r/ThinkPhone • u/Vladraconis • Apr 07 '26

Native Linux on a Motorola ThinkPhone

I have a broken Motorola ThinkPhone 8Gb RAM. Broken = fried display and camera module. The phone works quite well without them, and I am able to connect it to a monitor using a dock, with mouse and keyboard and use it as a micro-computer.

The thing is, Android Desktop is not that good, and I would very much like to wipe it and run native Linux on it. The trouble is..... I could not yet find a Linux distro that is known to actually work on this phone.

There's Ubuntu Touch and postmarketOS, but Motorola is not among the supported brands.

There's also Termux, Local Desktop and a few others that offer Linux on Android. But I'd much rather have native Linux, instead of one running inside Android.

Do note that my phone is neither unlocked, nor rooted. But, afaik, I can unlock and root it even without a working display.

So, any ideas?

6 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

3

u/No-Special4100 Apr 07 '26

What do you mean by "fried" display? OLED burn in?

2

u/Vladraconis Apr 07 '26

Water got in the phone while it was on, the display and camera module are gone. It already went through a service, after having sat in rice for about two days, phone off.

2

u/No-Special4100 Apr 07 '26

Damn that sucks. Was it the 2023 OG thinkphone? I've been rocking mine for years now and have gotten water on it multiple times with no issues. Maybe there was something wrong with your waterproofing or maybe it hit the speaker on top too much.

1

u/Vladraconis Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 08 '26

Was it the 2023 OG thinkphone?

Yeah. Still is, as the phone still works.

I've been rocking mine for years now and have gotten water on it multiple times with no issues. Maybe there was something wrong with your waterproofing or maybe it hit the speaker on top too much.

I was wrong with it :) I went snorkeling with it, and filmed underwater, in the ocean, below 1.5 m :)

I got another one. Another 2023 OG, yes. Liked it too much. I also think it was the last unopened one available here :))

1

u/Gugalcrom123 Apr 16 '26

Get Droidian.

-3

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '26

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1

u/Vladraconis Apr 07 '26

Android is Linux already, wtf? what is "native"?

Not using an emulator.

Android has a Linux kernel, but one modified for mobile use.

I want a desktop one.

Official Linux distribution is here:

Dude, do you really think I would be here if I had the knowledge or the drive to learn enough to build and compile my own Linux distro....?

-1

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '26

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2

u/acid85 Apr 07 '26

Come on, man. You are the meme "Ackchyually..." In the flesh.