not work. But I am not sure. I have been updating it via SSH, hoping for a fix, but only now I got some time aside to look into this.

I would like to recover this, since I have already configured it well. I can operate it via SSH, but I am unsure what to look for. I am mostly a Plasma user, so I am unfamiliar with Gnome applications and settings, but I can manage with gsettings and such.

Thank you!

Hello everyone,

I’m trying to read data from the MPU6050 6-axis sensor via I²C on my Pine64 board, but I’m running into some issues.

System: Armbian

I²C is already enabled, and I can see the device address 0x68 with i2cdetect -y 1

My Python script runs, but the data I get is unstable and often jumps around

Has anyone successfully driven the MPU6050 on Pine64? Do I need any additional configuration?

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I’d like to share my experience as a user of the PinePhone beta running Manjaro.
Despite a few imperfections – which I fully expect from a device that’s still close to a prototype – I’m actually very happy with it overall. It’s an exciting project, and I want to sincerely thank and congratulate the developers for the great work they’ve done so far.

If I may add a small remark: a slightly smaller screen might have helped improve battery life.
I understand that large screens are the trend nowadays, but some users like me mainly look for a more compact device, focused on basic daily features.
For me, the essential functions are:

• making calls,
  
• saving contacts,
  
• sending text messages.
  
  

Hi all,

Recently I made the brave attempt to upgrade my PPP bought before 2023, with RK2AW.

The point with installing RK2AW is to get decent behavior in case of battery depletion - before RK2AW, if you deplete the battery, the phone would go into a battery-depleting perpetual loop and the only way to get the phone working again was to remove the USB and battery, push the Maskrom/RE PIN, and then boot the phone, and leave it like that for 10-20 hours.


For RK2AW distribution, I took this archive https://xff.cz/kernels/bootloaders-2024.04/ppp.tar.gz , as suggested by the Pine wiki https://pine64.org/documentation/PinePho...ion_image/ and also by Megi in his blog https://xnux.eu/log/098.html .


The installation steps were really only:

Apologies for starting in this sub-forum, I didn't see an "introductions" section.....

I'm a Linux user since 1998, but admittedly not a real "power user", every computer I own is Linux based, but I have to use an abomination at work like most people.

 I have several years experience with SBC's and a healthy collection of them. As far as coding goes I know some C++, and know enough to do fun stuff, but I'm not a developer by any stretch of the imagination.

I'd like to order a PinePhone, and use it as my daily but I really need to know a few things before I do. I read through the forum some, and watched some YouTube videos but we all know how quickly things change and I didn't see anything super recent about my concerns.

It's understood that PinePhone is under development, and there are going to be quirks and plain old "don't work for that" scenarios (like everything Linux), so I'd like to see a baseline of what IS happening before I commit....

I'm not only open to trying different distros, but enthusiastic about it, so if one is better at giving me the capabilities I need than the others that's great!

The things I need from a phone are:

1) 5G phone service on T-Mobile (USA)

2) RCS chat

3) WhatsApp

4) FireFox, or a secure browser that isn't going to get blocked by places like my bank, preferably NOT chrome

-------------------

Also I'm curious what development environments can run, my go-to is Geany, and I've also just barely started dabbling in front ends so I'm curious what's supported, QT or something?

And I'm assuming there's a way to encrypt a folder and make a safe place for sensitive storage like LUKS?

Thank you for reading, I'm really excited to get some feedback, if I can do the 4 things above I'm ordering a Beta,I've looked at the Pro, but it's out of stock.

https://redlib.perennialte.ch/r/linux/co...ding_2026/   (Reddit scraped)

Quote:Given what Google just announced, I think that Linux phones are going to get very very popular very very soon. Does anyone here have experience moving from Android over to the pine phone? I use a lot of FOSS that Google really doesn't like and their policy changes coming in 2026 don't bode well for me. App developers on GitHub, F-droid anything not officially verified by Google or rather the developers of those apps are effectively going to be banned off of the ecosystem.

Just looking to pack a parachute.

does anyone have a part number for the keyboard pogo pins?

For those who have a PPP gathering dust in a drawer somewhere, what's stopping you from daily driving it? When I got mine earlier this year, I tried it out and made a list of things that stopped me from ditching my Android for it, which was:

• Need physical protection (cover). I looked around for other phone covers that could work for the PPP, but eventually got the PPP TPU cover. I wish it had the corner bumpers as well as extending over the front screen for better protection, so I'll keep looking for alternative covers.
  
• The biggest issue was battery life. Using Mobian, suspend worked, which helped, but I could barely browse the web for 1 hour before the battery meter dropped from 100% to less than 30%. YouTube went from 100% to 5% in under 30 mins! Luckily I discovered this is a software problem rather than hardware, hence my efforts to patch the kernel to fix the battery meter (see other threads), which is now working quite reasonably for me.
  
• A semi-working camera so I can document things or scan QR codes (not worried too much about quality). This is working now.
  
• Less of an issue: an offline GPS app for my camping/hiking trips. There are some options now (not all mobile optimized yet) like Organic Maps.
  

• Calls and SMS
  
• Bluetooth audio playback
  
• Bluetooth keyboard for some terminal usage
  
• Software updates (and some great apps on Flathub like Foliate, Cozy, Papers, Telegram, Delta Chat)
  
• Web browsing with Firefox + uBlock Origin
  
• Media playback (videos, audiobooks, podcasts)
  
• Reading e-books
  
• Contacts/Calendar sync with my Nextcloud
  
• Alarms work even when the phone is suspended
  
• General reliability, i.e. phone doesn't randomly reboot or heat up in my pocket, etc.
  

Good afternoon everyone,
I'm working on a project that requires six NEMA 17 stepper motors. I can use the standard A4988 or the more powerful DRV8825 driver, but both are 5V devices, while the Teensy 4.0 is a 3.3V device.

Can these drivers be used directly with the Teensy without damaging it?
Do they require a logic level converter?
Are there other compatible 3.3V stepper drivers?