9 mo. ago • 98%

A Talk at FOSDEM 2024: 'The Linux Phone App Ecosystem'

linuxphoneapps.org A Talk at FOSDEM 2024: 'The Linux Phone App Ecosystem'

A blog post about FOSDEM 2024's 'The Linux Phone Apps Ecosystem' talk

25 comments

I want a Linux phone but the only ones I know are old tech and not for primetime yet. Any suggestions?

15
- Fairphone 4 has very good Ubuntu touch support.
  
  Not the cheapest or the most recent, but at least it's something
  
  https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/fp4
  
  6
  
  Nice, I didn't know it was this far ahead, I always had the impression that calling didn't work. Maybe that is postmarketOS for FP4? I'd be interested to see if it could work as a daily driver for me. That said, I am pretty happy running CalyxOS on it now.
  
  5
- @800XL I can suggest Pixel 3a/3a XL, it works very well with Ubuntu Touch. Unfortunately, there is not so much apps yet for Ubuntu Touch just because you can't simply install any app like on regular Linux distro - it either should be listed on OpenStore, or at Ubuntu's 20.04 APT repos (in this case, it's possible to install them via Libertine). Snaps/flatpaks is not supported yet.
  Ubuntu Touch itself is in a pretty good shape now. But the tradeoff is a lack of apps
  
  2
  
  can anyone recommend a linux phone that's not old tech
  
  Suggests 6 year old phone
  
  3
It's an important discussion to have. Gripping up the existing ecosystems and deciding on the principles and directions to take linux mobile forward with is a conversation that needs to happen.

14
I wonder if there would be a way to front load say ten bucks to a global store that then disperses funds monthly. So a user could do one "big" transfer then pay up to that for apps. Transaction cost would be more reasonable and then that org pays out to the devs via bank account linking.

7
- This sounds a lot like the Flattr model - a service that had its moment in 2010/2011, but ultimately failed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flattr
  
  Payments are a challenge, with processing fees and taxes in an international context, small sums don't work out well - there's a reason why services like Liberapay push you to do bigger amounts at one time instead of small amounts at multiple points in time.
  
  2
Ya know, the biggest thing stopping me from a Linux phone right now is the fact I use my phone for games that backup my save data using gøøg|e. As much as I hate it, I don't know if there are any sandbox apps that would allow me to play my mobile games like Project Sekai (I don't know whether it uses gøøg|e to back up my save or not, but I needed an example since I know most other games I play use different methods).

4
- This may seem odd, but from a person that has a two-digit amount of phones: You know that it's possible two own more than one phone at a time, e.g., a Linux Phone and a Game Phone? ;-)
  
  3
- You can copy the app data with adb to back up locally stored saves to your computer
  
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  Some day I'll have to get around to learning how to do that. Though, I'd have to look and see what games have locally stored saves. The only games I know have a locally stored save are the ones I use on JoiPlay. And PvZ Reflourished
  
  2
As soon as there is a full feature native signal App i would switch to Linux phone. axolotl or Android emulation didnt work for me :/

3
- Did you try Flare yet?
  
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  I thought its not a standalone signal App is it?
  
  1
- Hosting a Matrix server, with bridge to Signal would work. This could even work locally.
  
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  @smileyhead @John calls don't work through bridges - as long as you only want chats bridge works nicely
  
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