 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 853, 17 February 2020 |
Welcome to this year's 7th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
In recent years a number of organizations have tried to launch open source or privacy focused mobile devices. Canonical published Ubuntu Touch, Mozilla had Firefox OS, Purism and Pine64 have both launched open platforms with Linux-based mobile operating systems in mind. Another organization working to introduce alternatives to the mobile landscape is eFoundation, makers of the /e/ operating system for Android phones. This week Jesse Smith takes a look at /e/ running on a Samsung phone and reports on what it is like using /e/ and its related services. Let us know what you think of the /e/ phone in our Opinion Poll. This week we also share a look at Calculate Linux, a Gentoo-based operating system with lots of custom features. Ivan Sanders takes Calculate for a test drive and reports on his experiences in our Feature Story. Plus we share improvements coming to IPFire, a new media conversion tool for SparkyLinux, and report on the Slackware Linux distribution adding PAM support. Then we share the releases of the past week and list the torrents we are seeding. Finally we are pleased to introduce Anarchy Linux, the latest distribution to be added to our database. We wish you all a wonderful week and happy reading!
Content:
- Review: Calculate Linux 20
- News: IPFire improves DNS lookups, Slackware introducing PAM support, SparkyLinux introduces MystiQ
- Technology review: An /e/ phone in 2020
- Released last week: Ubuntu 18.04.4, SparkyLinux 2020.02, Tails 4.3
- Torrent corner: ArcoLinux, AUSTRUMI, Container, Debian, EasyOS, Endless OS, Hyperbola, KDE neon, NetBSD, Obarun, Raspberry digital Signage, Robolinux, Septor, SparkyLinux, Tails, Ubuntu
- Opinion poll: Are you planning to get an /e/ phone?
- New additions: Anarchy Linux
- New distributions: SpinelOS
- Reader comments
Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in OGG (13MB) and MP3 (10MB) formats.
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| Feature Story (by Ivan Sanders) |
Calculate Linux 20
Calculate Linux released version 20 at the end of 2019 with major updates and is based off Gentoo. Calculate Linux Desktop (CLD) includes a wizard to configure a connection to Calculate Directory Server. According to their download page, "Calculate Linux Desktop is listed in the Russian Software Register." To sum that up, CLD is a distro from Russia, based off Gentoo, and designed to connect to a Calculate Directory Server. What is a Calculate Directory Server? Well according to their website, "Calculate Directory Server (CDS) is an advanced, LDAP-based authentication server designed to be a domain controller for business networks."
Installation
CLD utilizes a strange installation interface (GUI) I have not encountered before, even after testing numerous distros throughout the years. All the normal steps are there, but they're not standard or very usable as in most other installers (Calamares, Cnchi, Ubiquity). The features are too complex and they gave me too many errors. I did not like the installation process very much. It was riddled with weird grammatical errors that made the media seem amateur although the distro is far from amateur, in fact I would say it is a very advanced distro, not for beginners.
Calculate Linux 20 -- Running the system installer
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No matter what I tried, manually partitioning did not work for me and I had to erase the disk and do it automatically as opposed to the normal manual ways I prefer. I really could not understand the issues they were trying to give me in the installation media concerning my partitioning and it was very finicky. I had to reinstall numerous times. I will say, my wi-fi worked out of the box and my Intel video card worked out of the box (Optimus computer) but the installation of NVIDIA drivers during the installation made this system unbootable. This led to my first reinstall.
Next I tried to do a install with my Intel card and install the NVIDIA drivers after initial boot using the Optimus guide for Gentoo. This also rendered my system unusable. Second reinstall and I gave up on using NVIDIA drivers at all.
Usage
I used the KDE version of CLD because I thought it was most likely the baseline or main version they build. In addition to KDE they offer many different desktop environments that are commonly found in different distros: Cinnamon, Xfce, MATE. Upon first boot I noticed a slightly dark theme which was very pleasing. It comes with all the usual KDE accoutrements (Konsole, Kmail, Dolphin) and was easy to use. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
CLD comes with Firefox. Interestingly, their Firefox comes with uBlock (a popular ad/tracker blocker) pre-installed, which made me worry about other changes they may have made to their install of Firefox. I did some brief logging on Wireshark while using CLD and I did not notice anything out of the usual, but that doesn't mean they're in the clear.
Calculate Linux 20 -- Firefox with uBlock extension
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Software, software, software... where is the software? I couldn't find any mention of a software store or any GUI based package management system in the KDE menus, so I took to the mean streets of the terminal but then I realized I have no idea how to install software on a Gentoo based system. Oh the fun of learning a new package management system, yet again! Gentoo utilizes the complex emerge package management system from Portage. According to the man pages, "emerge is the definitive command-line interface to the Portage system. It is primarily used for installing packages, and emerge can automatically handle any dependencies that the desired package has. emerge can also update the ebuild repository, making new and updated packages available. emerge gracefully handles updating installed packages to newer releases as well. It handles both source and binary packages, and it can be used to create binary packages for distribution."
I did not really ever master the emerge system, and I can't say that I liked it at all. Installing and updating packages using emerge and the built-in GUI updater for CLD took much longer than I was used to. An update after about two weeks, of only 52 packages, took way too much time to complete.
Calculate Linux 20 -- Installing updates
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Steam and Chrome are both in the standard repository for CLD, but many programs I looked for and regularly use were not in the repository. LibreOffice was pre-installed on CLD, as was Adobe Flash Player, GIMP, Clementine, SMPlayer, and many other useful software packages. The pre-installed programs did not number too many and I found most of them to be mostly practical applications usual users would need. Netflix worked well through Chrome and I did not have any issues using Firefox or Chrome during my review.
Calculate Linux 20 -- Watching Netflix in Chrome
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Steam runs great, just as well as on any other distro and better than some. The games I like to waste time on ran well too. I could run smaller, indie games as well as bigger (although somewhat older) titles such as CS:GO without a hitch. I did not test any games that require a massive graphics card (like Witcher 2) because I could not use my NVIDIA card and that would have been a waste of time to even try.
Hardware
One strange rogue issue I had during my test was with the mouse/pointer and the trackpad on my laptop. Sometimes I would be scrolling down with two fingers, and then it would switch directions and start going up, and vice versa. This happened every day using Calculate Linux and was very annoying.
Calculate Linux Desktop running KDE used 688MB of RAM at startup.
Overall
Being blunt, I did not especially like CLD. I will admit, I did not use it to connect to a Calculate Directory Server, so I can't explain how good that usage would be. I don't think most users know what a CDS even is, even I still do not.
If you need to connect to a CDS, Calculate Linux is probably a good distro to choose. The KDE desktop environment is solid, and I'm sure the others are too. I would say that using Gentoo as a base seems either gimmicky, unnecessary, or overall a strange choice for any modern distro, but people have their likes and I know Gentoo has a die hard, although comparatively small, base. For any other person that uses Linux, for any other reason, I would recommend a large number of distros before Calculate.
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Hardware used in this review
- Laptop - Lenovo Legion Y530
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H CPU @ 2.20GHz x 6
- Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD Samsung and 1TB HDD
- Memory: 16GB
- Networking: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411
- Display: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz
- Graphics: Intel Corporation UHD Graphics 630, NVIDIA Corporation GP106M [GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile]
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Visitor supplied rating
Calculate Linux has a visitor supplied average rating of: 8.1/10 from 21 review(s).
Have you used Calculate Linux? You can leave your own review of the project on our ratings page.
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
IPFire improves DNS lookups, Slackware introducing PAM support, SparkyLinux introduces MystiQ
The IPFire team is working on improving their operating system's DNS options, making domain name lookup operations faster and more secure. "Today, we have taken some important changes on our DNS Resolver into production. Having released support for DNS-over-TLS in 2018, we have now added TCP Fast Open and TLSv1.3. Lightning Wire Labs is managing a DNS Resolver to provide an alternative to the large corporation who are trying to get the global DNS system under their control and use it for marketing purposes. To not fall behind the technical development, we have now enabled some new features on our resolver to make it ready for the new DNS changes that are going to land with IPFire 2.25 - Core Update 141 very soon." Details on the project's DNS features and improvements can be found in a blog post written by Michael Tremer.
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Most Linux distributions use software called PAM (pluggable authentication modules) to provide applications with a unified method for checking user credentials. This essentially means each program does not need to know all the ways it can sign into an account and implement those on its own. PAM can be taught each method and rule for allowing access to the operating system and then be used by applications and services on the distribution. While PAM has been around for nearly two decades, the Slackware distribution is just now introducing the technology. The Slackware changelog reads: "Hey folks! PAM has finally landed in /testing. Some here wanted it to go right into the main tree immediately, and in a more normal development cycle I'd have been inclined to agree (it is -current, after all). But it's probably better for it to appear in /testing first, to make sure we didn't miss any bugs and also to serve as a warning shot that we'll be shaking up the tree pretty good over the next few weeks. I'd like to see this merged into the main tree in a day or two, so any testing is greatly appreciated." Having PAM in Slackware should allow for authentication against more services, including Active Directory, and offer a more carefully audited code base.
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The SparkyLinux team frequently introduces and highlights new packages the distribution's users may find useful. The project's latest new utility is MystiQ, a desktop frontend for converting media files. "MystiQ is a GUI for FFmpeg, a powerful media converter. FFmpeg can read audio and video files in various formats and convert them into other formats. MystiQ features an intuitive graphical interface and a rich set of presets to help you convert media files within a few clicks. Advanced users can also adjust conversion parameters in detail." Further details can be found in the distribution's blog post.
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These and other news stories can be found on our Headlines page.
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| Technology Review (by Jesse Smith) |
An /e/ phone in 2020
One of the projects I have been watching with curiosity over the past year is /e/ (formerly Eelo), a mobile operating system that is based on Android, but with the pieces associated with Google's software and services removed. The project is described as follows:
/e/ is a complete, fully 'unGoogled', mobile ecosystem.
We could have just focused on an OS, but apps and on-line services are critical components of a smartphone experience, too.
/e/ consists in a mobile operating system (OS) and carefully selected applications, together forming a privacy-enabled internal environment for mobile phones.
Combined with on-line services, such as a search engine, e-mail, storage and other on-line tools, it creates a unique environment: privacy-in, privacy-out.
One of the big challenges any open source mobile platform faces these days is competing with the vast application stores of Android and iOS. The /e/ operating system side-steps this issue by providing what is essentially the Android operating system, but with open source technologies replacing Google apps and services. This allows /e/ to run most Android apps and therefore benefit from the Android ecosystem while providing a more open platform, less dependent on advertisements and data harvesting for revenue.
The /e/ Foundation was kind enough to send me a demo phone which arrived in a nondescript brown box. Inside the box was the product's box itself which declares brightly on the front: "your data is your data". The back of the box lets us know it contains a smart phone with a one-year warranty that has been unlocked and is compatible with Android apps.
The /e/ box and stickers
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Inside the box I found a little booklet which explains how to set up the phone. (Charge it, insert the SIM card and follow on-screen instructions.) The directions, while brief, are printed in five languages: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. The /e/ phones, while they can be run anywhere in the world, are sold only in Europe presently. The box also contains the phone, a Samsung Galaxy S9 [1] in my case, a set of earphones, a European outlet-to-USB adaptor, a USB cable, and a little pin that can be used to pop open the Samsung's SIM port.
The phone, booklet and USB cable
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For people who do not live in Europe, you can buy a supported model of Android phone, download /e/ and flash it to your device. In the future, the /e/ Foundation plans to make a service available where people can mail in their devices and /e/ will install their operating system on it and ship back the phone.
Getting set up
In the booklet which came with the /e/ phone there is a recommendation for visiting a website to sign up for an /e/ account. This account gives us 5GB of on-line storage (with the option to upgrade), an e-mail account, and the ability to automatically synchronize files, settings, tasks, and contacts from our phone. The on-line account appears to mostly be implemented using Nextcloud and I will talk about that later. For now I will say the on-line registration process worked smoothly and I was up and running with a new account quickly.
The phone I received arrived mostly charged and I let it sit plugged in for a while to top it off. I like that there is a light on the phone that changes colour, depending on whether it is charging, fully charged, or has a notification waiting to be read. This makes it easier to check the device's status without activating the display.
There are four buttons on the phone I received. Volume Up, Volume Down, Power, and one which does not appear to do anything. Turning on the phone brings up a mostly white logo screen. We are then walked through a few configuration steps, beginning with selecting our preferred language from a list. Before moving onto the next screen, a warning popped up and told me "calendar has stopped". This was perhaps the only error I saw during my trial, but its timing (at the beginning of the test run) was not a great early impression.
The phone's wizard continues to walk us through selecting our time zone, optionally connecting to a wi-fi network, and (again optionally) enabling location services for permitted apps. We can then choose to enable fingerprint unlocking and protecting the phone with a PIN. Finally, we have the option of putting in our on-line /e/ account credentials to synchronize the phone with our cloud account. So far things were going fairly smoothly.
/e/ -- The home screen with app launchers
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First impressions
Once the setup process was complete, /e/ displays a user interface that is made up of two screens and we can use a swipe gesture to move between them. The main screen has launcher icons for installed applications. Toward the bottom of this screen are four icons set aside (fixed in place) which provide access to the Phone app, a texting application, the camera, and the web browser. The second screen featured two widgets, one showing the local weather and another which showed recommended (typically recently used) applications I might want to launch again. Along the top of both screens is a status bar that can be pulled down to see notifications and access some settings. At the very bottom of the display are three buttons which should be familiar to Android users, the Back, Home, and Open Windows buttons. The default wallpaper for /e/ is bright and mostly orange, which reminds me of a close-up view of the Firefox logo.
Included software
The /e/ phone arrived with several apps already installed for me. The line-up included a calculator, calendar, the Chromium browser (re-branded as the /e/ browser). The device also features a clock, file manager, photo gallery, camera, mail client, music player, and note taking app. There is an audio recorder, a task tracker, the Magic Earth GPS/maps application, and a weather application. There is also a phone call making application and texting app to round out the experience.
Playing around with the included software, I generally found things worked well and as expected. It has been about three years since I last used an Android phone for any extended period of time, but it was fairly easy for me to get back into the habit of using the Android-style applications. The phone running /e/ was very responsive and I liked how snappy it was and how smoothly the user interface performed.
One of the few problems I had when using the Samsung phone was getting accurate location information. For instance, when I was using the Maps app, at first my perceived location was off by several kilometres. After a reboot, the GPS managed to place my position closer, but still off by several blocks. I tried the Maps app a few times and it never got more accurate than a few blocks away from my actual position. If I manually entered my current location, the GPS functions would work and provide directions to where I wanted to go, but it did require that I tell the phone where it was and prepare to slightly adjust my expectations of the directions given.
/e/ -- The Settings panel
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The other GPS-related quirk I ran into came from the Weather app. There is a default widget on the second screen which shows the current weather forecast and, as far as I could tell, it accurately displayed both my location and the local weather. Tapping the weather widget opened the full Weather app. By default the Weather app showed my position as being in London, England rather than Canada. I went into the app's settings and tried to enable location data, but this failed with an error reporting I needed to grant the app permission to access the GPS data. This seemed like a good idea, but it was not immediately clear if I could do this from within the app. I found that clicking the app's Update Location button did bring up a prompt to get access to location data, but the lookup failed. I had to close the app and re-open it before it would update its position. Then it did show weather data for a town in my province in Canada, just not the town I was in. I chalked this up to being "close enough" for all practical purposes.
Hardware specifications
Though the phone's hardware was not my focus during my trial, the platform always plays a role in how well an operating system works. The detailed specifications of the Samsung device list it has having an octa-core CPU running at up to 3GHz. My device shipped with 64GB of storage, 8.3GB of which was used for the operating system. The phone offered 3.5GB of RAM and I generally used about 1.9GB of memory when the phone first booted.
The Samsung offers two cameras, a 12 megapixel camera in the back and an 8 megapixel view in the front. The interface was very responsive and smooth during my trial. Apps opened quickly and gestures responded immediately to my touch.
The phone's hardware all worked smoothly, including wireless networking, the microphone, camera, and (with some quirks) GPS. I did not have any cause to test Bluetooth connections, but the phone enables Bluetooth by default.
Adding new apps
Downloading new applications on /e/ is quite straight forward. There is an icon labelled Apps on the main screen and tapping it opens the phone's software centre. The centre is arranged much the same way as the Google Play store or the Linux Mint software centre. The front page of the store shows popular items we can scroll through and new programs can be installed with the tap of a button. Tabs at the bottom of the store's page allow us to browse through categories of software or search for apps by name. The store can also handle updates to programs we have already installed.
/e/ -- The Apps software centre
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My experience with the Apps store was entirely painless and I found it easy to navigate. The interface was snappy and smooth. If I had any complaint it might be that the store's main page looks a little crowded on the Samsung's screen, but it is a small concern. Functionally and visually the store is quite good and I had no problems hunting down new applications.
I went looking for quite a few programs and found lots of popular Android apps, including Spotify, Firefox, Telegram, WhatsApp Messenger, the F-Droid open software centre, Facebook, Plants vs Zombies 2, KDE Connect, and so on. In short, there seems to be no shortage of applications. However, not all programs available in Google's Play store are available through the /e/ store. If you need an application which is currently missing there is an option in the Apps store to request the app be added.
The one issue I did have was at one point the /e/ phone popped up a notification that let me know there was an app update waiting to be installed. Tapping the notification opened the Apps store and I tapped the Updates tab. The Updates tab showed there were no new downloads available. The next day I checked back and there was one update listed (for KDE Connect), which updated without any problems.
On-line services
Earlier I mentioned signing up for an account which provides on-line storage and synchronization options. There is an on-line portal we can sign into that is basically Nextcloud with modules set up for handling e-mail, contacts, tasks, and a calendar. The web-based service is quite useful and I think its ability to sync data, especially calendar appointments and contacts, will do nicely to fill in for Google's equivalents. The only problem I potentially see is sharing these features with other users. I know several families who coordinate through Google Calendar and I don't think most people are going to be prepared to switch or coordinate with someone who insists on using the Nextcloud calendar instead.
/e/ -- On-line file storage provided by Nextcloud
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That being said, the on-line storage works very well. Photos, appointments, and contacts all sync automatically when we enable our account on the /e/ phone. Sometimes it takes a while for items to sync and it looks like the on-line Documents folder does not sync down to the phone, but the other folders do sync in both directions and it all works transparently.
Observations and other features
The /e/ phone allows users to apply permissions or restrictions dealing with a wide variety of access for each app. We can adjust access to contacts, our calendar, local storage, the microphone, and so on. Things tend to be pretty locked down by default. This is good for security, though sometimes inconvenient. For example, I had to grant the web browser permission to save files to my phone, then grant permission to open the file I had just saved. This sort of fine-grained permission is a careful balancing act between providing safe defaults and not inadvertently training the user to simply tap through permission prompts. For the most part I think /e/ does a good job in this arena, keeping things locked down, but usually not too much.
It took me a while to find software updates for the base operating system. These updates can be found in the Settings panel, under the "About phone" screen. Specifically, the item we need to look at is called "LineageOS Updates". When I began using the phone there were two updates available. I installed the latest, which rebooted my phone, installed the update cleanly and caused the older update to be hidden. The update, which was 719MB in size, went smoothly.
However, when I installed the update, I discovered vibration feedback (when typing) was turned on. I had disabled vibration feedback when I first started using the phone. The setting was still off under the vibrations and notifications settings so I had to spend a while hunting down where else I had to disable the physical feedback. I eventually found it tucked away under Settings->System->Languages & Input-> Keyboard & Inputs->Virtual Keyboard. It was a long dig down, but it allowed me to keep my phone from vibrating whenever I was typing.
/e/ -- The phone's many identities
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Earlier I mentioned updates to the /e/ operating system can be found under a section of the Settings panel under the heading of LineageOS Updates. This highlights an interesting issue of identification I kept seeing. On the surface everything is branded as "e" or "/e/". But scratch the surface and we see the phone refer to itself as being "Powered by Android", or as running LineageOS, or running Linux. For example, the "About phone" screen identifies the phone as Android 8.1.0 and LineageOS 0.7, running Linux 4.9.133 with SELinux enabled. The on-line cloud storage, on the surface, refers to itself as "e" and copyrighted by the "e Foundation", but digging into some screens causes the portal to refer to itself as Nextcloud.
For people who never peek beneath the surface, these quirks of identity probably don't matter. However, it is one of those little things that can confuse people when they are poking around or trying to get support. Hopefully the rebranding will become more complete over time.
On a separate topic, I could not get my desktop computer, running GNU/Linux, to talk over USB with the /e/ phone. Even after confirming the phone's MTP protocol was enabled, and after trying multiple file managers on the desktop (including Dolphin and Thunar) I was unable to directly access pictures or files on the phone from my desktop.
Luckily, the /e/ phone's software centre includes the KDE Connect service. This allows the phone to share files, notifications, and some other features with a desktop computer. KDE Connect is probably the one important tool I miss when I'm not running Android on my phone, and it was nice to see this service is available.
Conclusions
One of the tricky aspects of evaluating /e/, especially at this early stage, was trying to decide on what my perspective should be going into this review. Should I view /e/ from the point of view of a UBports user looking at alternatives? A former Android user interested in an un-Googled alternative? A relative novice to technology looking at phone options and comparing /e/ against iOS and Android? A privacy enthusiastic looking for a more locked down device? A person can try to wear a lot of different hats when looking at a new piece of technology and I was not sure the best angle to use when approaching /e/.
For the most part I tried to view /e/ through two lenses: 1. Would it function as a good alternative for me personally when compared to UBports? 2. Could I hand this phone over to non-technology enthusiasts (like a parent or friend) and have them use it instead of iOS or Android?
Looking at /e/ as an alternative to UBports, I see some immediate benefits to /e/. It has a much larger and more mainstream application ecosystem. The /e/ platform runs more programs other people are likely to be using and this makes it easier to coordinate with other people. The /e/ phone has more settings and fine-tuning options. This makes for a much more cluttered Settings panel, but it also offers more control. Perhaps the best feature though is the on-line storage and sync options. UBports doesn't really have a competitor to Google services, like calendar and contact synchronization, and it is a feature I miss. The Nextcloud web interface is quite good and I see it as not only better than anything in the UBports ecosystem, I'd argue that it beats Google's services in terms of friendliness and accessibility. The only problem is getting people you coordinate with on-line to use Nextcloud instead of Google Calendar or Google Docs.
Personally, I think UBports does have a few benefits. It offers a full GNU/Linux platform, compared to Android's (or /e/'s) somewhat bare bones underpinnings. UBports also streamlines its settings more and has a much more flexible and powerful status bar compared to /e/.
On the whole, I feel UBports provides the better base operating system while /e/ is providing a better and more powerful ecosystem around the phone. The apps and services /e/ offers are far and away richer than anything UBports supplies, but I like the UBports interface and low-level features better.
As to whether I could hand this phone over to a non-technical user, I experimented by doing just that. I met with a current iOS/iPhone user and asked her to play around with my new phone. She had no trouble setting up tasks, appointments, browsing the web, and installing and accessing Spotify. While the interface was slightly unfamiliar, as it was from the Android family rather than the Apple family of operating systems, she had no trouble getting used to the experience. In fact, since she was accustomed to tapping buttons instead of swiping (which is the common interaction on UBports) she adjusted faster to the new phone than I did.
The /e/ phone does not offer all the apps Android does, and it might not be entirely polished yet in the re-branding experience. However, it does provide a very solid, mostly Android compatible experience without the Google bits. The /e/ team offers a wider range of hardware support than most other iOS and Android competitors, it offers most of the popular Android apps people will probably want to use (I only discovered a few missing items I wanted), and the on-line cloud services are better than those of any other phone I've used (including Ubuntu One and Google).
I'd certainly recommend /e/ for more technical users who can work around minor rough edges and who won't get confused by the unusual branding and semi-frequent permission prompts. I'm not sure if I'd hand one of these phones over to an Android power-user who uses a lot of niche apps, but this phone would certainly do well in the hands of, for instance, my parents or other users who tend to interact with their phones for texting, phone calls, and the calendar without using many exotic applications.
This phone feels like a good first version from the /e/ team and, as the web portal firms up and more Android apps are imported into the project's software centre, I feel I will be comfortable recommending this platform to just about anyone who doesn't specifically need (or want) Google services.
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1. Sometimes the phone identified itself as a Galaxy S8, though usually as an S9, depending on the screen or service I was using. Memory was also reported differently in various areas. The command line reports 3.5GB of RAM, the "About phone" screen lists 3.3GB, and the on-line specifications claim the phone offers 4GB of RAM. There is no practical difference in either case, but I find the little variations interesting.
As I still have the /e/ phone and am continuing to play with it, I will be happy to answer questions about the device's software and services. Should you have a question about the /e/ phone, please leave a comment below or e-mail me. I will publish my answers in a future issue of DistroWatch Weekly.
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| Released Last Week |
SparkyLinux 2020.02
The SparkyLinux team has published a new snapshot of the distribution's rolling release platform. The new media is based on Debian's Testing branch and features several key package updates. "Sparky 2020.02 'Po Tolo' of the (semi-)rolling line is out. It is based on the testing branch of Debian 'Bullseye'. Changes: system upgraded from Debian Testing 'Bullseye' repos as of February 9, 2020. Calamares installer 3.2.18. Linux kernel 5.4.13 as default (5.5.2 & 5.6-rc1 in Sparky unstable repos). Firefox 72.0.2. Thunderbird 68.4.2. LibreOffice 6.4.0. VLC 3.0.8. Exaile 4.0.2. Added the new Sparky public key." The release announcement warns that the distribution's Calamares installer may fail in some situations: " Calamares installer fails if you install Sparky in full auto mode with full disk encryption and a swap partiton; it works fine without a swap partition."
SparkyLinux 2020.02 -- Running the MATE desktop
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Tails 4.3
A new version of Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) has been released. This Debian-based distribution strives to help users communicate securely and browse the web anonymously. The project's latest release, Tails 4.3, includes several key package upgrades along with fixes to the upgrade process interface. "Tails 4.3 is out. This release fixes many security vulnerabilities. You should upgrade as soon as possible. New features: we included the trezor package, which provides a command line tool to use a Trezor hardware wallet for cryptocurrencies. Changes and updates: update Tor Browser to 9.0.5; update Thunderbird to 68.4.1; update Linux kernel to 5.4.13 - this should improve the support for newer hardware (graphics, Wi-Fi); update Tor to 0.4.2.6; update VirtualBox Guest Additions to 6.1.2. Fixed problems: fix the progress bar and prevent closing the window while an upgrade is being applied. Known issues: None specific to this release. Automatic upgrades are available from 4.2 and 4.2.2 to 4.3. Tails 4.4 is scheduled for March 10." Additional details can be found in the distribution's release announcement.
Ubuntu 18.04.4
The Ubuntu team has published updated media for the distribution's 18.04 LTS series. Version 18.04.4 of the distribution, along with its Community Editions, provide optional updated hardware support and security updates for supported packages. "The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the release of Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS (Long-Term Support) for its Desktop, Server, and Cloud products, as well as other flavours of Ubuntu with long-term support. Like previous LTS series, 18.04.4 includes hardware enablement stacks for use on newer hardware. This support is offered on all architectures and is installed by default when using one of the desktop images. Ubuntu Server defaults to installing the GA kernel; however you may select the HWE kernel from the installer bootloader.Kubuntu 18.04.4 LTS, Ubuntu Budgie 18.04.4 LTS, Ubuntu MATE 18.04.4 LTS, Lubuntu 18.04.4 LTS, Ubuntu Kylin 18.04.4 LTS, and Xubuntu 18.04.4 LTS are also now available." Further information can be found in the release announcement and in the release notes.
Project Trident 20.02
Project Trident has completed its initial move from being based on TrueOS to adopting the Void Linux distribution as its foundation. The Project Trident team have published their first stable version, 20.02: "Project Trident is pleased to announce the first official release image based on Void Linux, available on the Project Trident download page. Please note the Project Trident installer supports four different installation levels: Void: Only the base-system from Void Linux and ZFS-related bootloader packages are installed. Server: A CLI-based system with additional services and utilities installed from Project Trident (firewall, cron, autofs, wireguard, additional shells) Lite Desktop: Everything needed for a graphical desktop install using Lumina. No extra fluff. Full Desktop: The Lite install with quite a few additional end-user utilities (office suite, Telegram, multimedia apps). Note: These installation levels provide pre-defined lists of packages to install for user convenience. The installed system can be easily be changed afterwards using the built-in package system." Further details can be found in the project's release announcement.
NetBSD 9.0
The developers of NetBSD, a highly portable operating system that runs across over two dozen CPU architectures, have published a new release. The new version, NetBSD 9.0, improves support for 64-bit ARM processors, introduces kernel ASLR, and improves ZFS support. "Sixth months after the start of the release engineering process, NetBSD 9.0 is now available. Since the start of the release process a lot of improvements went into the branch - over 700 pullups were processed! This includes usbnet (a common framework for USB Ethernet drivers), aarch64 stability enhancements and lots of new hardware support, installer/sysinst fixes and changes to the NVMM (hardware virtualization) interface. We hope this will lead to the best NetBSD release ever (only to be topped by NetBSD 10 - hopefully later this year). Here are a few highlights of the new release: Support for Arm AArch64 (64-bit Armv8-A) machines, including "Arm ServerReady" compliant machines (SBBR+SBSA). Enhanced hardware support for Armv7-A. Updated GPU drivers (e.g. support for Intel Kabylake). Enhanced virtualization support." Further details can be found in the project's release announcement.
MX Linux 19.1
MX Linux, an increasingly popular desktop Linux distribution based on Debian and antiX, has been updated to version 19.1. Besides standard bug fixes and package updates, this version features a special build designed for current hardware: "MX Linux 19.1 now available. MX Linux 19.1 is a refresh of our MX 19 release, consisting of bug fixes and application updates since our original release of MX 19. If you are already running MX 19, there is no need to reinstall. Packages are all available thru the regular update channel. Due to the increasing presence of users with newer hardware (particularly newer AMD or Intel hardware), with this release, in addition to the standard 32-bit and 64-bit ISO images with 4.19 LTS kernels, we have produced a third ISO image that we call 'Advanced Hardware Support' or AHS (pronounced Oz) for short. AHS is 64-bit and ships with a Debian 5.4 kernel, MESA 19.2 as well as newer X.Org drivers and various recompiled applications that will use the newer graphics stack." Read the rest of the release announcement for further details.
MX Linux 19.1 -- Running the Xfce desktop
(full image size: 384kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
* * * * *
Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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| Torrent Corner |
Weekly Torrents
The table below provides a list of torrents DistroWatch is currently seeding. If you do not have a bittorrent client capable of handling the linked files, we suggest installing either the Transmission or KTorrent bittorrent clients.
Archives of our previously seeded torrents may be found in our Torrent Archive. We also maintain a Torrents RSS feed for people who wish to have open source torrents delivered to them. To share your own open source torrents of Linux and BSD projects, please visit our Upload Torrents page.
Torrent Corner statistics:
- Total torrents seeded: 1,829
- Total data uploaded: 30.3TB
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Opinion Poll (by Jesse Smith) |
Are you planning to get an /e/ phone?
This week we talked about the /e/ phone and its related services, including on-line storage and account synchronization options. The /e/ phone supplies users with an experience very similar to Android, but with the Google pieces swapped out for open source components. We would like to hear what you think of the /e/ phone and whether you plan to get one.
You can see the results of our previous poll on tools used to clone hard drives in last week's edition. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Are you planning to get an /e/ phone?
| I do plan to purchase an /e/ phone: | 102 (8%) |
| I plan to install the /e/ OS on an existing phone: | 195 (15%) |
| I do not plan to use /e/ OS: | 579 (45%) |
| I have not decided yet: | 399 (31%) |
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| Website News (by Jesse Smith) |
New projects added to database
Anarchy Linux
Anarchy Linux provides a text-based installer to help set up and customize an Arch Linux based operating system. The installer provides quick access to multiple desktop environments and custom configurations.
Anarchy Linux -- Running the Xfce desktop
(full image size: 1.2MB, resolution:1599x898 pixels)
* * * * *
Distributions added to waiting list
- SpinelOS. SpinelOS is an Ubuntu-based desktop distribution featuring the Xfce desktop environment.
* * * * *
DistroWatch database summary
* * * * *
This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 24 February 2020. Past articles and reviews can be found through our Article Search page. To contact the authors please send e-mail to:
- Jesse Smith (feedback, questions and suggestions: distribution reviews/submissions, questions and answers, tips and tricks)
- Ladislav Bodnar (feedback, questions, donations, comments)
- Bruce Patterson (podcast)
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If you've enjoyed this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly, please consider sending us a tip.
(Tips this week: 2, value: US$26.59) |
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| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • the /e/ phone (by TuxRaider on 2020-02-17 00:26:51 GMT from United States)
i would like to see them make a solid and stable niche in the smartphone market first, and several popular distros have images built to flash on them, and the /e/ phone to be resilient to flashing images on it and recovery so i dont end up bricking an expensive phone, so if something goes wrong i can re-flash the image and recover the use of the phone, come up with a dependable phone like that and is 100% FOSS and you got a customer for life, i would love to put my android phone on a shelf to collect dust as a relic of the past
2 • /e/ phone (by Stefan on 2020-02-17 00:40:16 GMT from Brazil)
I'm getting sick of smartphones, Both Android and iOS totally suck. The upcoming "5G" will be a cancer fest for the humankind. Even worse than H1N1/nCov/SARS/MERS and other sh*ts.
No "/e/ phone" for me. The day I retire will be the last day I use a mobile device!
PERIOD.
3 • MX-19.1 (by M Xavier on 2020-02-17 00:56:42 GMT from Canada)
Surprisingly, antiX repo is missing MX-19.1 latest release.
However, antiX and MX are in fact two different things.
4 • Slackware Pam and NetBSD (by chec on 2020-02-17 00:57:40 GMT from Spain)
For now Pat said wont move PAM to current in Slackware, so I suspect and I wish Slackware 15 its near to be released.
This week Im too happy because NetBSD released 9.0. Really its a big milestone, it comes full of features, new architectures, bug fixes, top quality and code correcteness.
Good live to NetBSD project!
5 • /e/ phone (by bruce davidson on 2020-02-17 02:04:13 GMT from United States)
Like many people, there are several smart phone apps that I am dependent on - such as my credit union and payment apps. To me the big challenge to any kind of open source phone is that unless they can provide access to the Play Store, or provide an alternative for commerce based apps like Cube and banking apps, they are basically doomed from the start. I'd love a Linux phone, but I'm not going to carry 2 phones around so that I can access my credit union and pay people - I'll have to stick with Android or iPhone.
6 • Banking app (by Freao on 2020-02-17 02:34:25 GMT from United States)
Every bank has a mobile website that can be used instead of their spyware apps that track where you go when you are not using them.
7 • /e/ phone (by Ted on 2020-02-17 02:34:59 GMT from Australia)
I already have LineageOS installed on my current phone and plan to be using that for at least another 3 years.
8 • @6 Re Banking Apps (by Rev_Don on 2020-02-17 02:54:51 GMT from United States)
"Every bank has a mobile website that can be used instead of their spyware apps that track where you go when you are not using them. "
Yes, but the websites don't offer some of the services that the app will.
9 • Calculate Linux Review (by David on 2020-02-17 03:15:35 GMT from United States)
"...using emerge and the built-in GUI updater for CLD took much longer than I was used to. An update after about two weeks, of only 52 packages, took way too much time to complete."
You do realize that "emerge" is compiling software updates from source, don't you? Of course, its going to be much slower than downloading/installing binaries.
10 • @3 MX19-1 (by jonathon on 2020-02-17 04:58:09 GMT from Australia)
Hi M Xavier, hope this helps explain..
"The reason is to allow maximum flexibility for both antiX and MX to develop special versions of packages without stepping on each other’s toes. The relationship between antiX and MX has not changed in any way"
from
https://mxlinux.org/blog/changes-to-mx-default-apt-sources-coming-soon/
11 • e phone (by hank on 2020-02-17 07:43:49 GMT from Germany)
As I have a phone with google removed as far as possible, netguard git keeping it quiet no need for another. Getting apps has never been a problem, either from developers or F droid and other reliable free stores.
The big issue is that on any normal phone the baseband chipset and software is out of control, except by certain authority's, as long as that is the case the phone is insecure.
12 • Branding fail (by Kai on 2020-02-17 07:53:26 GMT from Finland)
Reminder that /e/ is the ecchi board of 4chan (soft porn). Big branding fail.
13 • smartphones are a disease (by fonz on 2020-02-17 08:07:17 GMT from Indonesia)
agreed with @2, i personally hate how society view smartphones > pc. since the dawn of all these smartphones, im honestly seeing the fall of humanity. how often has there been news of people dying just because of their phones? has that ever happened with pcs?
hell, recently i thought people getting 'mentally unstable' due to phone games was just a joke, turns out its real yeah. me, ive been playing games since 95, p2w since y2k (and still do), no signs of me going mentally unstable. wonder how much ive lost over 20 years yeah..?
thankfully my kids are alright with their feature(less) phones and raspberry pi, im glad theyre not being swept by waves, but instead make their own waves...
14 • E phone (by Gown on 2020-02-17 08:50:47 GMT from Germany)
Nice review.... but does it make phone calls? Receive texts? How is the sound quality? Is it compatible with all normal carriers? The reviewer talk so much about the phone's GOS but not it's ability to be s phone! Ty.
15 • Android with Google or not (by OstroL on 2020-02-17 08:51:30 GMT from Poland)
I am using a Nexus 6 with Colt OS, which is derived from Android 9 Pie. I am also using the lowest possible Google apps from open source GAPPS Nano. I need Google Maps for GPS. The rest is voluntary. When I bought the Nexus 6, it was still new from a store lot (lying in the store without being sold) at a very low price. Originally manufactured in 2015-16. Still doing very well. Hoping the guys would manage to get Android 10 on it.
I also have a Nexus 5 with UBports Ubuntu Touch. Also doing well. Has open source maps, which is quite accurate. Calls, sms etc works quite well.
Of course, wouldn't mind a Samsung S9 with Ubuntu touch, but no one appears to able to port it, sadly!
16 • I'm on the bus/train/plane (by Smartguy on 2020-02-17 09:33:17 GMT from United Kingdom)
Got to agree with '2' and '13'. So far, I've not damaged my personage bumping into a lamp-post whilst squinting at a tiny piece of plastic. Many years ago in the era of 'bricks', an executive friend of mine pointed out important people don't need a mobile, they have a secretary in the office and an answerphone at home. My watch tells me the time and I know where I am/going (most of the time!). I trust my family and friends are competent at running their own lives and can call on neighbours, doctors, ambulance, fire brigade in emergencies. [I didn't mention police as they don't work these days.]
My landline is as secure as possible in this age and my PC is more or less locked down with Linux + settings, including a very secure email client.
So, yes, I fear for our young folk. Perhaps brain implants will solve future instant connection issues?
17 • @Android with Google or not (by OstroL (by zcatav on 2020-02-17 10:34:13 GMT from Turkey)
@15
You can use LineageOS for microG (https://lineage.microg.org/). Maps works without GAPPS and microg brings Full Play Services compatibility.
LineageOS for microG has a wide device compatiblity. And everthing works as expected on LineageOS. You can use F-Droid and/or apkmirror as application sources.
18 • Smartphones (by Friar Tux on 2020-02-17 13:41:57 GMT from Canada)
I'm with @16 (Smartguy) on this for exactly the same reasoning. In fact, I don't even HAVE a smart (?) phone and don't plan to get one. I use a PC, which stays home and gets used when I need it. I carry an old fashioned 'day-timer' agenda and pen in my back pocket - period. It has served me well for forty years. Doesn't need recharging or batteries, it's always ready, and the only 'updating/upgrading it needs is once a year I change the calendar. My PC, however, is everything. It is my library (books), newspaper, magazine, technical journal, recipe box, encyclopedia, writer's tool (stories, poems, article, etc.), graphic artist's tool (painting, drawing, 'needle-work' - yup, you read that right), and much, much more. I usually spend about 10-16 hours a day on it. This has helped to declutter/downsize the amount of stuff I would have had to cram into my, now, small apartment (780 sq. ft.).
I do realize that some folks need smart phones to run their business - my son can't be without his as it affords him 24/7 contact with his clients and employees. (I'm proud of that boy. He's quite successful, self-employed, and doing from his own home. Most of his employees work from their homes, also, all thanks to smart phone connectivity.)
19 • I Liked Calculate Linux - But ... (by Lawrence on 2020-02-17 14:11:55 GMT from United States)
Last year I tried Calculate Linux on one of my computers and I found that I liked it very much. I had always wanted to try a Gentoo-based distro. I had no trouble at all with the installation (I read their Wiki before installing and also before doing anything else; the instructions written there are complete and easy to understand) and, though updating takes somewhat longer than with most other distributions (due to everything being compiled from source), if you update every day or so, the process's length is not inordinate.
Then why did I stop using this distro? Frankly, because some of the programs which are essential to me are not offered by Calculate. The most important program that I could not find was HandBrake. There were others too. Plus their forum is mostly written in Russian; English-speakers do not get answers to questions quickly enough to suit me.
I am not sophisticated enough to manually compile a program from source so, regrettably, Calculate Linux had to go. I am now using EndeavourOS (Arch-based) and I am completely satisfied with that distro.
20 • @14 (by brad on 2020-02-17 14:14:42 GMT from United States)
I have the same question, but wanted to see if anyone else noticed - I don't see a review of the phone for use as a phone.
I also agree with some of the other posters here - my phone is not used (in general) to surf the web, or use many specialised apps (certainly *not* to access my bank or investment house - much too insecure!)
21 • /e/ phone (by sananab on 2020-02-17 14:34:40 GMT from Canada)
I'm concerned about using phone whose name is a regular expression.
22 • CLD (by Christian on 2020-02-17 15:20:24 GMT from Canada)
I'm sorry your experience with CLD wasn't great.
It's currently my favorite distro and I've been using it for a while without any major problem.
Yes, emerge is not as fast as dnf, apt, , zypper, pacman, etc., but it's not that much slower. BTW, at @9, although using emerge, (AFAIK) CLD is using binary packages, so there's no compiling when installing or updating software.
When running "cl-update", the system is actually doing lots of tasks (https://old.calculate-linux.org/main/en/system_update_guide).
The installer could also be improved, but it gets the job done (and yes, some experience is required).
On the other hand, emerge is very powerfull and the repositories usually have more than one version of a package available (and the packages available are quite extensive and up to date).
And if you're not very fond of CLI for managing packages, you can try Porthole.
23 • Experience with /e/ OS (by Ben on 2020-02-17 16:07:07 GMT from United Kingdom)
Hello, hope this post will answer some questions I saw in other comments.
I installed /e/ on my OnePlus 6 a few months ago, before that I tried LineageOS for microG and a couple other custom ROMs found on xda-developers on which I had manually added microG services.
Basically, the way I see /e/ is: LineageOS for microG + a selection of great open source apps configured and installed by default + a custom interface (that looks a bit like iOS) + cloud services (email, calendar, contacts, files, etc...)
I chose /e/ over the other ROMs I tried because: LineageOS (the basis of /e/) is one of the most professional Google-free Android based ROM, the microG services are well integrated, I really liked the choice of default apps which I found very polished and on par quality-wise with commercial apps (I was pleasantly surprised with "Maps" and used it for car navigation last summer), setting up a calendar synchronization proved rather complicated on other ROMs whereas it worked out of the box on /e/, and OS updates are painless.
Since it is based on LineageOS, everything that works on LineageOS will also work on /e/, and conversely if it doesn't work on LineageOS it is unlikely to work on /e/. I had similar experiences with the 2 systems, here are a few examples I can list:
WORKING:
- phone calls, text messages, data (I used the phone with 2 different operators in the UK)
- the vast majority of Android apps
- including: banking apps (HSBC, Revolut), Amazon Music, baby camera, Netflix, Synology apps, WhatsApp, Telegram
- Possibility to install alternative appstores (F-Droid, Aurora, etc..)
WORKAROUND NEEDED:
Some games (especially the most sophisticated ones) won't work if installed from the default "Apps" or "Aurora" stores, those deliver a partial APK which then needs to download additional content (probably from Google Play) when starting the game, which fails. For these games I installed another store, "APKPure", which delivers XAPKs including all necessary files.
NOT WORKING:
- an app to manage my home security alarm: I receive all notifications (alarm turned on, off, triggered, etc...) but I cannot log in to actually manage the alarm when away from home. This is the only such example I have.
- I still haven't found a way to install paid apps despite following instructions as advertised on Aurora's github page
Ben
24 • Phone review (by Barnabyh on 2020-02-17 16:21:09 GMT from Germany)
Jesse, please try F-Droid on the /e/ and see whether there are any conflicts or issues. Thanks.
25 • Calculate Linux (by Germany)
What does Calculate Linux provide me with that Debian or Ubuntu lacks?
26 • /e/ OS (by macsmister on 2020-02-17 17:27:02 GMT from United States)
Looks interesting, but the biggest issue I have is the inability to use a contactless payment method. I use (and love) Apple Pay on my iPhone, and I have the feeling this feature will be the hardest one to implement in an open source phone OS such as UBPorts or /e/ or Lineage.
One thing I'm hoping will happen some day... when the folks at KDEConnect reverse engineer what Dell was able to accomplish with Dell Mobile Connect for iOS: https://www.onmsft.com/videos/hands-on-with-dell-mobile-connect-why-its-better-than-microsoft-your-phone-on-windows-10. I want to switch to Linux full time but I gotta be able to copy and paste from/to my iPhone, and use text messaging from my computer.
27 • About "Technology Review (by Jesse Smith)" (by Yuri on 2020-02-17 17:46:16 GMT from Russia)
Hi, Jesse.
Thank you for review.
Couple of questions...
1. What about energy optimisation (eat battery)?
2. What about root access?
3. What about OS updates (major versions)? You can update OS to analog Android ver.9 and ver.10?
28 • Linux phone (by Cheker on 2020-02-17 18:32:18 GMT from Portugal)
It's extremely likely that I'll buy a PinePhone one of these days, but I haven't decided on the OS yet. Considering /e/ looks to be just Google-less Android, it probably won't be my pick as I want to try something different. Not having access to the Play Store isn't a major loss, not like there's anything good there as it is.
@12 I went through the entire review and that didn't even occur to me. Wonder what shows up if you google /e/. Oh Christ, lmao.
29 • mobile phone (by greenpossum on 2020-02-17 21:42:25 GMT from Australia)
@16 and @18: You obviously don't travel. A smartphone is a vade mecum. I once listed all the things a smartphone displaced in my packing list for older trips: guide book, compass, dictionaries, maps, cards (to some extent), magnifying glass, diary, contact list, note pad, camera, music player, laptop (to some extent). I didn't always take the full list on every trip, but longer trips, up to 3 months, would use most of that list. And being a phone of course.
30 • Calculate Linux Review (by Ariel on 2020-02-17 22:27:36 GMT from Argentina)
Thanks for making a review about Calculate Linux. I would like to point out that yes indeed it's a distro with a quite sharp slope of learning, I use it in all my systems even at work as a LAMP server, it took me few months to get used to, but once you know how to deal with emerge you can do basically everything that come up to your mind, it's a true meta distro since you can define the way you want the dependeces to be made a build a system as you want by setting up flags, on the other hand you have a lot of binary packages so you can save time compiling, by far the portage system with the overlays is the most advanced package manager you can possible deal with, If you like to learn how things work I think it's a very good distro. Since I moved from Debian to Calculate about 3 yrs ago my distrohope syndrome has gone away, since I have always something new to learn tweak and discover running an hybrid calculate+gentoo system on my rigs. Thanks for another great DWN. byeee
31 • @ #27 (by M Xavier on 2020-02-17 23:35:35 GMT from Canada)
@ #27
Jesse Thanks for review.
In line with #27,
Only one more question:
How many sensors are stuffed-in that end-user(s) hardly use?
32 • sensors (by Jesse on 2020-02-18 00:39:10 GMT from Canada)
@31: "How many sensors are stuffed-in that end-user(s) hardly use?"
What sort of sensors are you thinking of? I linked to the phone's specs and features in the article if you're looking for a hardware overview.
33 • @ #32 Sensors (by M Xavier on 2020-02-18 02:02:10 GMT from Canada)
Thanks Jesse,
Indeed you reviewed nicely.
I hope DW should charge nice bucks for tech review of any products.
Anyway, Galaxy S9 is stuffed with following sensors:
Sensors
Iris sensor
Fingerprint sensor
HR sensor
Pressure sensor
Gyro sensor
Proximity sensor
Accelerometer
Geomagnetic sensor
RGB Light sensor
Barometer
Hall sensor
+ Face Recognization
34 • The "ONLY" case, I would buy Samsung Galaxy S9 (by M Xavier on 2020-02-18 02:15:35 GMT from Canada)
The "ONLY" case, I would buy Samsung Galaxy S9,
if and only if,
The factory-sealed box of Samsung Galaxy S9 contains the certificate from Samsung that none of the above sensors are stuffed-in (of course at heavy price reduction, bcoz no extra-charges for sensors which are not stuffed-in.). Plus no facial recognization and no finger-printing.
As in I am not a believer of security features.
35 • Why would I throw-in my money? (by M xavier on 2020-02-18 02:38:08 GMT from Canada)
Why would I throw-in my hard-earned money every 18 month approximately where battery is simply not replace-able, where as, I DO NOT USE any of following features:
Biometrics : iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, face recognition
Intelligent scan: Combines iris scan and face recognition for convenient unlocking and in some cases provides enhanced security for certain authentication services. And, Voice assistant Color lens Mono audio Voice label.
36 • /e/phone (by Sum1 on 2020-02-18 04:51:21 GMT from Indonesia)
Nah, I had enough for smartphones. I won't buy it anymore, I'm happy with Debian Noroot .apk on my Android Pie phone. Another smartphone? Not meh.
37 • @2, About OSes (by RJA on 2020-02-18 07:11:42 GMT from United States)
At least, I never had Android updates fail for no good reason, AFAIK.
In my experience, Windows 10 on laptops and desktops, gives me more of a hard time than Android ever did! Especially Windows 10 before 1909.
Heck, even iOS looks more consistent than Windows 10, update-wise.
And I do want to try /e/, but I risk borking the phone! (if not bricking it) Have they even tested the camera functionality? I was thinking of trying /e/ on my 2014 Samsung Galaxy S5, which has Android Marshmallow on it, IIRC.
I'm currently very happy with my Galaxy S10+, (probably 2019) which I got on July 26, 2019, IIRC. It came with Android 9 and was successfully updated to Android 10, IIRC. I think the original Android code name is "Pie". I think I got "Q" now.
38 • /e/rom (by /e/may on 2020-02-18 11:10:07 GMT from Norway)
its nice to see more open roms like https://replicant.us and /e/,
I do build a custom slim AOSP rom with microG for a Sony device, and it achieves more or less 12h screen time on good days. But then again I dont want a smart phone but a tiny portable computer, therefore Pinephone or Librem 5 is the future choice for me and as allways with a custom slim linux/gnu os;)
39 • Won't trust my data with ch/e/aters (by N/e/ver again on 2020-02-18 11:39:38 GMT from United States)
They cheated Wikipedia with sock and meat puppets. They don't encrypt your data with keys only you control. Their app store is run by a shadow organization (info.cleanapk.org). See reviews at infosec-handbook.eu. I tried it, then went back to Lineage in a heartbeat. Replicant is better if you're serious about deGoogling. I would recommend taking advantage of their free 5 GB storage accounts, using throwaway emails to register, and always first encrypting your uploads yourself.
40 • /e/ (by Arthur on 2020-02-18 13:00:29 GMT from Australia)
I've been using a cheap Android phone (LeEco 2) for the last year or so with /e/ on it, and it's been pretty much a smooth experience the entire time. I've found the entire experience of installing it and using it as a daily phone to be great. I don't consider that it's not the standard Android experience as it's been so seamless. The only issues I've had have been:
- video recording and calls: works for most things, except WhatsApp (yes, hypocrisy for a privacy-focused OS, but I also live in the real world).
- issues with the camera: once I moved to a camera app that uses the newer API, the issue went away
- phone encryption: didn't work for ages, then I discovered that TWRP was the underlying issue, not /e/. Once I shrunk the data partition size by 4 blocks, it worked perfectly.
When I come across websites that block my phone because they can't serve me the adverts they want to, and my data seems to be secure and under my control, I'm reminded of why I installed it. Sure, I'm no phone addict. But I like my privacy.
41 • /e/ phone and OS (by OstroL on 2020-02-18 15:12:32 GMT from Poland)
This /e/ OS is pretty old, from around 2 and half years old. Android 8.1 was introduced in August 2017, and this is February 2020. It should be an OS derived from Android X, at least.
42 • Calculate Review (by Tony on 2020-02-18 15:23:46 GMT from Bulgaria)
Mr. Sanders puts too much personal opinion in that review and it looks like he had a negative opinion about the distro before trying it. When trying a new OS, especially so different since it's based on Gentoo, you have to be prepared for big changes, be it the installer, package manager or other things. I do understand that it's not nice not to have the NVIDIA up and running, and that waiting for package compilation consumes a lot time. A deeper look in things would be much better, like Mr. Smith does in his reviews. I do believe that the NVIDIA issue he had is solvable in some way. Thank you for the review Sanders and take a look at the documentation next time, please.
43 • @38--Why you don't have a computer in your pocket...yet. (by R. Cain on 2020-02-18 15:23:50 GMT from United States)
@ 38 --
".. But then again I dont want a smart phone but a tiny portable computer..."
I've been "into" computers for a very long time, from back in the days of H-P, GE, DEC (et. al.) MINIcomputers; and every peripheral was a device NOT made for a computer, along with a 'one-off' assembly-language driver for the device (I remember having to modify the hardware and write the software to be able to use a Kennedy reel-to-reel mag tape machine with a MAC-16 mini).
The point is this: I've long known--as most of us should have--that the device most of you carry around in your pocket has FAR more computing power than what was available as short a time ago as ten years. We also (should) know that almost ALL THAT POWER is completely unavailable for our general use--it is totally and completely "locked up"--due strictly to being hobbled by the machinations of the two companies which are responsible for what passes for an 'operating system' for almost 100% of these devices.
I absolutely agree with /e/may:
I want all this computing power--which has been artificially withheld for far too long--to be available to me, and I will buy a Linux PinePhone, with its bootable MicroSD slot when the time is right.
For a list of the PinePhone's features, see
https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/
For a well-thought-out article on the current state of the PinePhone, and his (not inconsiderable good) points, see Jack Wallen's excellent article:
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/why-the-150-pinephone-is-not-ready-to-replace-my-android-device/
44 • @43 (by Bob on 2020-02-18 17:11:18 GMT from Austria)
In terms of computing power Intel, AMD and ARM are more or less comparable since many years for similar cores. There is no such thing as superior power in the mobile devices other than their advantage in terms of power consumption. You won't be able to match the computing power of the top of the line Intel or AMD desktop CPUs with your mobile device in your pocket without burning a hole in it (that's why mobile CPUs are throttled).
45 • Calculate Linux Review (by Gary on 2020-02-18 18:37:52 GMT from United States)
I have used several earlier versions Of Calculate. Only had a little trouble installing them and they worked well. However the newest versions will not install on my older computers. Once they take over the entire HD, they lock up on reboot and I cannot log in. Granted Calculate takes longer to install or update, but it was a rock solid system.
Note: I was never able to get it to install on a Lenovo laptop, then or now.
46 • Matching the computing power of top-of-the-line desktop CPUs? Where did that co (by R. Cain on 2020-02-18 18:45:25 GMT from United States)
@ 44 --
"...There is no such thing as superior power in the mobile devices..."
"...You won't be able to match the computing power of the top of the line Intel or AMD desktop CPUs...without burning a hole..."
Where (and why) did these comments come from? What do they remotely have to do with the observations made in @ 43?
Did you even comprehend the message of the comment? The comments you made are what is known as "red herrings".
How about trying again, and this time, please give us all the benefit of your answer--as well as the benefit of, I'm sure, your considerable experience--to the statement, "...the device most of you carry around in your pocket has FAR more computing power than what was available as short a time ago as ten years...".
If you have a problem with THIS statement, then please address IT, along with your very serious, technically factual reasoning.
'Red herrings' have no place in a (hopefully) logical discourse.
**************************************************************************
"Reading comprehension is a big problem in open-source"
Updated: February 24, 2016
https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-reading-comprehension.html
47 • some concerns about /e/ phone (by dmacleo on 2020-02-18 21:10:45 GMT from United States)
first...that foolish name.
next we'll be calling it // the phone formerly known as prince...I mean /e/
misreading phone models depending on screen is a little odd. also they really need to make sure when they start the swap process to tell people to not send them carrier phones, s9 bought at newegg and one bought from verizon/att are very different. carrier s9+ like my verizon one locked and even people at xda have not rooted it from what I saw as little as 10 days ago when looking.
48 • @46 (by Bob on 2020-02-19 01:08:31 GMT from Austria)
I have to admit that I did not read your post carefully enough before commenting, but I probably still don't get these remarks:
"... POWER is completely unavailable for our general use ..."
"... has been artificially withheld for far too long ..."
It is beyond me why someone might think that computing power of mobile devices is unavailable for general use. Android Studio and a zillion of apps come to mind. But I guess I'll stop this before we are talking way past each other. Good luck with your PinePhone!
49 • @43 (by zcatav on 2020-02-19 06:58:08 GMT from Turkey)
"I want all this computing power--which has been artificially withheld for far too long--to be available to me, and I will buy a Linux PinePhone, with its bootable MicroSD slot when the time is right."
Until then, you can install and use Termux on your smartphone.
50 • /e/ what (by MrCircle on 2020-02-19 15:59:35 GMT from Mexico)
So, the revolutionary /e/ phone uses Lineagos and runs on a Samsung Galazy S9 phone. That is not revolutionary.
I can buy an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 for $150 on Amazon and put on Lineagos for free.
Why would I pay /e/ $300 for the same thing? https://e.foundation/e-pre-installed-refurbished-smartphones/
In the even that a person couldn't install the new ROM themselves, and they paid a mobile repair shop to flash their phone that would still be less than the advertised $300 for a pre-installed /e/ phone. And this product is only available in limited areas?
Strange business model.
51 • Installing /e/ (by Jesse on 2020-02-19 16:05:44 GMT from Canada)
@50: "I can buy an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 for $150 on Amazon and put on Lineagos for free. Why would I pay /e/ $300 for the same thing?"
You wouldn't. You'd purchase the phone you want for $150 and then download and install /e/ onto it for free. The sold/refurbished phones the e Foundation sells is for people who don't already have a compatible phone or don't want to deal with flashing the OS.
52 • Anarchy Linux (by Julian Cardich on 2020-02-19 17:49:41 GMT from Greece)
Anarchy is a political system and/or philosophy. In my opinion, the association of an operating system with politics is an extreme absurdity. I think this extraneous object should have no place in this and any other non-political site.
53 • @ #52 Anarchy Linnux (by M Xavier on 2020-02-19 22:44:52 GMT from Canada)
While taking about "Anarchy" Linux, one should realize the facts down-to-the-earth that every distro is biased to one or to an another one. And, kernel itself is biased to some.
54 • Mobiles and anarchy (by Rufus on 2020-02-20 09:30:03 GMT from Singapore)
@52, Judging is fine, but it should be done from knowledge. Anarchy in its broad sense is the absence of order or authority. It is not a belief or a philosophy, only a description of a state/event. It can be said of nature ("not manicured plots but a wild anarchy of nature" -Israel Shenker) or of a grouping or society which all interaction is voluntary. (Hands-On Nature Anarchy Zone; See link below)
https://ithacachildrensgarden.org/visit-the-garden/about-the-garden/hands-on-nature-anarchy-zone/
Mobiles: At my advanced age, I still manage the daily use of smartphones without running into lamp-posts or falling of cliffs. (So far.) I find them near-indispensable. I've been interested in UBPorts, just to try it, but looking at the hardware list, the only unit I'd consider is the Nexus 5. Now I can get a Nexus 5 (new leftovers) from China for under USD200, but I can get a new large screen, Chinese branded (Vivo, Oppo) with up to date, decent specs and features, running the latest Android, for around USD150. So far it remains a maybe. For Android phones where the updates have stopped, LIneage, or variants of it will do fine. I don't have a Google aversion, so access to the store is needed.
55 • @52 Jukian Cardich: (by dragonmouth on 2020-02-20 13:37:40 GMT from United States)
Don't be getting hung up on a word.
What is worse, an innocuous operating system with a name you do not happen to like or an operating system with a innocuous name (Windows, OS/X) that is, in effect, a dictatorship?
Don't be a Political Correctness prig.
56 • 52 • Anarchy Linux (by Julian Cardich on 2020-02-19 17:49:41 GMT from Greece) (by zcatav on 2020-02-20 13:38:21 GMT from Turkey)
@52
And what about 'anticapitalista' he is maintainer of antiX and MX Linux from Greece?
57 • Could have been worse (by CS on 2020-02-20 15:29:29 GMT from United States)
At least they didn't call it the /b/ phone
58 • Three Thoughts (by Richard Siegrist on 2020-02-20 16:07:23 GMT from United States)
1. The button that does nothing previously called up Bixby the Android version of Siri. This button is a real pain as it is always being accidently hit.
2. I am a speed freak when it comes to my computing equipment. Having to push extra buttons in an attempt to reach a location in the system would drive me crazy. My Android S9 is bad enough.
3. Lastly, not having an accurate, functioning gps system grinds everything to a halt. I use phone gps in my personal vehicle and when riding my off road motorcycle in remote locations. Since this is a
wifi based system it wouldn't be available where I need it anyhow.
59 • @52 (by Jay on 2020-02-20 18:08:17 GMT from United States)
I'm not a fan of the name either. However, the creator may see it as a clever pun. If you read it as "An Arch-y (Arch-Like) Linux" then I get it. However, it would be difficult for me to promote/encourage its use to most people given the name. Out of context it is off-putting. The same is true with the BSD devil. I have enough trouble being associated with a fat penguin.
60 • /e/ phone, underwhelmed (by Richard Palmer on 2020-02-21 10:06:38 GMT from France)
I've been running an equivalent system of my very first smartphone (HTC Desire) for over a year so I'm a little bemused by the /e/phone notion.
I soon discovered that due to the memory limitations of the Desire (Bravo) I was limited to running a custom rom (BeanStalk-4.4.4065-20151211-bravo). I quickly found that installing Google Apps was guaranteed to cause major operational problems because of the phone's low CPU power and memory, so I installed F-Droid and found equivalent open-source Apps to those provided by Google.
Now my old HTC is a perfectly functional device that allows communications (phone, WhatsApp, sms, email) browsing (mBrowser) mapping (Maps.me) audio visual (VLC, internet radio, podcasts, remote for "Clementine" and "Squeezebox", Newpipe for Youtube access, Google agenda sync via Etar,
Without the clutter of Google the device has again become very useable. I can port its sound output to a bluetooth speaker, and connect a bluetooth external keyboard should I wish to do any serious typing on the device.
My advice, recycle, save resources and use your intellect not your wallet.
Number of Comments: 60
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