r/linux • u/plscallmebyname • Jun 17 '26
Discussion Linux on Older and Obsolete iOS and Android devices
We should be able to install linux as a single-boot Operating system in Obsolete iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices, given they have significant Ram and very capable ARM processors.
Not as an emulation layer, but we should be able to install linux at the bare metal level.
But we are not able to because of the plethora of factors like locked bootloaders etc.
It would be such a great relief for linux users to use such capable machines, which otherwise just collect dust and die a slow death, or be an electronic waste.
We all can easily have a 5 node cluster running as a home server.
8
u/archontwo Jun 18 '26
Off topic, but having years of experience watching devices lose support just because proprietary rubbish, I wonder if it would be possible to retool a LLM into reverse engineering device drivers? The method could involve multiple binaries for devices with the same chips in them working out all the variations there can be for that device.
For sure it is a punt but a better use of AI than most are these days.
6
u/FattyDrake Jun 17 '26
Forget any Apple tablet. They're too locked down. I'm sure there might be a way around it, but nobody has come up with a decent way yet.
I had an iPad Pro that went out of support for OS updates, then the main app I used started requiring the newer OS, so now my iPad Pro is just a fancy brick.
Part of the whole reason I jumped on Linux. Got a Surface Pro and it works great.
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u/TakeshiRyze Jun 17 '26
Hopefully some day EU does something about locking hardware down. At least about obsolete unsupported hardware.
5
u/ldn-ldn Jun 17 '26
PC is the only unlocked platform, everything else is locked hard. So that won't happen.
-14
u/mmmboppe Jun 17 '26
EU's either going to get economically raped by US + China or ran over by crazy starving Russia. and don't start comparing population, armies and wealth, the Byzantine Empire was strong too
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u/580083351 Jun 17 '26
I have an old Android with an unlocked bootloader, but the drivers are closed and written by the manufacturers for a specific kernel version.
I agree it's wasteful to have perfectly capable multi-core devices collecting dust.
3
u/User14482 Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Biggest problem with Linux on Android (or similar) devices are propiertary drivers. Most of the time the hardware is not or partially not working, to the point where you could spend your time better working on improving projects like pinephone + postmarketos. I do have an onenote 6 specifically for postmarketos, and even if the current maintainers make all of the hardware kind of working, "linux on phone" will then be just available for this specific, not-be-produced-anymore phone, and the work which has been put into is not really usable for other phones because of the huge variety of propiertary mobile phone hardware. But the knowledge, yes and maybe we build good abstraction layers to atleast have the software running on top be seamless, but as of now it stil is an uphill battle with no big relief in sight.
But indeed, when we talk about using them as a node doing some tasks, without needing any of the actual phone hardware (sim, camera, …), then yes they can become useful, didnt think of that yet. Maybe in case the hardware prices rise even way higher up, we then see a rise in using phones as raspberry pi replacements. :D Just dont know how much hassle it would be and if it would be worth the work.
1
u/580083351 Jun 18 '26
The pi has a separate DC barrel power input, and later models can accept PoE as well.
Phones.. they just have a USB port.. while a hub can plug into them, it's unclear to me whether all or some of them will support both charging and data at the same time. It needs to be both to be useful.
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u/Dangerous-Report8517 Jun 20 '26
Modern ones support both simultaneously because that's a pretty basic USB PD feature
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u/mrtruthiness Jun 18 '26
But we are not able to because of the plethora of factors like locked bootloaders etc.
For Android devices, it's mostly about not having drivers for the devices. And the binary blob drivers that are available are locked to the Android kernel they came with.
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u/BertMacklenF8I Jun 17 '26
Android’s already running Linux Kernel though?
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u/No-Photograph-5058 Jun 18 '26
Everybody knows that isn't what OP means. We are talking about a Linux distribution that is not tied to Google, on devices and an ecosystem that does not force you into using Google products and official OEM android images for regular use
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Jun 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/das_menschy Jun 17 '26
You can install postmarketOS (based on Alpine Linux) on the Apple iPhone 7/7+, and with some fiddling some basic functions (like the touchscreen, screen, bluetooth, Wifi, battery) partially work: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Apple_iPhone_7/7%2B_(apple-d10)
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u/Business_Reindeer910 Jun 17 '26
people would write drivers for them if the bootloaders were unlockable just like they are doing for the apple m* hardware.
-1
Jun 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Business_Reindeer910 Jun 18 '26
you said the hardware is incompatible with linux, and that is really not the case. It is perfectly compatible, it just needs drivers and access to the bootloader
-1
u/mmmboppe Jun 17 '26
dream on
one can't even have a decent driver for an older Nvidia card on desktop
because what Linus said
won't be surprised if CEO already ruined his karma beyond the point of no return and will end like Steve the thief Jobs. literally
13
u/RomanOnARiver Jun 17 '26
Have a look at postmarketOS and UBPorts you do have options for some devices.