It uses the kernel from the SoC vendor, for example Qualcomm, for the Xperia 10 III.
This requires libhybris to get the drivers working with a non-Android userland.
This in turn means the phone can only be updated as long as Qualcomm continues patching the kernel.
And this is why you run an outdated kernel once Qualcomm drops support, which will happen quickly. It’s the same for other SoC vendors. They are in the business of selling SoCs, not supporting them.
Mainline support solves that. SailfishOS can also be built with a mainline kernel.
I am in fact working on mainlining the Xperia 10 III. Once I’m done, you can flash an image with a mainline kernel and continue updating the kernel until the phone breaks, not until Qualcomm stops caring.
You mostly rely on vendor kernels, that is the point. The operating system would have updated it for you if it was actually still maintained.
Good operating systems will tell you that this OS is not secure anymore (if it ever was). But many that people use dont say anything while maybe even still shipping updates, so people think it is fine.
Next step would be upstreaming some patches to the kernel, I just need to find the time.
Someone more skilled and knowledgeable than me in mainlining could probably get most of the remaining things done in a couple days, but I need to read a lot of docs and try out a lot of things.
It’s not that hard, the hardest part is finding the right info, I don’t even know C. I just enable the components that have drivers and leave the rest until someone writes the driver. :)
Hmm… are you sure?
In their docs they say it uses the Linux Kernel and bridges other Linux libraries including those used in Android.
It does provide a way to install Android apps in a sandbox.
They have their own hardware phones and do support some Sony Xperia phones, which is the one I have.
It uses the kernel from the SoC vendor, for example Qualcomm, for the Xperia 10 III.
This requires libhybris to get the drivers working with a non-Android userland.
This in turn means the phone can only be updated as long as Qualcomm continues patching the kernel.
And this is why you run an outdated kernel once Qualcomm drops support, which will happen quickly. It’s the same for other SoC vendors. They are in the business of selling SoCs, not supporting them.
Mainline support solves that. SailfishOS can also be built with a mainline kernel.
I am in fact working on mainlining the Xperia 10 III. Once I’m done, you can flash an image with a mainline kernel and continue updating the kernel until the phone breaks, not until Qualcomm stops caring.
Very interesting. Yes I run Sailfish on a Xperia 10 III.
But was not aware of the kernel being supported by the SoC.
Seems like you’re involved in an interesting project.
I’m quite curious about it.
Can you check how old your kernel is?
uname -rMine is 4.19.248
https://endoflife.date/linux
Very longterm, support ended over 1 year ago. That kernel is 7 years old…
Android is very conservative with kernel upgrades, but this is insane.
I didn’t know this.
Kernel is still a gray area to me.
Can I update it while maintaining Saifish?
You mostly rely on vendor kernels, that is the point. The operating system would have updated it for you if it was actually still maintained.
Good operating systems will tell you that this OS is not secure anymore (if it ever was). But many that people use dont say anything while maybe even still shipping updates, so people think it is fine.
That is very good information.
Didn’t know about this.
Thank you very much.
Still early days, but hopefully I’ll at some point have it all working.
This is my current progress: https://git.erebion.eu/forgejo/erebion/pdx213-temp
Next step would be upstreaming some patches to the kernel, I just need to find the time.
Someone more skilled and knowledgeable than me in mainlining could probably get most of the remaining things done in a couple days, but I need to read a lot of docs and try out a lot of things.
That is some impressive stuff, well done!
I’m a software developer but nowhere near kernel stuff.
I do have a curiosity to learn more about kernel development.
Definitely will check it out later.
It’s not that hard, the hardest part is finding the right info, I don’t even know C. I just enable the components that have drivers and leave the rest until someone writes the driver. :)
Fair enough.
But looks cool regardless.