this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2023
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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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'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.
Google seems to be the exception, as they are working to upstream the Android kernel work as much as possible. This is a smart move, because it saves them money by reducing the work needed to keep Android in sync with Linux.
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.
Mostly agreed. Although I would say G1 was (relatively to its time) more advanced and stable than mobile Linux phones. It aged quickly, and the hardware felt somewhat underpowered (similar to what probably PinePhone owners feel right now); but it never had a problem to work as a phone or had serious stability issues.
Yes, I am aware we're comparing apples to oranges, and that Google had enough resources to make it work well enough. Still, they probably didn't make it work overnight, and neither should we expect mobile Linux could do that.
Disclaimer: while I did not use G1, I used Samsung Galaxy i7500 which had the same specs (minus the keyboard), and the experience I described is based on using it.
Even tho not fully free, there is SailfishOS, that looks usable. Haven't tried it tho.
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.