[HN Gopher] SailfishOS: A Linux-based European alternative to do...
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SailfishOS: A Linux-based European alternative to dominant mobile
OSes
Author : ForHackernews
Score : 46 points
Date : 2025-11-01 22:05 UTC (55 minutes ago)
(HTM) web link (sailfishos.org)
(TXT) w3m dump (sailfishos.org)
| panzi wrote:
| That still exists? When I first heard of it many many years ago I
| had hopes for it. Never heard of it again. I see it is still on
| Qt5.
| OsrsNeedsf2P wrote:
| Yes, they've even come out with a phone, but it's only
| available in Europe[0]
|
| [0] https://commerce.jolla.com/products/jolla-community-phone
| grg0 wrote:
| Videos on that page have more information than the post's
| link.
| indolering wrote:
| My understanding is that it met some government requirements
| that Android did not. Niche for sure but useful in some
| contexts.
| cultofmetatron wrote:
| there's an easy roadmap to make this popular.
|
| make it so that I can dock it and use it as a full fat OS on a
| desktop. If they wanna market this as an open phone, they need to
| make it first class as a primary computing device. so far only
| samsung is willing to enter this territory with a glorified
| chromebook.
|
| if I could install the rust toolchain and vscode on it and use it
| in a customizable desktop environemnt by plugging it into a USBC
| monitor, you bet I'd buy it. Id happily pay 1-2k+ euros for it.
|
| Sadly as is, it functionally does less than my locked down iphone
| so whats the point?
| Alive-in-2025 wrote:
| That would be nice, plug in usb-c to a display and keyboard.
|
| But there's another way, can't someone implement their own
| implementation of the core google services apis and then you
| can just load a regular app off the app store and run it?
| Google would absolutely want to block this as their control and
| monopoly depends on it. But it shouldn't be against the law.
|
| It's obvious, so it means someone must have tried and it was
| not reasonably possible.
| devjab wrote:
| As cool as this is there won't be an European alternative as long
| as all the apps you'd want to use on a smartphone require either
| Google Play or the Apple App store.
| muyuu wrote:
| it does run some sort of Android emulation layer
| hkt wrote:
| It runs Android apps. Presumably, it has access to the Play
| store in some capacity, or a viable alternative.
| nicce wrote:
| Huawei just created new OS and removed all traces of Android
| and Linux. Just like that. If there is will, it is possible.
| zb3 wrote:
| They're about to make a new phone:
| https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/next-gen-jolla-phone/23882
| spankibalt wrote:
| The voting results/behavior makes one weep. "Winner was
| Fingerprint after 9 rounds" in the _additional wishlist_
| category.
| ho_schi wrote:
| SailfishOS and the Jolla One were good (awesome usability) But
| the integration of Android was a horribly failure. It is like
| WINE, half working applications preventing native ports of
| quality. I left the boat.
|
| After that Jolla failed with the tablet. Then they didn't deliver
| a successor device for Jolla One and provided SailfishOS only as
| aftermarket OS. You remember the Android problem from above? The
| hardware of others, without official support? That is calling for
| problems.
|
| And to make everything worse Jolla started a cooperation with
| Russia in 2015. They quit it in 2021.
|
| _Compatibility and APIs_
|
| Never try to be compatible to a hostile environment like Win32 or
| Android. Or any kind of undocumented API. These kind of hacker
| ethic fires back.
|
| Compatibility is a key feature. Regarding your own API-Stability
| and interoperability! If the other side is not interested it is
| not just useless, it is harmful and a waste of resources.
|
| Google has the Play Services as incompatibility tool. And Android
| is NOT an interoperable API, it is the system API exclusive for
| Android. If you want a reliable API for Linux, use the system API
| of Linux, GLIBC/GLIBC++, systemd and Wayland.
|
| PS: Instead of hacking something, fix the problem. Require
| politicians to regulate software. Exchange APIs or SMB are an
| example, the EU required Microsoft (back in 2007?) to publish
| stable APIs. If we want AirDrop for all? Regulate Apple. We
| actually never regulated software and therefore we suffer from
| monopolies and vendor lock-in.
| mempko wrote:
| The android support improved a lot such that all the apps I
| used worked there.
| pfix wrote:
| Funny. This is the opposite of what
| https://blog.hiler.eu/win32-the-only-stable-abi/ states :D
|
| And there's a lot going on with Proton and the Steam Deck, so I
| don't think this is a valid argument.
| rzerowan wrote:
| Funnily enough the only viable deployment was AuroraOS in Russia
| , which they cut ties with after the war started (pretty
| shortsighted IMO) as the equivalent US ops merely paused their
| operations with options for future return. I think Google only
| stopped monetization of play store from Visa/MC CC ban , while
| maintianing their operations there. Meanwhile the sailfish guys
| set their largest successful deployment on fire with no recourse
| for reapprochment once the peace returns. As im thinking the RU
| market would be drifting more towards Chines tech ala HarmonyOS
| etc if they want alternatives to Android/IOS.
| throwuxiytayq wrote:
| Don't be silly, nobody wants that rep.
| rzerowan wrote:
| 'In Europe' , as noted American ios/androis and their stores
| still work .At a reduced capacity yeah , but ready to restore
| links when the time comes around.Ditto for all other major
| brands (US) even though they arent issuing press releases.
| From a purely biz perspective they could have gone 'yeah were
| pausing until blah blah ..' instead of salting the earth on
| one of their largest/succeesful deployments.
| katsura wrote:
| Last I heard of them they filed for bankruptcy. Are they back
| then?
| BoredPositron wrote:
| I am not a fan anymore I used it for over a year on a XPERIA XA2.
| It's usable but barely so. The Android layer usually craps out
| with heavier apps or crawls to a halt. Most of the native apps
| are really basic I would compare them to early Windows Phone apps
| in functionality and UX. The UX itself is an odd mix of really
| intuitive and absolute horrible. It seems like they are missing
| focus and the felt development stalled for some years now. I hope
| plasma or gnome get more momentum because this isn't a viable
| alternative for 90% of smartphone users. Meego was better and I
| don't understand why they pivoted in the direction they are going
| now. It's certainly opinionated.
| tdhz77 wrote:
| Read this as to dominate mobile OSes, and thought that's a
| different Linux attitude
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