Weekly GNU-like Mobile Linux Update (2/2025): A Comet about to hit
Table of Contents
Fun new hardware hits crowdfunding platforms, the first Ubuntu Touch Q&A and Sailfish OS Community News roundup of the year, a new FuriOS update, a PINE64 Community Update, and postmarketOS adds systemd for real now! Enjoy!
Commentary in italics.
Worth Reading
- Tobias Bernard: Re-Decentralizing Development
- Breaking updates in pmOS edge: systemd has been merged into edge
- FuriLabs: Update 13.0.6
- PINE64: January Update: Thinking Out Of The Vox. _Nothing new regarding phones, but if you like eInk, you may still enjoy reading it ;-) _
Hardware
- Liliputing: Mecha Comet is a modular Linux handheld coming soon to Kickstarter for $159. iMX8M Mini, familiar camera hardware, different hardware addons, ... sadly, the square display may not work too well with our current app ecosystem. According to Charbax's video (linked below), the Kickstarter will launch in March.
- Website: Mecha Comet - Modular Linux Handheld Computer powered by Open-Source Software, mecha-comet-datasheet-15-sep.pdf, Quickstart | Mecha Documentation (work in progress), Github: Mecha. At first glance, this looks somewhat promising. Not necessarily for phone use, but still.
- Liliputing: Pilet hits Kickstarter for $200 and up: Portable modular computer powered by a Raspberry Pi 5. Available now, if you must!
Worth Watching
- UBports: Ubuntu Touch Q&A 156. Make sure to listen for 24.04 progress and some foreshadowing, might be worth to listen in to the next Q&A live :-) Don't watch it to the end if you don't want to see mean chat people being mean.
- M: Nested Sway operated from F(x)tec Pro1 running Droidian
- ENOU -_- [: 🍣🍣: how to install postmarketos on samsung galaxy s9 with heimdall
- orailnoor: Install ubuntu on any phone | Ubuntu touch installation 2025
- Marcin Mazur: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (GTA SA) on UBports(Ubuntu Touch) - OnePlus 6T 6GB/128GB - Waydroid. Waydroid waydroiding successfully!
Weird Hardware Special
- Mecha: Mecha Comet Teaser - YouTube
- GolemDE: Mecha Comet Linux Handheld (CES 2025) - YouTube
- Charbax: Mecha Comet Modular Linux Handheld at #ces2025, NXP i.MX8, NVMe, Debian, Open Source Extensions, GPU - YouTube
Worth Noting
- deadprogram: Track your own Bluetooth devices via Apple FindMy network in @golang @TinyGo with new project "Go Haystack". Based on OpenHaystack from @seemoo + many others. No Mac required! Use any hardware supported by TinyGo Bluetooth! Scan for devices from your computer! TinyScan hardware scanner!https://github.com/hybridgroup/go-haystack#golang #airtag #tinygo #findmy #bluetooth
- cas: haha so USB on Qualcomm platforms has been randomly glitchy basically forever because the USB power saving states (U1/U2) are just broken https://lore.kernel.org/all/20241231081115.3149850-1-quic_prashk@quicinc.com/
- pocopixels: "A few weeks ago, #Mobian on the #PocoF1received early-stage #camera support! The drivers still need some work to be up to "modern" standards, but till then they give a nice retro vibe...but in hi-res!"
- justsoup: Apple iPhone 6 running Linux 6.13 and postmarketOS.It's on.Special Thanks to @riscv64 for doing the work to make this possible. I just got it booting with pmOS.#iPhone #iOS #Apple #postmarketOS #Linux #MobileLinux #LinuxMobile
- Lemmy - linuxphones: Apple iPhone 6 running Linux 6.13 and PostmarketOS
Event foreshadowing
- cnxsoft: "FOSDEM 2025 schedule – Embedded, Open Hardware, RISC-V, Edge AI, and moreFOSDEM 2025 will take place on February 1-2 with over 8000 developers meeting in Brussels to discuss open-source software & hardware projects. The free-to-attend (and participate) “Free and Open Source Software Developers’ European Meeting” grows every year, and in 2025 there will be 968 speakers, 930 events, and…https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/01/07/fosdem-2025-schedule-embedded-open-hardware-risc-v-edge-ai-and-more/"
- tuxdevices: "I will present Mirror Hall for the first time at #FOSDEM next month [1], and wrote a guide on how to develop similar home-grown desktop streamer solutions last month [2].There's only a couple of weekends until then for small improvements to the app, so if you have any particular wishes let me know! 🪄1. https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-4527-mirror-hall-building-virtual-network-displays-to-bridge-mobile-and-desktop/2. https://notes.nokun.eu/post/2024-09-22-mirrorhall/"
More Software News
Distributions
- FuriLabs: Update 13.0.6
- Mobian (Mastodon): Mobian now officially supports the original PineTab (again, support was removed a few years ago)!Installation instructions (for those of you who still have an original PineTab) can be found here: https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/PINE64/PineTab
- Phoronix: Debian 12.9 Released With Various Security & Bug Fixes
- Breaking updates in pmOS edge: postmarketos-initramfs 3.7.0 requires manual action for pmOS installs from 2022 or older
- Breaking updates in pmOS edge: systemd has been merged into edge
- postmarketOS (Mastodon): The first postmarketOS edge images with systemd are now available, lots more are building as of writing!See the updated edge blog post for more information: https://postmarketos.org/edge/2025/01/09/systemd-soon/ Huge thanks to everybody who has been involved in making this possible!
- postmarketOS (Mastodon): if you're trying to use pmbootstrap and run into an issue because the systemd staging repo can't be found, doing the following will prevent it from attempting to fetch the (now missing) repo
$ pmbootstrap config mirrors.systemd none
Apps
- kop316: "For anyone interested, I just tagged 1.1 of geoclue-stumbler: https://gitlab.com/kop316/geoclue-stumbler/-/tags/1.1Two notable improvements:- You now can pick the @beacondb URL automatically when choosing a submission URL- There is an option (opt-in) that shows you the locations of queued submissions overlayed on the map. When you click on it, it will tell you how many cell towers and WiFi APs were found there, as well as the time the submission was made."
- anderslund: "#pumoku progress:* Lots of UI polishing* finishing screen improvements* hints and stats seems to appear at some point :p* Progress indication, in digit keys and global* Landscape orientation support (in progress)* Nice icon* ... and morePumoku is a #plasmamobile #sudoku app, for #linuxphones (and other mobile devices), not yet released but maybe in a not so distant future?"
- zwarf: #PicPlanner V0.5.2 is now on #Flathub.It is now using #Gnome runtime 47 and is now compatible with GTK 4.17. Sadly I have not enough time at the moment to improve or add any features.
- janvlug: Do you have a #Linux #phone and are you sometimes doing a #run, walk, or something like that?Then I highly recommend the #Jogger app.https://flathub.org/oc/apps/xyz.slothlife.JoggerI use it on my #Librem5.I'm curious to hear your experiences.#opensource #foss #mobilelinux #sport #workout
- okias: Schleswig-Holstein migration to #LibreOffice brings some good stuff to us: - Better touchscreen support #mobileLinux - More resources invested into LibreOffice upstream https://peertube.opencloud.lu/w/rUh7VLPkmkruarXHKeNGqG
- LinuxPhoneApps.org: Apps: High Tide
- LinuxPhoneApps.org: Apps: Refine
Gnome Ecosystem
- This Week in GNOME: #182 Updated Crypto
- Tobias Bernard: Re-Decentralizing Development
Phosh
- agx: [...] When that came up in #Wayland protocols I though that it could be nicely used to stop the video stream (while keeping audio going) in this little video player I care about (#livi). Thanks for the reminder, added now: https://gitlab.gnome.org/guidog/livi/-/merge_requests/61 .Super nice that it's wired through in #gtk already too and thus easy to use.#phosh
- agx: "@anchal We have a >2y old merge request sitting in git that wasn't moving and your post prompted the idea that we can simplify this a lot and just use a notification when we detect a portal and then open the browser when the user clicks on it. Thanks for that! (Ignore the fact that it opens phosh's home page in the video, that's just because I faked the Wi-Fi captive portal for testing in a nested session (that's also why FF won't fit 😃 ). Hopefully we can land this for 0.45.#phosh"
Plasma Ecosystem
- Nate Graham: This Week in Plasma: Final Plasma 6.3 Features
- Carl Schwan et al.: This Week in KDE Apps: Usability improvements, new features, and updated apps
- KDE Announcements: KDE Ships Frameworks 6.10.0
- KDE Announcements: KDE Gear 24.12.1
- KDE Announcements: KDE Plasma 6.3 Beta Release
- KDE Announcements: KDE Plasma 5.27.12, Bugfix Release for January
- KDE Release Team: Plasma Wayland Protocols 1.16.0
Sxmo
Sailfish OS
- Community News - Sailfish OS Forum: Sailfish Community News, 9th January 2025 - Mind2 update
Ubuntu Touch
- Ubuntu Touch Forums News: Ubuntu Touch Q&A 156 Call for Questions
- #UbuntuTouch: Call blocking on Ubuntu touch 🚫📞 I’ve created exPhone, a call-blocking app for Ubuntu Touch! It blocks unwanted calls (including “ex-” calls 😄). Built with libwatchfish, SQLite, and AI tools for the logo. Despite UX feedback, I’m proud of the journey! 🚀 Try it out & contribute if you can! #UbuntuTouch #AppDev #OpenSource #CallBlocking https://blog.mlich.cz/2025/01/call-blocking-on-ubuntu-touch/
- #UbuntuTouch: Finally got around to setting up #Navidrome, thanks for the inspiration from Mark, one of the host of https://linuxmatters.sh @wimpy @popeyUnfortunately, I fail to get #uSonic, #UbuntuTouch's subsonic client, up and running. I can see albums, songs, etc., but fail to actually play a song.For now, I use the #Navidrome web UI in Morph Browser which works like a charme.Even the kids in the house love our new and own online media collection. Bye bye #Spotify...
Maemo Leste
Kernel
- NekoCWD: I've sent my first patch series mainline. This patch fixed my cyttsp5 touchscreen on Huawei Mediapad T3 10 (huawei-agassi)https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-input/list/?series=923924#linux #mobilelinux
- phone-devel: Re: [PATCH] soc: qcom: pd_mapper: Add SM7225 compatible
- phone-devel: Re: (subset) [PATCH 0/5] Add EEPROMs found in the camera sensors on Fairphone 5
Non-Linux
Stack
- Phoronix: Enlightenment 0.27 Released For This 28 Year Old Window Manager / Compositor
- Phoronix: Servo Browser Engine Adds Dark Mode, Some XPath Support
- Phoronix: Google & Linux Foundation Launch "Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers" Fund. Cause GOOG and MSFT are sooo crazy poor
Matrix
- Matrix.org: This Week in Matrix 2025-01-10
- Matrix.org: Authentication changes on Matrix.org
- polycule: This year in < polycule >
Thanks
Huge thanks to Plata for the nifty set of Python scripts that speed up collecting links from feeds by a lot.
Something missing? Want to contribute?
If your project's cool story (or your awesome video or nifty blog post or ...) is missing and you don't want that to happen again, please just put it into the hedgedoc pad for the next one! Since I am collecting many things there, this get's you early access if you will ;-) If you just stumble on a thing, please put it in there too - all help is appreciated!