Could A New Linux Base For Tablets/Smartphones Succeed In 2017?

[bemerk]

Android is based on linux already and the differences are being worked out.
I think we do not need a third player in this mobile OS field.
Android needs to open up and force the hardware manufacturers to do the same.
You can choose between AOSP and the Google Services already and either pay or get your apps from a free opensource store like f-droid.
If ambitious coders and Google work together on the base system it would benefit all.

[bug77]

In a limited sense that is true, but practically it's wrong. There are so many drivers being developed without the manufacturers support. Qualcomm is a perfect example, they are actively hostile to open source development, but regardless of that a good proportion of their hardware works surprisingly well with open source drivers. Although, I personally don't like Mediatek, the same thing is true for the majority of their hardware too.

I say screw them, they may not want you to use open source drivers, but there is nothing that can stop you from doing so.

So many drivers? You must be thinking CPUs and GPUs only.
Show me "so many drivers" for integrated cameras, touch sensors, NFC, modems you find in a modern smartphone. Even Google was forced to end support for Nexus devices a couple of times when manufacturers flat out refused to provide drivers for newer Android iterations.
On top of that, if you wait for open source support, you'll only be supporting hardware that's at least a year old.

[duby229]

So many drivers? You must be thinking CPUs and GPUs only.
Show me "so many drivers" for integrated cameras, touch sensors, NFC, modems you find in a modern smartphone. Even Google was forced to end support for Nexus devices a couple of times when manufacturers flat out refused to provide drivers for newer Android iterations.
On top of that, if you wait for open source support, you'll only be supporting hardware that's at least a year old.

It's not that bad, don't forget about libhybris for those circumstances that you need it. It actually works. And like I said it's getting better almost day by day.

[sverris]

Android is based on linux already and the differences are being worked out.
I think we do not need a third player in this mobile OS field.
Android needs to open up and force the hardware manufacturers to do the same.
You can choose between AOSP and the Google Services already and either pay or get your apps from a free opensource store like f-droid.
If ambitious coders and Google work together on the base system it would benefit all.

I can run a very recent Linux-distro on a 15 year old PC. Show me a very recent Android-version running on a rather old phone... Google does not care, believe me...

[chimpy]

What about Samsung? I know they don't make their own GPU, but we've seen their soc in Chromebooks and on the odroid-ux4 and they are somewhat opensource friendly

[starshipeleven]

That's true only because a version controlled runtime hasn't already been made standard. Somebody is going to have to bootstrap the process. That starts by version controlling a runtime and then getting developers to standardize on it.

Sounds like a task for our saviour Lennart.
Are you ready for "runtimed" to hit your favourite distro?

Only on Systemd-enabled Linux, of course. Non-Systemd Linuxes and BSDs will have an even harder time to deal with the new Linux application standard, FreeBSD will make yet another compatibility layer.

(I'm kidding, but this is to show that any such activity will be met with massive flaming and hate and all that)

[starshipeleven]

So many drivers? You must be thinking CPUs and GPUs only.
Show me "so many drivers" for integrated cameras, touch sensors, NFC, modems you find in a modern smartphone. Even Google was forced to end support for Nexus devices a couple of times when manufacturers flat out refused to provide drivers for newer Android iterations.

Something I always wondered about is why they can't they keep using the same kernel and just keep updating the userspace on top.

I mean ok something may not be easily updated, but block everything?

[jukk]

You can install Linux, any distro, on an x86 PC. When you can do the same on "smartphone" hardware, everything is solved. Qualcomm (and other) have to be forced to upstream their kernel drivers and stop this ridiculous behavior. You should be able to upgrade the kernel on any phone to the latest vanilla version. When this happens, you can have any mobile distro you want.

[duby229]

Sounds like a task for our saviour Lennart.
Are you ready for "runtimed" to hit your favourite distro?

Only on Systemd-enabled Linux, of course. Non-Systemd Linuxes and BSDs will have an even harder time to deal with the new Linux application standard, FreeBSD will make yet another compatibility layer.

(I'm kidding, but this is to show that any such activity will be met with massive flaming and hate and all that)

If it was LP I'd probably be the first one. Let's face the facts here, most of the code enveloped with systemd actually in fact not only deserve, but -need-, their own specialized project. A standardized runtime would be one of them, another one is logind, another one is udev, etc, etc......

[Guest]

I don't know about competing with Android/iOS - but we could make it as popular as Linux distribution for sure.

1. Forget usual tablets/smartphones - trying to get desktop Linux working with libhybris and other workarounds is a waste of time. That should come later. Either get actual drivers that work with the current DRM infrastructure, or use properly supported hardware like Intel Baytrail/Cherrytrail tablets, and hardware with AMD GPU. Adreno with Freedreno is a possibility, and anything powered by VC4 GPU (since you have proper support there). Otherwise Intel/AMD hardware is the least painful path.

2. Need to develop actual touchscreen apps - Gnome Maps, Geary and 1-2 games were the only ones I knew of that had some kind of touchscreen support. Need to build touchscreen interfaces for existing apps.