• pinknoise
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    3 years ago

    Android is just Linux with some patches and a crappy userland sprinkled on top. Why should you not be able to run whatever you want if the bootloader isn’t locked? Pine64 tries to use components that have a documentation you can access without an NDA. If you want a libre smartphone you are fucked anyways since you’ll have trouble finding a modem that doesn’t require loading a non-free firmware :(

    • federico3
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      3 years ago

      just Linux with some patches

      “just”? The amount of patching and the addition of binary blobs makes it significantly different from the upstream kernel.

      Plus, you cannot get hardware manufacturers to cooperate with FOSS projects on testing and debugging their drivers. Hence Pine64’s efforts.

      If you want a libre smartphone you are fucked anyways

      This is a false dichotomy.