this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2025
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postmarketOS

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postmarketOS - a real Linux distribution for phones and other mobile devices ๐Ÿง ๐Ÿ“ฑ ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ’ป

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How to get started in postmarketOS?

The main website suggests "getting a second-hand SDM845 or MSM8916 device".

While I am fine with getting a second hand phone for this (as long as it doesn't cost as much as a new one) I see many devices with those chipsets that only partially work.

I am fully expecting this, but due to having been in the Android modding community in the past I know it is extremely common to abandon devices completely at random times. Since for this project I am willing to spend money on a dedicated device, I don't want to make a purchase I'll regret because they decided to move on to a newer device (or disappear from the internet completely).

I am not looking for a device with "perfect" support, as I feel like that would be useless. I want a device that works already well enough but that I can actually contribute with.

My own Poco X3 NFC seems good for this, but I don't think I want to commit my main smartphone yet. My older smartphone, the ASUS Zenfone 3 Laser, is completely unmentioned (but the base model is). Maybe I should simply use the latter and contribute by adding this extra device, or is it better to get something like a Google Pixel 3 or Motorola Moto G4 first?

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[โ€“] mlfh@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 day ago

It depends a lot on what you're looking to achieve with the phone, I think. If this is going to be your primary mobile device, you should choose something from their list of supported devices that has verified support for all of the conponents you need (wifi, gps, mobile data, sms, calls, etc), otherwise it's just going to be a pain to live with. I tried running a nokia N900 with postmarket as my daily for a month back in 2020, and while it was very cool, the quality of life was so so low.

If this is just going to be a fun project to tinker with, though, and you feel comfortable hacking and contributing to the project, you can dive in anywhere.

[โ€“] oleksii@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

I tried Google Pixel 3 It works, but hardware is really weak and especially battery.

PMOS doesn't manage energy compensation well. I have two FP 5 (Stock Android and PMOS) can't tell the difference but it noticeable more energy consumption on PMOS side.

I'm really happy with FP 5, but sound doesn't work. Need to use headphones.

Is PinePhone an option for you or do you want to contribute, not just use the OS?