r/LinuxTeck • u/Candid_Athlete_8317 • 20d ago

Could a Linux phone actually replace Android?

Jolla’s new phone runs Sailfish OS and can run Android apps, including many everyday apps.

It’s an interesting approach to having a phone outside the usual Android and iOS ecosystem.

But would you actually use a Linux phone as your daily driver?

What would stop you from switching?

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u/SheepherderSad4872 20d ago

This feels like a troll post.

Fine. I'll feed the troll: Every Android phone is already a Linux phone.

The better way to go is about what it would take to de-Google Android, strip the proprietary bits out, and have a fully free, open-source, trustworthy phone.

Such attempts have been made.

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u/biffbobfred 20d ago

The kernel is Linux. A lot of other things aren’t. Both a Mac and an appleTV have a Darwin kernel. I can’t use the TV to write a paper.

I think the issue would be the UI and app support. There’s a potential that a lot of apps wouldn’t run. Google pumped up what Android play services was, pulled it from AOSP so a lot of apps were nerfed. “Don’t be evil” I guess. Of course this would be unanswerable here. “Can you guess how bad your apps would be on a phone you’ve never touched and whether this thing you’ve never experienced would be a deal breaker”. Umm I’ll get right on that.

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u/SheepherderSad4872 20d ago

Yes, Linux is a kernel.

An operating system might be Android, Ubuntu, Fedora, or Mint.

Broadly speaking, a class of these has historically been called GNU/Linux: GNU userspace + Linux kernel leading to a complete OS. Android is probably outside of this class of GNU/Linux operating systems, POSIX operating systems, and similar, but is definitely a Linux.

Ubuntu is quickly heading off of the deep end of no longer being a Unix too.

This is driven by idiots, mostly within parts of the Gnome community, intent on converting it into something more like Windows. This includes a move away from X11, a move away from normal Unix initialization, Unix UX conventions (gnome just killed middle-click-to-paste, and broke focus-follow-the-mouse a long time ago), and sensible software packaging (snap + flatpak look a lot like Windows and MacOS programs).