Mobile OSs based on Linux

This post summarizes some operating systems (OS) for mobile phone based on Linux.

List of mobile OSs based on Linux

Mobile OSs featured on this post:

  • Android Open Source Project (AOSP)
  • Ubuntu Touch
  • postmarketOS
  • Manjaro
  • PureOS
  • LuneOS
  • VollaOS
  • Sailfish OS
  • Tizen

Android Open Source Project (AOSP)

AOSP is the acronym for Android Open Source Project.

The is an open discussion about whether AOSP is actually Linux or not. You can check an interesting article that summarizes both points of view on this external link.

As a matter of fact, AOSP uses a modified version of the standard Linux kernel. Whether this is Linux or not (and what is considered to be “Linux”), is a matter of discussion.

Official web

The most popular instance of AOSP is Google Android, that combines both free and open source with proprietary licenses.

There are other projects that take advantage of the open-source code of AOSP to create free open-source software (FOSS), like LineageOS or Replicant. You can check this post that reviews non-Google AOSP OSs.

Ubuntu Touch

Ubuntu Touch is a project that was founded by the British company Ubuntu, but since 2018 belongs to the UBports Foundation and is currently developed by the UBports community.

Its graphical user interface (GUI) is a graphical shell for the GNOME desktop environment called Lomiri.

Official web

postmarketOS

postmarketOS, also known as pmOS, is an OS based on Alpine Linux.

It is developed by postmarketOS open source community.

Official web

Manjaro

Manjaro is an OS based on Linux Arch.

It is not an OS exclusive for smartphones, but PinePhone smartphones come as default with it.

Official web

PureOS

PureOS is developed by American company Purism. PureOS is used on Librem devices, including both PCs and smartphones like Librem 5.

It is a Linux distribution based on Debian.

As of January 2023, it is considered by FSF a free Linux distribution, as it can be check on the list of this external link.

Official web

LuneOS

LuneOS is an operating system developed by WebOS Port community.

Official web

VollaOS

VollaOS is a OS developed by German company Volla. It is installed by default on Volla Phones.

Official web

Sailfish OS

Sailfish OS is developed by the Finnish company Jolla Ltd.

It includes closed-source components and extensions of third parties which can be of other licences as well, in the same way as Google Android.

Thus, it is not free nor completely open source.

Sailfish OS is compatible with some Android app available on APK packages.

Official web

Tizen

Tizen is mainly developed by the South Korean company Samsung.

It is supported by the Linux Foundation.

Official web

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