Table of contents
Long-Term Support
postmarketOS aims to provide a 10-year lifecycle for devices, extending the usability of hardware far beyond typical support windows.
Privacy and Security
Built on top of Alpine Linux, postmarketOS prioritizes security and privacy, reducing bloatware and potential vulnerabilities.
Open Source
As an open-source project, postmarketOS allows users and developers to inspect, modify, and improve the software according to their needs.
Wide Hardware Support
postmarketOS is designed to support a large variety of devices, increasing the chances of older or less common hardware being compatible.
Customization
The OS offers extensive customization options, allowing for a high degree of user and developer flexibility.
PostmarketOS is a good option for those who are technology enthusiasts and value privacy, transparency, and the sustainability of their devices. Its approach to device longevity and open-source principles make it a unique choice compared to mainstream operating systems. However, its applicability may be limited for those reliant on a more extensive app ecosystem or looking for a plug-and-play experience.
We have collected here some useful links to help you find out if postmarketOS is good.
Check the traffic stats of postmarketOS on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of postmarketOS on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of postmarketOS's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of postmarketOS on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about postmarketOS on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
- https://sailfishos.org - https://docs.sailfishos.org/Support/Supported_Devices They have few devices of their own (new one coming out this October) and they officially support many Sony Xperia devices. There are also many community ports. - https://ubuntu-touch.io - https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io They have 33 supported devices, some are being shipped directly with the OS or have an official agreement with the... - Source: Hacker News / 17 days ago
"an OS that behaves like a real computer that you can put on an old/cheap commodity phone": https://postmarketos.org/ "an app that creates a programmable environment layered over and isolated from the suffocating mobile OS": Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) on newer Android versions provides a hypervisor and a hardware-accelerated graphics (VirGL) for AVF virtual machines, allowing users to run an isolated... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
Https://postmarketos.org is working on developing a Linux distribution for mobile devices (including smartphones), aligned with these goals: free open source software, empowering users to control their own devices. I won't deny that a lot of application support still needs more work. But this is definitely moving in the right direction. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
Linux on Mobile has been progressing steadily in recent years, and is in a state suitable for very early adopters and tech enthusiasts. Definitely not for the general population IMHO. See: https://postmarketos.org/ FWIW, it's not just the EU that needs this urgently: most of humanity sorely needs a trustworthy mobile OS that's not designed against their interests. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
Postmarketos would probably be the next in line for consideration: https://postmarketos.org/ and then maybe ubuntu touch: https://www.ubuntu-touch.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
Https://postmarketos.org/ It's time to say goodbye. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
> We need a third alternative, based on freedom with your device. No root access, remote control by apple and google, all wrong. There is https://postmarketos.org/ Maybe 2026 will be the year of Linux on mobile phone. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
We need to focus on pmOS: https://postmarketos.org/ With both Android and Chromium, we're ultimately at Google's mercy. btw, does anyone know if Huawei is following along with this in their fork? - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
Hi. I have a Google Pixel 3a running PostmarketOS https://postmarketos.org/ and it holds up pretty well. My phone lost 20% today with light usage and will maybe lose 60% if I scroll social media a lot. I was actually surprised it is this good. I reinstalled recently and before the reinstall I had much worse battery life (Maybe 8 hours with normal usage). I think it was because of Syncthing running in the... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
Time to get serious about projects like https://postmarketos.org! We can continue to fork Android, but that doesn't help you forever. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
> Pushing Google to only offer Android on their own phones is not a win for consumers. How can you possibly know that? Traditionally, competition + standards for interoperability has been a big win for consumers. In a world without Google-android, maybe Samsung & Huawei get together and put in the polish to make https://postmarketos.org/ into a consumer-usable system? Maybe each fork LineageOS or KaiOS but... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
I'm with you on the sunsetting of ChromeOS, but I'd like to offer a counterpoint to your experience of the Duet. I've been using the newer Lenovo Duet 5 with PostmarketOS[0] (linux for ARM) as a daily driver for more than a year and it is almost always great (minus no functioning webcam, which is abysmal anyways)! [0] https://postmarketos.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
I guess it depends a bit on your definition of "phone" and "realistic". I have a pine64 phone I mean to revisit - probably with a version of https://postmarketos.org/ . I think we might get there unless fuchsia and google abandon the Linux kernel completely - for a more apple like lockdown - but I don't think we're there yet. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
The main OS supported by KDE Plasma Mobile is postmarketOS https://postmarketos.org/ So you have to have a phone that is supported by it ()or some other Linux distribution and then you can install it and run KDE Plasma Mobile More info is here https://plasma-mobile.org/get/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
The privacy setting on IOS is mostly somkes and mirrors as most data is still phoned home, somone made a blocklist of services that โphone homeโ weirdly often (alltough some I understand, others are there for unknow reason to me). (here is what apple claims each of those send/do ), telemetry is way too closely tied with apple walled garden to fully disable it without loosing funcionality. OEM versions of android... Source: over 2 years ago
I'm sure you did your research. I'm writing for other readers who are interested. There are a few alternatives, more can be found but this is a selection of the most prominent offerings. /e/OS: https://e.foundation/e-os/ GrapheneOS: https://grapheneos.org/ LineageOS: https://lineageos.org/ CalyxOS: https://calyxos.org/ PostmarketOS (based on Alpine Linux rather than Android): https://postmarketos.org/ (for some... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
Nobody else (that I saw) mentioned it, but PostmarketOS [0] has a decent number of (community) supported devices, is Free and more than a de-Googled Android distro - it's actually based on Alpine Linux. I've previously run it on my Pinephone Pro, but images are available for multiple Samsung handsets as well [1] [0] https://postmarketos.org/ [1] https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
You actually have 80% of the control of your phone after rooting it. The remaining 20% is due to kernel variation and not having all mainline features. Most Android distributions are tailor-made Linux kernel that is very old and is stitched by cherrypicking some mainline commits. If you want full control check out postmarketOS: https://postmarketos.org/. With the right hardware and software you can even run... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
For now, only information about Ubuntu Touch support is available on our website. We plan to extend that to PostmarketOS and NixOS. But which devices does Ubuntu Touch support? For example those:. Source: about 3 years ago
I think theyโre talking about postmarketOS, which is Alpine-based. Source: about 3 years ago
What state is the phone in? If it works and boots, you might be able to install postmarketOS for a Linux experience similar to a Raspberry Pi. Source: about 3 years ago
PostmarketOS is an ambitious project attempting to carve a niche within the crowded space of open-source mobile operating systems, vying to provide an alternative to the dominant Android ecosystem. Developed as an Alpine Linux-based OS, postmarketOS is designed to breathe new life into old mobile devices by offering a full Linux environment. Public sentiment around postmarketOS reveals a mixture of enthusiasm for its potential and acknowledgment of its current limitations.
Strengths and Opportunities:
One of postmarketOS's notable strengths is its foundation on Alpine Linux, which sets it apart from other Android-based custom ROMs like LineageOS or CalyxOS. This distinction contributes to a broader appeal for users and developers who seek a truly Linux-based mobile environment. The OS has garnered positive attention for its flexibility, allowing users to run Linux applications and potentially use mobile devices as Linux desktops. Reports of successful installations on devices like the PinePhone and even Lenovo's Duet, suggest a solid foundation for development.
The community around postmarketOS is another promising aspect. Enthusiasts highlight the projectโs potential as a serious contender in offering an open and customizable alternative to mainstream mobile operating systems. Discussions within popular forums indicate a strong interest in how postmarketOS could foster increased user autonomy, especially amidst growing concerns over the restrictive practices of larger tech companies like Google.
Challenges and Perceptions:
However, potential users are cautioned about the practicality of adopting postmarketOS for everyday use. The project is characterized as being in the early phases of development, with limited functionality compared to a typical smartphone OS. The lack of full hardware support, exemplified by issues such as non-functioning components on certain devices (e.g., webcams), often deters users seeking a seamless experience. Consequently, postmarketOS currently appeals more to hackers and developers rather than the general consumer base.
Despite these challenges, there's a sense of optimism that increased collaboration and development efforts could bridge these gaps over time. The possibility for postmarketOS to become a more consumer-oriented OS depends on support from hardware manufacturers, improved interoperability, and a more refined user experience. Suggestions within the community include the potential for companies like Samsung or Huawei to adopt postmarketOS, thereby providing a polished, user-friendly environment.
Conclusion:
Overall, the perception of postmarketOS is one of cautious optimism. While excitement surrounds its potential to disrupt traditional mobile operating systems and promote increased user control and privacy, the path to achieving these goals remains fraught with technical challenges. For now, postmarketOS serves as a compelling project for enthusiasts, representing hope for a future where mobile devices offer the same freedom and adaptability as their desktop counterparts. The project's trajectory will largely depend on continued community engagement and strategic advancements in device compatibility and functionality.
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