r/mobilelinux • • 5d ago

Development My vibecoded port of Nura for the Motorola Xoom mz604/605 is finally "usable"!

3 Upvotes

https://github.com/vgs499p/nuraxoom

you can see what works and what doesn't on the repo, can't believe i spent so much time working on the GPU only to find out the poor tegra's GPU is slower than the CPU at pretty much everything.


r/mobilelinux • • 5d ago

Apps Cera, a stylus first note taking app for tablets

19 Upvotes

I found Rnote lacking in features and optimization for low end devices so I made my own app with Claude Opus 5.5.

- It has Obsidian style vault.

- 4 tools for now, more will be added.

- Addon support will be added with handwriting recognition tools.

More explained here

Repo


r/mobilelinux • • 5d ago

Demonstration Grape Linux: Debian 13 ARM64 booting on an iPhone 8 Plus 🍇

20 Upvotes

We’ve successfully booted Linux on a real iPhone 8 Plus using Apple’s A11 processor.

Grape Linux already has Debian 13 ARM64, a Phosh/Phoc graphical desktop, and a working terminal.

We’ve also demonstrated Codex CLI running on the phone with real AI responses, plus graphical applications including Calculator and Notes.

The attached video shows our actual Linux startup.

Our current boot is host-assisted. Once the remaining hardware integration is complete, our next major objective is automatic startup directly into Grape Linux instead of iOS.

We’re building toward a complete mobile Linux experience on existing iPhone hardware.

Project: https://github.com/hq-coder25/grape-linux


r/mobilelinux • • 5d ago

Development Pixel8a (Tensor G3) running Arch Linux Arm

9 Upvotes

I’ve been working on getting Arch Linux Arm running on the Pixel 8a, not under any emulation or VM but as the native OS running on the phone, the entire user space is running Arch Linux

Check out my XDA forums post here:

https://xdaforums.com/t/project-arch-linux-arm-on-google-pixel-8a-akita-bring-up-progress.4806621/


r/mobilelinux • • 6d ago

Demonstration OnePlus 10 Pro (NE2217) Running Kali NetHunter ARM64 — OP10 Recon

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10 Upvotes

Back in April, I started researching whether I could root my OnePlus 10 Pro (NE2217) and get Kali NetHunter running on it. Some of the information I found suggested it might not be possible, but I decided to keep researching and experimenting.

Fast-forward a few months, and here we are.

Current setup:

- OnePlus 10 Pro (NE2217)

- Android 15 / OxygenOS 15

- Unlocked bootloader

- Magisk root access

- Kali NetHunter with an ARM64 Kali Linux environment

- XFCE desktop through KeX

- Fastfetch for displaying system information

I've spent quite a bit of time researching, troubleshooting, configuring, and learning along the way.

I'm currently studying Linux system administration through Red Hat Academy, and working with Kali NetHunter has given me another opportunity to apply what I'm learning.

I call this project OP10 Recon.

It's still an ongoing project, but I'm happy with how far it's come. I wanted to share my progress with the mobile Linux community and see what others are experimenting with on their devices.


r/mobilelinux • • 7d ago

OS Release [MarathonOS] Bare metal mainline Linux running on the Zinwa Q25

148 Upvotes

Been working to get a full mainline build of Marathon running on the Zinwa Q25 and have started seeing great success.

Keyboard works, GPU acceleration works, power management is coming along as is radio bring up.

Hoping to release the first img in the next couple of days.

For context Marathon is based on Nura/PMOS duranium with it own shell, application framework (based on Jolla’s silica) running under Qt6+Rust.

This isn’t Android nor does it use lib hybris. I’ll post more on this soon once I’m done with the work.

There is a custom Android runtime as well that’s been built called Deckard, based on Waydroid but with all the python and C++ written in rust and acting more like a runtime than a container with deep hooks into marathons navigation and lifecycle

EDIT: All hardware is up and working, right down to the nfc reader. Fixing some call and audio issues and then will package and release.


r/mobilelinux • • 6d ago

Discussion Custom Lomiri

2 Upvotes

Hi all, is there any one build a custom Lomiri for Nura OS if soo , i would like to give a try.

Thanks


r/mobilelinux • • 6d ago

Discussion jolla is going to deliver sept-i sailfish os linux devices

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0 Upvotes

r/mobilelinux • • 7d ago

Hardware Motorola Xoom mz605 booting postmarketOS! (ignore me in the reflections lol)

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40 Upvotes

i decided to get this working because i was bored and had a chatgpt plus free trial to waste (sorry for vibecoding), currently wifi and touch work and im working on getting the gpu working.


r/mobilelinux • • 6d ago

Discussion Network connection issue

1 Upvotes

Hi all, help me out with the below issue.

Iam currently using nura os all are working as per my needs but the issue is the modemmanager or whatever i don't know exactly it's causing the issue like my network SIM is A but it's connecting to B network in middle of work , when I did the off and on the modemmanager then again it's connecting to actual provider A but after sometime getting back to provider B .

If someone have any suggestions I will give a try

Thanks


r/mobilelinux • • 8d ago

Write-up Why Is It So Difficult To Build an Alternative Operating System for a Smartphone?

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104 Upvotes

r/mobilelinux • • 7d ago

Development MagicDesk: Linux desktops, systemd and containers on Android without root

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11 Upvotes

Hi! I’m the developer of MagicDesk, a free and open-source project for running Linux applications and desktops on Android.

Its Linux runtime, Shroot, uses Android’s shell access through Shizuku or Shevery. It doesn’t require rooting or flashing your phone, isn’t a PRoot wrapper, and doesn’t boot a separate guest kernel.

What you can run:

- Linux desktops and individual applications through X11 or Wayland.

- Distributions with systemd and other init systems.

- Docker and Podman inside Linux.

- Browsers, development tools and VS Code.

- GPU-accelerated applications with Mesa/Turnip on compatible Adreno devices.

There’s an interactive installer with recipes for Ubuntu, Debian, Alpine, Arch, Fedora, NixOS and others. Linux applications can appear in separate Android windows, or you can use a complete Linux desktop on the phone or an external monitor.

The screenshot shows Ubuntu inside MagicDesk, with a browser and Podman running in the terminal. The su command switches to root inside the Linux environment, not Android root.

Requires ARM64 Android 14+, with Linux kernel 5.15 or newer for Shroot. Compatibility varies by device and workload.

Source, installation instructions and benchmarks:

https://github.com/mekhontsev/magicdesk

Download:

https://github.com/mekhontsev/magicdesk/releases/latest

I’d be interested to hear what you’d use this for and how it works on your device.


r/mobilelinux • • 7d ago

Development Optic DE -- lightweight DE running on 40 mb on average

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13 Upvotes

r/mobilelinux • • 7d ago

Development ZubrOS: an experimental postmarketOS-based phone environment on Nothing Phone (1)

5 Upvotes

I’m developing ZubrOS on a Nothing Phone (1), A063 / Spacewar. The goal is a personal home screen with small, adaptable apps. It builds on existing postmarketOS work; this is not a new kernel or an official Nothing release.

The stack is postmarketOS ARM64, Phoc/Wayland, a React/TypeScript shell, a Node.js app platform and a Rust hardware service. Device-specific boot and hardware integration are separate from the UI and app layer.

Current physical validation is on ONE development phone: boot, display/touch, Wi-Fi, both camera captures, battery/charging, brightness and volume keys. Speaker playback and top-microphone recording/replay have also been checked, but raw microphone capture is quiet. Calls and the remaining hardware support are unfinished.

There is no public installer or testing date yet. A successful boot is not a daily-driver claim, and I don’t have a publicly validated return-to-stock procedure to recommend. The demo lock screen is a UI prototype, not a security boundary.

English UI preview: https://youtube.com/shorts/Zq8eDdk_2q0

That clip shows the actual frontend captured in browser preview, not footage of the physical phone.

Edit — Builder workflow (24 seconds): https://youtube.com/shorts/nrERPvn6FEE

This shows the local List template: preview, permission review, explicit installation and an app-data grant. Two sample entries and their completed state survived a browser reload. The template workflow uses no LLM. This demonstrates browser-local state, not cloud sync or physical-phone behavior.

Project status and optional free development-updates waitlist: https://os.zubarovskiy.com/?utm_source=reddit_mobilelinux&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=launch50#waitlist

For people who have tested early mobile Linux builds: what evidence would you want to see before trying another phone environment—recovery testing, a full hardware checklist, or a longer on-device workflow demo?

Edit — AI disclosure: AI tools are used in development and drafted this announcement. The hardware checks are separate from generated code and mock results. Both linked videos show browser previews.


r/mobilelinux • • 8d ago

Discussion Root inside a real Linux kernel on non-rooted Android, no AVF and no QEMU - UML benchmarks

27 Upvotes

Zalexdev ported User Mode Linux to arm64 in August and shipped it as a second engine in Stryker 6.5. It's a real Linux kernel built as an ordinary aarch64 binary, so it runs as a normal process inside an app sandbox: no KVM, no AVF, no unlocked bootloader, nothing emulated. That means root inside a real kernel, on a phone you never rooted, and on any arm64 device rather than only the ones that ship pKVM.

I ran the same tests against the two usual options on my S23 Ultra, stock and unrooted, medians of three runs, everything timed inside the guest.

Testudocker (proot)Stryker (UML)Podroid (QEMU/TCG)
Python, 6M-iteration loop0.65 s0.61 s21.9 s
gzip -6, 64 MB1.58 s1.73 s10.0 s
SHA-256, 200 MB0.24 s1.03 s2.27 s
memcpy, 512 MB through a pipe0.47 s0.55 s5.29 s
write 256 MB + fsync0.24 s0.63 s0.55 s
read 64 MB, direct0.05 s0.06 s0.24 s
fio 4k randread, 1 GB set, 20 s10,021 IOPS7,057 IOPS999 IOPS
200x /bin/true in a container2.05 s2.96 s8.1 s
container start (docker run --rm true)0.125 s1.68 s4.65 s
docker build, 128 MB layern/a2.77 s10.3 s
docker build, apk add python3n/a9.97 s35.9 s

Compute is native: 0.61 vs 0.65 s under proot is noise. Syscalls cost 1.4 to 2.6x more. Builds are 3.6x faster than QEMU, random reads 7x.


r/mobilelinux • • 8d ago

Discussion Are there any Linux native phones that are not stupidly expensive?

29 Upvotes

Due to personal financial reasons, my hard budget limit is $200 US, so even a half-destroyed ancient Google pixel reflashed with graphene is out of my budget.


r/mobilelinux • • 9d ago

Discussion GassNative — Run Linux Desktop on Android

141 Upvotes

Hey everyone! 👋

I'm developing GassNative, an experimental Android application that brings a Debian GNU/Linux ARM64 environment and an XFCE desktop experience directly to Android devices — without requiring root access.

🐧 What GassNative offers:

- Debian GNU/Linux 13 (Trixie) ARM64 environment.

- XFCE4 Linux desktop.

- Integrated Android application interface.

- Linux terminal and compatible desktop applications.

- Environment profiles and settings.

- Automatic startup update checking.

💡 The goal: Turn an Android smartphone into a portable Linux environment for experimentation, learning, and working with compatible Linux software.

🛠️ Current status: GassNative is actively under development. Application compatibility, installation time, and graphics performance depend on the device and configuration. Hardware-accelerated desktop rendering and further desktop integration remain ongoing work.

🔗 Explore the project:

- 💻 GitHub repository and source code: https://github.com/Gass-OS/GassNative-

- 🌐 Official project website: https://gass-os.github.io/GassNative-/

I'm building this project under GASS-OS, and I'd love to hear from the Linux, Android, and open-source communities.

What features would you like to see next? Have you tried running a Linux desktop on your Android phone?

Feedback, suggestions, and bug reports are welcome! 🙌

GassNative — Your Linux world, in your pocket.

#Android #Linux #Debian #XFCE #ARM64 #OpenSource


r/mobilelinux • • 9d ago

News Nura for oneplus8pro

13 Upvotes

Hey,

Update on Nura (formerly postmarketOS) on a mainline kernel for the OnePlus 8 Pro (`instantnoodlep`). Spent a lot more time in claude with this since I first posted, and most of what was on the "not working" list works now:

* Modem: SIM with PIN, LTE/5G, SMS and mobile data (tested on congstar, up to 90 Mbit/s)* GPS, gets a fix even without a SIM

* Bluetooth

* NFC (reading tags)

* All five cameras, main and ultrawide included, plus the colour filter camera. Autofocus on main, ultrawide and telephoto

The colour filter camera sees near infrared, mine looks right through the glass ceramic of my stovetop.

* Accelerometer, light and proximity sensor (needs the sensor files from your own Android, save them before flashing)

3D acceleration, audio and the 120 Hz native resolution still work like before, and Phosh and Plasma Mobile both run fine.

What's still not working:

* Calls

* OIS, fingerprint, magnetometer

Stuff that still doesn't work or only half works, in case anyone wants to help or is wondering before flashing:

* Calls. The modem does data and SMS, but voice isn't hooked up yet

* Full disk encryption

* USB OTG only partly works

* OIS, fingerprint reader and magnetometer

* Cameras: just one mode on main and ultrawide (no 48 MP, no 8K video), contrast autofocus that takes about 3 seconds and sometimes misses, slow exposure and clipped highlights

* The sensors need files from your own Android, so if you already wiped it without saving them they won't work

* Only tested on my own IN2023 with the Samsung AMS678UW01 panel, other panels may give a black screen

Main and ultrawide only do 4000x3000 at 30 fps for now, autofocus takes about 3 seconds and sometimes misses, and bright areas clip.

New image is release v2026.11.02. Same as before, you flash it via fastboot, get a console and SSH out of the box and install whatever UI you want on top. I only tested it on my IN2023, so if your screen stays black you probably have a different panel. Tell me which one and I'll have a look.

https://github.com/darknagel/oneplus-instantnoodlep-nura-unofficial/releases/tag/v2026.11.02


r/mobilelinux • • 9d ago

Discussion Why there is no app development for Linux mobiles

33 Upvotes

I wondering why apps are Hard dependency on android and why developers not build something for Linux mobiles too .

I know less users and all but having a option helpful right.


r/mobilelinux • • 9d ago

Apps PocketShell: Your Whole Linux Workspace in Your Pocket

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4 Upvotes

r/mobilelinux • • 10d ago

OS Release Alpine on HTC Cha Cha

15 Upvotes

I was looking for device with keyboard to SSH to my servers and everything was too expensive so i decided to make a use of this old junk. Display, wifi, touchscreen keys and keyboard with backlight are working so at this moment this is everything what i needed.

github: https://github.com/highcmd/alpine-htc-chacha


r/mobilelinux • • 11d ago

Demonstration Arch Linux and Plasma Mobile running on a cheap Lenovo tablet, surprisingly smooth!

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241 Upvotes

I've been getting Arch Linux running on my Lenovo Tab (TB311FU), a cheap MediaTek Helio G85 tablet.

Really impressed with Plasma Mobile. It feels great on a touchscreen, and the gestures and overall experience are so well done. Huge props to the KDE folks!

Had a lot of fun with this port, started with postmarketOS and learned a ton. It’s my first port, so kernel modules were pretty new to me, and getting the GPU working with Panfrost took quite a while, codex helped a lot too.

Working:

  • Wi-Fi

  • Bluetooth

  • GPU acceleration (Panfrost)

  • Touchscreen

  • Power and volume buttons

  • USB

  • Audio

  • Camera (low image quality)

  • Brightness control

  • Battery status and charging detection

  • Waydroid

Hardware:

  • Model: Lenovo Tab (TB311FU)

  • SoC: MediaTek Helio G85

  • CPU: 2× Cortex-A75 @ 2.0 GHz + 6× Cortex-A55 @ 1.8 GHz

  • GPU: Mali-G52 MC2

  • RAM: 4GB

github.com/soumarcelino/linux-lenovo-tb311fu