LINux on MOBile - futureLINMOB.net is a blog about LINux on MOBile devices. With the PinePhone (Pro) and Librem 5 shipping it is back to report on GNU+Linux on mobile devices.Zola2022-09-03T08:52:00+00:00https://linmob.net/tags/future/feed.xmlRe-Evaluating Priorities2022-09-03T08:52:00+00:002022-09-03T08:52:00+00:00https://linmob.net/re-evaluating-priorities/<p>Did you notice that there's been a countdown on the recent <a href="https://linmob.net/categories/weekly-update/">Weekly Updates</a>? If so, this post may not really surprise you all that much. Please read it anyway :-)</p>
<span id="continue-reading"></span><h3 id="boredom-and-scarcity-of-time">Boredom and Scarcity of Time</h3>
<p>If you’ve been reading the Weekly Updates on this blog for a while, you may remember that I changed the name earlier this year, and tried to change things up a little, because I felt a bit bored and hoped that I would be able to change these regular posts into something that would feel more fun again and less of a chore.</p>
<p>I did not really manage to pull that off. In addition to that, the job change that temporarily coincided with the name change, has made my life a lot more busy, leaving less time and resources to doing fun stuff, to experiment with Linux phones and so on.</p>
<p>Thus, I not only felt increasingly bored by the task of collecting a link list, but also, the thought of “What else could I do with these three to four hours?” has become increasingly hard to shut down. Therefore, I pondered quitting after 128 weekly updates to the end of this year, which is the number the countdown is counting towards.</p>
<h3 id="current-events-and-the-near-future">Current Events and the Near Future</h3>
<p>Now, there’s been another development this week: A close family member who seemed to had recovered from a bad illness is sadly ill again. This changes things – it’s now not just about “Would this time better spent on LinuxPhoneApps.org/writing a how-to/doing $thing” it’s also “Well, I maybe should rather interact with/do something for this person”.</p>
<p>That’s not the only thing. With increased stress levels, I really need to reduce my social media use, as it simply does not make me feel better overall and also likely eats an uncomfortably large amount of time. This includes no longer trying to follow Reddit and some forums via feeds,<sup class="footnote-reference"><a href="#1">1</a></sup> and using less of Mastodon and Twitter. (I might even drop Twitter and Mastodon almost entirely, and try follow a handful relevant accounts via RSS.)</p>
<p>I am also tired of performing the same searches over and over on video platforms - I’ve considered finding some “turn search into feed” solution there too, but honestly, the way one video I included in the latest Update ruined a half a day for me, I am not sure if this is really a good idea.</p>
<h3 id="what-do-you-think">What Do You Think?</h3>
<p>Let’s assume I’ll do all that, is a Weekly Update still with dropping such a large number of sources still a feasible thing, that contains enough info to be worth it? I, personally, am not sure. Now, there’s are other options I thought about:</p>
<ul>
<li>How about putting a link to e.g., a hedgedoc document into the bottom of each Weekly Update and ask for contributions of links to noteworthy things? Would that work? Would you contribute?</li>
<li>Would you maybe even willing to join the effort and "do the chore" every once in a while?</li>
</ul>
<p>Please let me know, preferably via <a href="mailto:peter@linmob.net">email</a> or in the <a href="https://pad.hacc.space/5RNpcvFoSRqLYGO39A6Kag#">linked hedgedoc</a>, as I am writing this on the way to visit the aforementioned person and don't plan to be active on social media before Monday.</p>
<div class="footnote-definition" id="1"><sup class="footnote-definition-label">1</sup>
<p>If you're curious about what I am following, here's my current <a href="https://linmob.uber.space/feeds.opml">feeds.opml</a>.</p>
</div>
Will Linux Phones stay around this time?2021-05-01T16:00:00+00:002021-05-03T10:45:00+00:00https://linmob.net/will-linux-phones-stay-around-this-time/<p><em>While working through the old posts in order to adjust the front matter (and sometimes more), I thought: Will this last? Or will this go south soon, like it did around with previous projects again? A recent <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/pinephone/comments/myt08t/another_dead_end_or_finally_a_proper_linux_phone/">reddit post</a> reinforced this line of thought, so I decided to write down my thoughts on the issue.</em> </p>
<span id="continue-reading"></span><h3 id="the-past">The Past</h3>
<p>There are multiple ways to look at this. But let's start by making a short list of main reasons of failure per effort, starting with the companies involved:</p>
<ul>
<li>Openmoko: Financial issues,</li>
<li>Nokia (Maemo/Meego): Change in corporate strategy (new CEO),</li>
<li>HP (webOS): Change in corporate strategy (new CEO),</li>
<li>Mozilla (FirefoxOS): Change in "Corporate" strategy (shifting focus to IOT),</li>
<li>Canonical (Ubuntu Touch): Change in Corporate strategy (shifting focus to cloud and profitability).</li>
</ul>
<p>This is certainly too simple, and I do acknowledge that the actual story is much more complex in every case. Also, it's tough to compare the current players, PINE64 and Purism (and the large variety of community projects), to companies of the size of Nokia, HP or even Mozilla or Canonical. The comparison to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.de/Openmoko">Openmoko</a> is most likely the one that works best. </p>
<h4 id="openmoko-specifically">Openmoko, specifically</h4>
<p>Openmoko started in 2006 as a project in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_International_Computer">larger company</a> and was then spun-out. Their hardware was slightly dated for the time and thus aging badly (ARMv4, GPRS; Linux also ran on many devices originally running Windows Mobile at the time), and weaker than they had hoped. They developed their OS in the open but on their own (developers were employed), and had to redo it three times.<sup class="footnote-reference"><a href="#1">1</a></sup> They <a href="https://linmob.net/openmoko-plan-b-and-sean-moss-pultzs-talk-from/">could not afford to make their third phone</a>, which would have fixed many issues (3G, competitive SoC, ...) for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_crisis_of_2007%E2%80%932008">financial</a> reasons, and opted to make the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiReader">WikiReader</a> instead and then <a href="https://linmob.net/openmoko-announces-its-4th-product-shiftd/">slowly sizzled away</a> as a company.</p>
<p>The 2006 to 2009 time frame was a rough time to get started on the smartphone market: Both Apple and Google (as part of the <a href="http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/">Open Handset Alliance</a>) entered a thus very dynamic market at the time. 3G technology made mobile data actually worthwhile, the ARMv7 architecture added processing power and capacitive touch screens changed user interfaces forever.</p>
<h3 id="today">Today</h3>
<p>When we compare that to now, we have a quite different situation: The year over year improvement in smartphone technology is arguably decreasing and the market can be assumed saturated. </p>
<p>Unlike Openmoko, both PINE64 and Purism also produce other consumer electronics products that they sell, which leads to a more diversified business: They don't depend on their phones only.</p>
<h4 id="purism">Purism</h4>
<p>Purism do develop their own software in house, they are taking a clever, minimalist, community-enabling approach which is working quite well. Taking as much as possible from and working with upstream projects and developing the little things they need to do:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/libhandy/">libhandy</a> (as a library to make GTK apps mobile friendly and convergent, now a <a href="https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libhandy/">GNOME project</a>),</li>
<li>a <a href="https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/phosh/">mobile shell</a>, <a href="https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/squeekboard">virtual keyboard</a>] and <a href="https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/calls">call</a> and <a href="https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/chatty">chat</a> apps,</li>
<li>hardware enablement of their Librem 5 device.</li>
</ul>
<p>Sadly, they aren't as good at shipping phones: They recently have announced <a href="https://puri.sm/posts/the-ball-and-supply-chain/">further delays and price increses</a>.<sup class="footnote-reference"><a href="#2">2</a></sup></p>
<h4 id="pine64">PINE64</h4>
<p>Fortunately, PINE64 has been better at shipping their PinePhone. Openmoko supposedly had 10,000 phones shipped in 2009, PINE64 have already shipped more than 3 times that amount. This is important, as it means that there's a relatively large community of both developers and users that actually have physical hardware to develop and use <a href="https://linmobapps.frama.io">Linux phone apps</a>.</p>
<p>Community is also where the software development with PINE64 lives, they produce devices for community software. This led to increased activity at community projects like <a href="https://www.plasma-mobile.org">Plasma Mobile</a> (previously <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE_Plasma_4#Plasma_Active">Plasma Active</a>) and many new little projects, like Sxmo and countless others. </p>
<h3 id="does-this-mean-we-are-safe">Does this mean we are "safe"?</h3>
<p>We can never be sure, but the situation is a lot better. There's momentum! We have hardware, and I have heard rumors of multiple upcoming Linux Phones for 2021, although I am not sure how many of these efforts will actually make it given the current component shortage.</p>
<p>Even if we were to remain limited in hardware to PinePhone and Librem 5, <a href="https://www.postmarketos.org">postmarketOS</a> and other efforts like <a href="https://droidian.org/">Droidian</a> are bringing all that newer Linux Phone software goodness to more devices.</p>
<p>Let's also not forget that projects like <a href="https://ubuntu-touch.io/">Ubuntu Touch</a> (picked up by <a href="https://ubports.com/">UBports</a> when Canonical had dropped it) and Jolla's <a href="https://sailfishos.org/">Sailfish OS</a> have been churning on all the time and seem to keep going.</p>
<p>What's needed though is that there's a good collaboration and care. Don't <a href="https://blog.brixit.nl/do-you-really-want-linux-phones/">burn</a> the developers out! Contribute in code, documentation, translation or just help other users whenever you can, if not be patient and try to get informed by watching videos or reading!
Remember: Screaming on social media is for toddlers! Offer feedback, but do it <em>constructively</em>.</p>
<p><em>We can only be safe if we build and grow this together!</em></p>
<h3 id="addendum-2021-05-03-discussions">Addendum 2021-05-03: Discussions</h3>
<p>This post almost went viral, check out or join the discussions on:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://fosstodon.org/@linmob/106160821358230907">Mastodon</a>,</li>
<li><a href="https://lemmy.ml/post/62435">Lemmy</a>,</li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/nixcraft/status/1388801589909999620">Twitter</a>,</li>
<li><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27010556">Hacker News</a>,</li>
<li><a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/n2ubdc/will_linux_phones_stay_around_this_time/">Reddit</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="footnote-definition" id="1"><sup class="footnote-definition-label">1</sup>
<p>For more Openmoko history, read <a href="https://www.vanille.de/blog/openmoko-10-years-after-mickeys-story/">these</a> <a href="http://laforge.gnumonks.org/blog/20170709-10years_openmoko/">posts</a> by former Openmoko engineers.</p>
</div>
<div class="footnote-definition" id="2"><sup class="footnote-definition-label">2</sup>
<p>With this further delay I feel even less confident recommending pre-ordering a Librem 5. You may get it for less money now (then later), and when you get it in 2022, further hardware enablement and general software development will hopefully have made the device fully viable as a daily driver—but it's risky, as the component shortage is going to be affecting all of their sources of income. You can also help Purism's effort by contributing to their <a href="https://puri.sm/fund-your-app/">Fund-Your-App challenge</a>.</p>
</div>
Open webOS2012-11-28T08:35:00+00:002012-11-28T08:35:00+00:00https://linmob.net/open-webos/<p><a href='http://m.webosnation.com/phoenixs-open-webos-android-project-gets-past-lock-screen'></a></p>
<p><em>The idea is good, but the world isn't ready yet.</em></p>
Random Thoughts on the future of LINMOB2012-06-26T21:23:00+00:002012-06-26T21:23:00+00:00https://linmob.net/random-thoughts-future/<p>It is one day before the announcement of a new Nexus Tablet, supposedly 7”, Tegra 3 and all—it's all over the internet, if you care. I didn't cover the last big trade shows at all, and over time I have had many devices in my hands which I didn't cover except maybe for mentioning them in a few tweets or lines (Nokia N900, LG Optimus Speed, Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pro, Lenovo A750, Jiayu G2).</p>
<p>Honestly, I even shot a few videos I never published, because they were simply not good enough to be published unedited—and I didn't prefer shooting it again last year for no reason—I am not that experienced at video handling, as I had to realize recently I can't even rip DVDs without messing it up—audio is never in sync. I hate my own laziness, however, there are simply more important things in my life that need to be done than writing down (or saying on video) what exactly I think about a certain phone screen, or why this app is better than the other one. It's not that work or private life steal the time of this blog, it's simply that I am bored of most of what's happening.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong: The mobile space has rarely been more dynamic in the past, not only talking of what one could call “spec sheet madness” (imagine someone would have told you in 2002 that there would be quad core phones with 2 Gigabytes of RAM in 2012). With Android dominant on smartphones, but not tablets and the soon to happen launch of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 with more interesting convertible devices which really come close to what I dreamt of 5 years ago (and which than seemed really unlikely to happen, imagine how poorly (in terms of performance) an ASUS PadFone would have been back then)), with Intel still trying to find a place in your trousers pocket (initial <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/14/3078078/orange-san-diego-intel-medfield-review">reviews of 1st gen Medfield phones like the Orange San Diego</a> haven't been overly positive, though mostly because the overall package is not great) and MIPS is trying to get a foot in the mobile markets, too.</p>
<p>Then there is digital reading, a topic that interests me really and has made my buy not only Apple's iPad 2 in last september, but recently a Barnes&Noble Nook Simple Touch, which—as you must know to understand that I as a german guy bought this US-Reader, runs Android 2.1 (Eclair) and thus is hackable to a certain extend. Display technology is not really going much forward right now—while AMOLED and LCDs have been getting better and better, delivering better pictures at higher resolutions (300ppi may be average in mid range smartphones in 2013), power saving reflective technologies optimized for sunlight reading like PixelQi and Qualcomms Mirasol technology have not been exactly successful yet.</p>
<p>Still, finding the time to even write stupid stuff like this post will continue to happen only on rare occasions. So don't expect anything of this blog in the near foreseeable future. I may post something, but more likely, I will not._</p>
Tizen will use Enlightenment Foundation Libraries2011-11-03T06:12:00+00:002011-11-03T06:12:00+00:00https://linmob.net/tizen-will-use-enlightenment-foundation-libraries/<blockquote>A big part of Tizen will be to have a framework and the corresponding SDK to support HTML5-WAC applications. Native applications development should also be supported through the usage of the EFL (Enlightenment Foundation Libraries—<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_Foundation_Libraries">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_Foundation_Libraries</a>) with the SDK. So we could suppose that the reference UI of the system will also be based on the EFL.</blockquote>
<p class="attribution"><a href="http://lists.meego.com/pipermail/meego-dev/2011-October/484354.html">Florent Viard on the MeeGo Mailing List</a>
<p>Of course this all pretty unconfirmed, but still, if you have ever seen what a performance EFL delivers on rather poor hardware (I am talking of the Openmoko FreeRunner here, of experiences I made years ago, so it has likely matured since thanks to Samsungs founding), this sounds promising. BTW, there will be a Tizen event in China in early December, so we may be knowing more soon.</p>
2010. What to expect?2009-12-29T17:59:00+00:002009-12-29T17:59:00+00:00https://linmob.net/2010-what-to-expect/<p>2010 is approaching pretty fast and it will be another interesting year for mobile devices, we will know that for sure after CES.</p>
<p>Why? First of all, the financial crisis did not really affect the sales of mobile devices, the industry sold lots of smartphones, netbooks and notebooks—and this will go on, thanks to innovation on both sides, hardware and software.</p>
<p>Let's talk about hardware first—several devices have been rumored or even announced, and besides this, there are some trends. In terms of computing power, we will see more and more smartphones with Cortex A8/A9 SoCs (Snapdragon (2), OMAP 3/4, Tegra 2), running at clockspeeds up to one gigahertz or even more—an example device we already know is the Google Nexus One, which will be sold by Google, supported by HTC and use the T-Mobile network—in the US, at least—I am not sure, if (or when) it will be available in Europe or Asia as well, but as it is supposed to be launched in early january, we won' t have to wait for too long—as Google Voice is US only currently, I do not expect it to come to europe too soon.</p>
<p>Besides these fast ARM based SoCs that impress with their speed for applications like web browsing and will be built into Smartphones, PMPs, MIDs, slates/tablets and Netbooks (“Smartbooks”), there will more devices using SoCs that are slower on applications, but have decent video (1080p) capabilities—like the nVidia Tegra or the Telechips TCC8900, which will sell at cheaper price points than those that deliver more speed—let's hope that these Tegra1 and TCC8900 devices will vanish in the second half of 2010 (at least in terms of market entrys). Basically I expect devices that are (HD) video focussed, and others that are not (but are faster on other fronts)—those that do not aim at multimedia will likely run on Intels new Pinetrail platform, which does not allow high resolutions or digital video outputs—if you want Intel only (there will be video accelerators for Pinetrail by Broadcom and nVidia (Ion2)) and HD Video, you will have to get a Moorestown or CULV (e.g. based on the new Calpella platform) powered device. Actually Pinetrails graphics weakness might help VIA a little bit, maybe we will (finally) see some VX855+Nano (3000) powered netbooks/subnotebooks on western markets.</p>
<p>On the software side there are some big unknowns, especially concerning the ARM space: Will Android be used on slates/tablets, or rather other solutions? Will Jolicloud make its way to netbooks? What about Windows CE and Windows Mobile 7? </p>
<p>What is likely is that we will see some subsidized solutions offering special services up to netbooks—we will see netbooks with GPS, and we hear that e.g. ASUS is therefore partnering with RIM and Garmin to offer push e-mail and navigation on their ARM powered netbook devices—and as “Pine Trail” is even more power efficent than the previous “Diamondville” platform, we can expect similar things for the Intel powered part of the mobile device market, where Moblin will be finally ready to ship.</p>
<p><em>(More after CES.)</em></p>