this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024
15 points (100.0% liked)

Linux Phones

5015 readers
2 users here now

Community about running GNU/Linux on phones. Projects like Ubuntu Touch, Plasma Mobile, PostmarketOS, Mobian etc. Either on former Android phones or hardware like the PinePhone.

See also:

Related chats:

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

It looks like ubuntu touch on the fairphone 4 is nearly perfect, and the features that don't work I won't miss. I'm very tempted to buy a second hand fairphone 4, but I can't really find much on the experience of ubuntu touch. How do you install apps? Are there repo's that I can look at? And is it just branded ubuntu touch, or will any ubuntu apps made for arm work on ubuntu touch? If anybody has some links or personal experiences they could share, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot in advance!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Does it get the same security updates then? Docs state it supports older hardware, which if secure that would be awesome

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Sort of, but no. Ubuntu Touch uses libhybris to run the original Android kernel and device drivers. It's a bit more complicated than that, but basically it is Android with a more Gnu/Linux like layer on top. This means you can run it on older hardware and the top-layer still gets some security updates, but for the most part you are stuck on the old Android parts with all the security issues.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Rough. Thanks for the info

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Of course. Many devices are mainlined and get the exact same updates as PCs.