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cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,303

linux-based open phone

@mods: if see this topic fit better in OT or TGN please feel free to move without further notice

So today I read on my daily tech news site about an arm based open source phone running debian.
Well, as this idea isn't new, I immediately thought about the rather recent LTT video about stock clean Android - and it's so bare bones even a simple task like calling could be a challenge as there's no default app set as the dialer.

I then thought: Well, how about using some off-the-shelf tinker parts like a mobile modem, a 2nd sim, some software and put together my own open source phone in the form factor of a 17.4" laptop?
Turns out: I only got as far as those usb mobile surf sticks for windows only and only providing data but no voice - and for dialer software something very old designed for windows7 - require some special nowhere-to-found hardware and support from the mobile carrier.

So my lack of skill to find such stuff myself (I likely use the wrong search terms) does anyone know hardware and software, no matter the required OS, which even supports browsing the internet at the same as doing a reglar mobile phone call - aside from maybe a special mobile carrier and sim?
Or are we supposed to see this as a project from scratching developibg all that stuff out of thin air?

Aside from the hardware - how about the software environment? It's supposed to be based on debian 13 for arm - and although it's said that anyone can bring thier own software - which to me includes a compiler chain - I don't think it's really meant for "bring your own source". Part of both android and apple are the app stores and defined format. Using some pure debian maybe even without a java runtime installed would require each app being re-developed and provided as standalone debian package - let alone dependency hell and incompatibilities.

I remember way back in the days of those 10" win7 netbooks a friemd of mine had one with an integrated 2g/3g modem and sim slot and at least regular sms worked via a special application provided in cooperation of the netbooks oem (think it was acer) and the mobile provider (telecom) - but no calls. And aside from its form factor it was similar to our modern smartphones (it was the time of the first iphones and before 4g/lte was a thing).

TLDR: Can anyone provide some links - I'm mostly interested in a dialer software for phone calls and if there's a special modem required not just providibg a wwan nic but also the abillity for sms and phone calls.

Whoracle

Member

Registered: 2010-11-02

Posts: 88

Re: linux-based open phone

You don't post on the heise forums, perchance?

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,303

Re: linux-based open phone

no - only on golem - with same username
heise has change to too much paywall content long ago - prefer golem since

Last edited by cryptearth (2025-01-24 18:28:21)

Whoracle

Member

Registered: 2010-11-02

Posts: 88

Re: linux-based open phone

Ah, so it was golem where I saw a very similar post then. Didn't take note of the username.

Sorry, got nothing to add to the topic, just noticed the similarities of the posts and wondered.

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,303

Re: linux-based open phone

just thought to widen my question to another audience - as although I did notice long ago a lot of germans here and many likely reading heise/golem themself there're people from around the world maybe not knowing heise/golem at all or maybe not read about this project
also: as it's linux specific here's just a difference audience

kermit63

Member

Registered: 2018-07-04

Posts: 299

Re: linux-based open phone

Did you check if you're able to at least send text messages using the usb modem stick?

I remember pre-smartphone, I upgraded my internet from dial-up to prepaid USB mobile broadband. This stick not only allowed me to connect to the internet, but also capable of sending text messages to other phones. I vaguely remember having to install a package to get it to work, but for the life of me, can't remember what it was.

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Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.
It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,303

Re: linux-based open phone

back then when I had my hands on such stuff last time - sometime in the early 2010s - yes, with special software one were able to use standard SMS - and, as mentioned, even do proper phone calls
I guess my main point is to gather information about are there any actively maintained hardware and software one could use to tinker together your own solution - or is a funding campaing for somethng like https://liberux.net/ required because everything has to be developed from scratch?

ReDress

Member

From: Nairobi

Registered: 2024-11-30

Posts: 107

Re: linux-based open phone

Did you check if you're able to at least send text messages using the usb modem stick?

I remember pre-smartphone, I upgraded my internet from dial-up to prepaid USB mobile broadband. This stick not only allowed me to connect to the internet, but also capable of sending text messages to other phones. I vaguely remember having to install a package to get it to work, but for the life of me, can't remember what it was.

I also had/have sim-based modem routers which allowed me to send messages via the web-based management interface. I did not use this feature but it probably still was/is possible to make calls from it if you connect one of those landline phones to it(there was/is a port for that).

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 13,363

Re: linux-based open phone

You have looked at the Pinephone ?

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

clean chroot building not flexible enough ?
Try clean chroot manager by graysky

BillFleming

Member

Registered: 2025-01-25

Posts: 1

Re: linux-based open phone

Both the pinephone and pinephone pro can do all of those things running arch linux arm. I have been using the original Pinephone as my only daily usage phone for more than a year now after old phone broke.
Just on carriers like Verizon now that CDMA is shutdown VoLTE should allow for running data and voice call at the same time. Using the updated baseband firmware on the modem (running community firmware) the phones can make calls on the network (using LTE) after that CDMA shutdown back in 2023 or so. Text messaging is supported (GUI apps and command line), but modem manager currently lacks the ability for dual APN which is a huge problem for MMS on some phone carriers like Verizon. You can run the desktop Brave and Waterfox web browsers (must know how to build that one for arm). Almost all common linux desktop apps that can fit on the phone's screen and that don't require special GPU OpenGL/Vulkan can run on the phones, even if hard to use without a mouse. You can plug a USB C hub with display port and run something like a 2560x1440 external monitor with mouse and keyboard.
On the pinephones, to get the phone features working, you just need to install a proper linux image for the phone and install the sim card then reboot. The basic phone software has been in place for many years so there isn't a special process that you need to perform, unless the modem's firmware is too old for VoLTE.

See danctnix's build scripts for Phosh installation. Phosh is wayland DE for the phones, that includes the dailer program, text messages, etc.
https://github.com/dreemurrs-embedded/arch-pine64-build
https://github.com/dreemurrs-embedded/P … h/releases

Community modem firmware: https://github.com/the-modem-distro/pin … /tag/0.8.0
Megi blog (for pinephone pro use the uboot he mentions here to fix power drain issues): https://xnux.eu/log/098.html

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,303

Re: linux-based open phone

the pinephone points me to a direction I was looking for - thank you
so if I understand correctly it's more up to the modem and its firmware than software as the latter one is available
I guess it shouldn't be much of a problem to get the software running on either x86 and arm - and I guess there're also modems available which suppport at least one of the platforms

so in the end to me it seems the fundraising is for a bit of research, mostly design and a few prototypes - but as it also seem to depend on the mobile carrier one can end up with a device not able to correctly operate on the carriers network - which is why I'm a bit puzzled
one the one side it's a project clearly worth investing into - on the other it could end up in just simple waste due to the final product is just incompatible with my current provider - so the options come down to get a proper phone from one of the big companies which are guaranteed to work - or switch providers until I find one the device works properly one - and in germany there're only 3: telekom, vodafone and o2/telefonica

keep my 200€ xperia 10 v or switch to a who knows how expensive paper wheight - that's the question

Strike0

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2011-09-05

Posts: 1,489

Re: linux-based open phone

I saw a short yet interesting list of current crowdfunding devices covered in a tube video called "next gen linux phones" by David Hammer recently. Cannot vouch for any, but you may be interested. The video was probably spooled into my feed, because I follow the work of Martijn Braam since his pinephone/phosh development.

From 2023 pinephone experience I can say, it was clearly usable (regular german pre-paid sim to play with it), albeit not in a daily-driver state yet. Some practical issues (after the phosh interface got stable) were trouble managing contacts (phone numbers) and audio/mic quality along with call-stability, as well as bluetooth stability issues (to use headset instead of internal mic), the gps module kept crashing too. Frankly, I need to check progress again. I'm pretty sure pinephone has progressed a lot since I last updated the image. With respect to apps, basic support was already pretty amazing, but don't underestimate UI scaling issues (e.g. menus may open way over screen limits). This all needed a lot of finetuning. -Less with some distros than others, but really easy to test what you prefer. MEGI, who's blog url got posted above, assembled a brilliant "PinePhone multi-distro demo image" for the sd-card of the pinephone.

kay94

Member

Registered: 2017-08-04

Posts: 15

Re: linux-based open phone

You might also be interested in https://osmocom.org/