The end of the year in Linux Phones, let's have a last LinBits: A new Maui Shell for phones and tablets, postmarketOS v21.12, Mobian on the PinePhone Pro, GTK 4.6.0, an app-list replacement prototype and more!

Software releases

  • Maui Shell, see more below: Text and video.
  • Biktorgj’s open-source modem firmware 0.5.0 has been released. fixing some more things.
  • postmarketOS have released their next stable release, v21.12. This is based on Alpine 3.15, delivering Sxmo 1.6, Plasma Mobile Gear 21.12 and Phosh 0.14.0 among other updated packages. Also, TTYescape has been added, which is basically a way to fix things on TTY when your GUI should fail without using SSH or a hardware keyboard. Device support has improved, 9 new devices (5 Snapdragon 410 powered ones) have been added. Sadly, the good old Nokia N900 (2009) was dropped, but that’s just what happens when nobody steps up. If you want to hold on to your N900, Maemo Leste still support it. If you have not used postmarketOS in a while (or ever) and have a compatible device, this release might be a good time – stable is less prone to breakages, and with service packs you still get new software every then and now.
  • GTK 4.6.0, a new major GTK 4 release, is out! More dust settling as GNOME 42 is nearing!

Worth noting

Worth reading

Software Progress

Distro Progress

Call for Testing

Maui Shell

Backups: Something one should always do, and if not, now

Hardware corner

Other roundups

Off topic

Worth listening

Worth watching

PinePhone Emulation Gaming

Maui Shell Demo Videos

Ubuntu Touch

Shorts

Shorts

Thank you!

Thank you for following these updates in 2021, and for all the kind feedback. This is the last update to carry the LinBits name, fear not, these posts are going to continue, just under a different name, without numbering. To celebrate the new name, I’ll most likely take next week off – I do need a break. But don't worry, this roundups are going to be continued.

Stuff I did

Random

LINMOBapps and Linux Phone Apps

Aside from the website-building above, this week two apps were added:

  • Messenger-GTK, an (awesome) example GUI application for the GNUnet Messenger service using libgnunetchat, and
  • Flowtime, a productivity timer app, similar to pomodoro timers.

There's plenty back log to still work through, but I guess I better take it easy.

Read here what (else) happened on LINMOBapps this week. And please do contribute!