While I finally bit the bullet after many yrs of wanting a Librem 5 due to no working knowldge of Linux, I received it today! I searched the forums for recent info on downloading Proton Mail, VPN and calendar. Should I use the Linux download or the Bridge version? Will it be functional once I sign into my Proton account?
TIA for any insight provided.
Hmm, my friend, I would say that this Librem 5 might be YOUR BRIDGE towards the Linux world. I could see that you do lack the supporting knowledge about the software and also Linux.
Let’s start from your question. Briefly speaking, you can’t use both of them. If I’m not wrong, Proton Mail is only providing Linux executables built for x64 CPUs, or plainly speaking, desktop devices that has a Intel/AMD cpu. Librem 5 is a mobile device, and it has a ARM architecture CPU, not a x64 one. While Librem 5 runs PureOS, which is basically Debian, and it surely accepts .deb files, you should not run them on your Librem 5.
In order to add software on your Librem 5, you need to look out for software that:
Let me give you a hint about how you can use your Librem 5. You won’t expect it as a regular mobile phone, even as a old dial-pad one, since it’s not as reliable as one. You might have trouble making calls, sending text, or even making cellular data work. It is actually a small Linux tablet, and you can rely on it’s web browser, apps in the “Software”, and it’s Linux base. Treat it as if you bought a SBC with a screen, chasis and speaker.
The Librem 5 works greatly different than a normal phone, but how it works and what it does depends on how you use it, but don’t expect the same as you can get from a normal smartphone. I would suggest you go through the OS’s “Software” store, as well as the packages in the official apt repository. The repository is the spirit of Linux, those software in the store are only part of the repository, but most software in the repository is command-line only, or a part depended by other software. Be careful with this, and learn A LOT. As a example, my use of my Linux phone (not Librem 5, but pretty similar) is a portable server with batteries, it hosts files and does backup for me. Touch screen is for easier debug.
If you just want to experience the device as a normal phone, I suggest you use the browser and store more. Don’t expect the same experience as either desktop or mobile though. Try some software in the store, but stay away from those without a unique icon—They are mostly dependencies or resources. ONLY DOWNLOAD WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND. You might also encounter software that’s not entirely optimized, which looks and behaves like desktop apps. They are.
feel free to ask again.