Librem Phone, what we really need

Hardware Librem 5
1

Hi everyone, i think we should understand what we really need from librem phone, i’m gonna write my opinion

Android, iOS, Windows10, Ubuntu Touch, Sailfish Os

why another operating system?
90% of people doesent even know there is something else out there, they just wanna use wazzup and facebook, they will never buy something different from android or ios, so why we need it? what does really miss in mobile market?

IMHO a real privacy and freedom device, who let me decide ANYTHING about my data, where apps and system doesen’t steal my informations, data, metadata etc etc like any GNU/Linux desktop distribution do!!

so why not ubuntu touch?
they use closed source chipset, like mediatek and exynos, we wanna be the real “admin” of our device, no backdoor inside software and/or hardware

what librem crew should care about?

Software:
ofcourse a full privacy system (hardware and software) we dont need other “services” than a GNU/Linux does, i dont wanna see “librem play services” “librem apps” i just need linux with a touch DE (like plasma mobile or what do u like)
As other GNU/linux distros i wanna have the full controll on my system, no strange deamons/service, not useless preinstalled software and ofcourse i wanna be able to unistall everything i dont need, and install (almost) everything is on debian repository

Ofcourse a privacy and secure system oriented need a constant update, so you need to build a system will be able to run and update-upgrade during years, and if you make a new phone, dont stop to make security updates for the older

Another important thing are apps
imho there is not chance to build/rebuild alot of apps we already have on android, but ofcourse i dont wanna android apps running as other linux app does, i’d like to have a virtual machine or a good hardened sandbox, where i can install f-droid apps, or install apk downloaded from web (for example maps.me is an awesome offline navigator)
android app will ofcourse ask for permission, i’d like to have a well builded interface who will ask me first and then show me, what information every android app will ask and use from the main system, so i can use some common apps allowing them to do what I want.
Also a good firewall and system log for be able to watch what the system do, is important
A note for firefox, i’ve saw you are forked it on pureos, i hope to find on librem phone repository the “normal” firefox, onestly i prefear to harden it myself

Hardware
_I’d like to have an open source hardware system
_a good front camera with flash
_a sim with mobile data is a must, no one will buy it without!!
_a good gps optimized with software pls!!
_remember to make a protective case for the phone
_a good capsule audio and a good microphone, is a phone, i dont wanna feel like i’m in a cave while i’m talking
_a good battery, we dont need a supermega flattern device for be cool, we are not apple customers, so make it good and bigger (ok we dont even wanna buy a caterpillar, but i think you got it what i mean)
_fullhd screen should be nice

2

i forgot something

about cpu
use a snapdragon, is opensource and powerfull, the i.mx6 is old!!
dont make the same mistake as jolla phone do using a really older hardware, give us a good 64bit powerfull cpu

prices
ofcourse everyone wanna buy a Ferrari for 1 Euro, but is not possible, then we have apple who will sell an horse for 4000 euro, i just hope to have a good highend phone, as alot of android manufacturer do (xiaomi for example) with a good price, no more than 500 euro, there is alot of highend android phone like xiaomi for example who sell their top gamma at 300 euro, so dont be overpriced, like turing phone or apple do

avalaibility
dont start preorder if you are not sure you can do it, or if we have to wait more than 4 months before have the phone, because problems are annoying for us and for you
last but not least, think about europen customers, should be nice if you can sell it from europe for dont waste 20% of our money for importing taxes

thanks

3

I believe if we’re going to be true to FOSS and FOSH!.. to the Free Software Foundation!.. to Richard Stallman!.. we should be adopting only those OS Distros recommended by the FSF! And so… I would like to suggest that ANY FURTHER discussions re the deployment of an OS for ANY Purism device (including, and beyond any Purism cellphone design!), be vetted by the FSF! And!.. I’d suggest beginning with the OS Distros mentioned within the List of Free GNU/Linux Distributions (see Google!) at the FSF! Indeed!.. if the Purism Librem devices are truly state-of-the-art FOSS OS Distros, then these should be proactively incorporated within the just mentioned List!
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Lastly, Purism must also recognize that there is a FUNDAMENTAL NEED to proactively reach out to any and all other FOSS and FOSH based technomae, if it hopes to lay the foundation for growth in FOSS and FOSH!.. and rather, than capitulate to a compromise of the FOSS/ FOSH agendas, based on a current strength to be found in closedware developments! And this will require, a broadening of Purism’s ties to the LARGEST POSSIBLE FOSS/ FOSH communities within the GLOBAL FOSS/ FOSH FAMILY! And so!.. and for example!.. in designing a Purism phone, one must FIRST accommodate FOSS/ FOSH technomae, devices and systems that are compatible with the design aims of FOSS/ FOSH (above and beyond the proposed phone itself!.. e.g., the network technomae, devices and systems upon which the phone will “ride”!)1… rather, than seek out designs that “kowtow” to dominant closed source infrastructure! In other words, wherever the FOSS/ FOSH technamae, devices and systems within our global ICT infrastructure can do the job of delivering what’s essential for the Purism infrastructure we need, then such FOSS/ FOSH technomae, devices and systems, should be enjoined FIRST! Simply put!.. it’s a matter of believing in the future of FOSS/ FOSS, WITHOUT RESERVATIONS (ON ANY ICT LEVEL!)!
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Please!.. no emails!

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This is the list of GNU/Linux endorsed by FSF.
Free GNU/Linux distributions

and also exist another list of Non-GNU endorsed by FSF.
Free Non-GNU Distributions

Replicant is a CyanogenMod (Android) distribuition without any binary blob endorsed by FSF, I think it’s a decision GNU/Linux vs Replicant.

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GNU/Linux is the answer not some kind of android mod

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Thank you all for your feedback!

I guess that if the phone is truly free, as we want it to be, it should be able to run any FSF endorsed OS (Replicant included). We may have it ship with an OS (that should be FSF endorsed indeed) but the end user should have a total control over the software and you may end up installing your favorite distribution instead.

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IMHO replicant is a google son, and if someone are looking for something different, they will look for something really different, for example something made by community open and privacy friendly as GNU/Linux distros are, there is no reason to buy another android mod phone, i can buy a phone i like and mod it myself (as i’ve already done) why should i buy something i already have?
normal user will never change their samsung/apple phone for librem phone why they should care? just entusiast and purist user are looking for something different, and usually this kind of people are able to mod an android phone, so why they should buy your hardware with an android mod, if they can buy the hardware they like and mod it?

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i whould like to add a thing

replicant is starting to upgrade from 4.2 to android 6 (shame on them, google just released android 7), i’m not really happy about all the security holes replicant have because lack of update, and also with full update android is a bugged and unsecure os

with a GNU/Linux system we should have all bug patched really asap and a real secure system

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Before anything else, the device has to simply work. If you can’t do simple things (make a call, use maps/driving app, listen to music, watch youtube, take a picture) easily, then nothing else matters.

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It should be that simple:
We’ll get free hardware so we’ll be able to make any open source OS run on this device.
Of course there’s going to be a free OS the phone gets shipped with and that will probably be the kind of operating system that works best at the time of production. (So this is really a thing the guys at purism need to evaluate.)

I’d like to see replicant + microG someday, but this is up to developers outside of Purism I think.

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Our plan, as it has been for awhile, is to run PureOS as the default for all our devices as a bundle of Librem hardware and PureOS as software. PureOS meets the requirements for FSF endorsement, and we are going through the process of gaining proper endorsement from FSF (this takes time, but we are committed to doing this properly and long-term).

So to answer the question about distribution, it will be PureOS by default, which is of course a GNU/Linux distribution that meets the requirements of FSF endorsement. It is forked from Debian GNU/Linux, but PureOS does not contain, nor promote the use of non-free software. A user can run whatever they choose, but PureOS will be the default.

And Brian brings up the driving factor, having the Librem Phone “work” to do the “basic things” is critical. I will elaborate to say “basic things” in our case is creating a portable encrypted communication device.

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thanks for the answer

do we have any chance to buy it on some european reseller or make some kind of your own european e-store where we can buy it without any useless export tax?

do you have some kind of roadmap about this project or is too early for talk about it?

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We are beginning the process of a European reseller, we have one in mind, but are still working out the details, we should have Librem laptops available through them first, so when the Librem Phone is ready we will have it already setup.

Right now it is too early to talk about roadmap, the general roadmap is; gather the survey results, see what we can and cannot do from those results, take our honed results to the few fabricators we are already in talks with, then put all the pieces together, getting cost, quantity, and delivery. Produce some prototypes, develop required software, probably put out a pre-order or invite campaign, produce, and sell.

1 Like
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Nice to ear this infos
i’m following you, i’m really interested on this phone, i hope you can do it without any kind of problems, if you will choose the preorder option, and i think this is the best option, because you can start to take some money and use it for your job, just do it in the proper way, as you already know alot of preorder campain, have troubles with delays, no reply from company to customers and so on, and is really bad for customers but also for the company, because people who believe on it will lose their trust and they will never buy again from them.
so what i’d like to suggest when you have all infos you need, is to make a realistic roadmap and update through your blog the state of the project so people can get involved and can understand what are you doing (and that you are working on it)

about the price as i said you should gain money ofcourse but try if is possible to not be aggressive like apple do, because no one will buy poor hardware at high price, i mean should be well balanced, we know you make the software, you are working with partners for the harware and everyone have to gain money on this process, but the market is very aggressive on it, i think your customers are entusiast, so there is the right spot for a real gnu/linux phone, but the selling price is an important part for convince us to buy it, i mean, i wanna this phone, i probably buy more than one, but ofcourse it also depend the balance from price and hardware, i understand will be more expensive than any android phone, and i’m ok with it, because i wanna support any company who make a truly opensource and privacy friendly product, because who respect their customers deserve their support and their money

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i know is early, but i’d like to know if there is some news from you or from survey

thanks

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FreeSpirit, just follow our blog, we’ll publish the results there once ready.

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thank you very much

if is possible and not much expensive i’d like to suggest to make it dual sim capable, in alot of country is a must have

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Is it maybe possible to let the run like an pc where you can install your own distro like if i want to install kali linix on it i can if i want arch i can install that but make an application that can also make a package that can help with compatibility with all linux distributions
so i can use the phone’s full features on

19

hello!
what about an additional ‘air gap’ messaging device.
such a device would encrypt/decrypt messages and have some touch screen to write messages and a camera.
this device could have no wireless or cable connection functionality, but communicate with the phone/computers via camera and display output using QR or some more capable barcode technology.
this way even if the internet device is compromised messages are safe and people can exchange public keys in a comfortable way in person.
maybe even an hardware cryptocurrency wallet functionality could be added.
please tell me your what you think.