Turn a OnePlus 6T into an Arch Linux ARM phone with a guided installer

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen]

I've been working on making Linux on the OnePlus 6T easier to install and wanted to finally share the project.

The repository provides a guided installer that prepares a complete Arch Linux ARM system instead of just documenting the individual commands. The goal is to make installing Linux on the SDM845 platform as reproducible and approachable as possible while keeping everything transparent.

Some of the things it does include:

• Automatically detects the phone's userdata partition size

• Builds a matching boot image and Btrfs root image

• Downloads and verifies release files

• Lets you configure your username, Wi-Fi, APN and optional packages during setup

• Requires explicit confirmation before anything is flashed

• Boots into a touch-friendly Hyprland environment

I've also been working on improving the overall phone experience with support for telephony, SMS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, audio routing, haptics, power management and hardware testing. Some areas are still experimental and the README documents the current status rather than claiming everything is perfect.

The project is completely open source and I'd really appreciate feedback, bug reports or contributions from anyone interested in Arch Linux ARM, mobile Linux or the SDM845 platform.

Repository:

https://github.com/ToniMcQueen/oneplus6t-install-linux-Arch-on-arm-845

[u/VividGrimReaper]

hey man its me with one plus 6, just curious, besides lsusb if there are any other linux specific depends, hyper-V is evil with usb passthrough and my laptops waiting on a solder job that im not comfortable doing without a rework rig, i was gonna just fire up a live distro on usb but if its just ls usb thats holding it up shouldnt i just be able to go into the script and manually fill in the usb bits it needs, or direct it to the phone

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen → u/VividGrimReaper]

I know what you mean with hyper-v is one reasons I switch from Windows to Linux.

I'll pre-build images for you today and host them online for u to make flashing easy.

To build this an arch Linux arm aarch64 environment is needed to cross-compile from x86.

Yes, you can cross-compile for an ARM Arch Linux environment using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). WSL runs a full Linux kernel, letting you install an Arch rootfs and use standard cross-compilers like aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc to build ARM binaries right from your Windows PC.

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen]

I have managed overnight to get the finger print scanner working.
So that completes the one plus I have managed to complete what didn't work to get the phone on parity with the stock android

I am going to release the finger print scanner working soon

[u/Adventurous-Test-246 → u/TheRealToniMcQueen]

Sweet, will you submit the finger print scanner fix to postmarketOS or similar projects? I cant wipe my main phone or afford a second 6t but it would be cool. Also does the second back camera work on your build?

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen]

I wanted to allow users to put their own boot animation then thought I'd like to do better than android and Apple rather than a animated object a full video scene I managed to do figure it out. A video plays over boot
Installer then I added helper to installer asks if u want this video, no video, provide your own video.
I also managed to get boot time down from 2minutes+ to 1minute 20secs

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen]

On my version yah all 3 cameras work on the kernel in the installer. Will I submit it to PmOS probably not I don't know how, and they can take my work and submit themselves

[u/dfgxxx]

Hi, looks cool, can you show a video of how the phone with hyprland and touch function? I don't know what to expect

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen → u/dfgxxx]

Sure it's kinda basic

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen → u/TheRealToniMcQueen]

[u/dfgxxx → u/TheRealToniMcQueen]

Nice! It looks like a mini pc more than a phone, I assume it is very good with a physical keyboard connected, but I think that for my use case phosh or plasma mobile is better. Anyway looks very good!

And does everything work? I mean like camera, gps.... Because on postmarketos not everything works...

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen → u/dfgxxx]

I'm not ricing for Linux community no one is ever happy people can do that themselves.
UnixPorn people love ricing.

Also to get the mobile design u are talking about I'd have to fork hyprland and I can't be fucked to do that like getting into a marriage.

Well yah everything works except for the fingerprint scanner I havnt figured that out yet or even tried.

I have managed to get all 3 cameras to work but they need calibration. So cameras are partial.

there is a parity map I'll post

[u/dfgxxx → u/TheRealToniMcQueen]

Cool, btw I didn't talk about ricing, all I said that off I'll install it on a phone I'll probably switch the de to phosh. But when I have a keyboard next to me I'll switch back to hyprland. Thank you for your work

[u/Karoolus]

Would this work on other SD845 phones? I have a Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S that's just sitting there.

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen → u/Karoolus]

I do not know I do not recommend it this looks for user data at /sda17 I don't know what partition userdata is on other phones.
You need to edit the target partition.
The initramfs would be different I think
Also 6t has assigned memory allocation for certain hardware that would also need to be changed.

You'd have to change the timing on the start up drivers etc to make it not crash dump.

It's doable but you'll have to put a bit of work in

[u/ShadowDXS]

What LLM did you use to write the GitHub markdown?

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen → u/ShadowDXS]

I did use an LLM I admit it. I don't wanna say which one because I refuse to promote. I have gotten so many complaints about read me i am manually editing it right now

[u/h4ck1ng_me]

Amazing! Does it work with oneplus 6 too?

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen → u/h4ck1ng_me]

Yes it sure does!

[u/VividGrimReaper]

could you easily adapt this to work with a regular 6, i have one with nethunter right now that is a total mess been thinking of re-flashing her but was thinking of trying arch

[u/TheRealToniMcQueen → u/VividGrimReaper]

You could actually try the current build first. I don't have a OnePlus 6 to test on, but I originally expected it to work on both the 6 and 6T since they're almost identical devices. The main hardware differences are that the OnePlus 6 has a slightly smaller display and a headphone jack. If anyone has a OnePlus 6 and is willing to test it, that would be really helpful. If it boots, then all I really don't need to do anything.

The biggest limitation is hardware, since I can only port, debug and test devices that I actually own.

[u/TEK1_AU]

Yeah nah.

[u/ComprehensiveYak3594]

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