this post was submitted on 07 May 2026
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Can't wait for one that'll work on Android so I can maybe root some otherwise useless old phones
What would you use the old phones for out of curiosity?
I'm keen to put PostmarketOS on them all and build a Kubernetes cluster. Just don't ask me what I'm going to run on it!
Removing all the system-level bloat that makes them unpleasant to use, perhaps stripping one down to the level of a fancy MP3 player with its microSD slot. Also having "disposable" phones to play with various rooted tweaks. All of my easily-rootable phones are too valuable as daily drivers to experiment on, while all of the ones I don't care about also don't have rooting methods yet.
I've encountered a couple of people who use them as remote cameras to observe their 3D printers. That suggests a bunch of other possibilities for things you want to be able to watch or listen to without standing over them and without buying an extra webcam to cover what might be a temporary need.
A middle finger to those you're jailbreaking from.
They are less expensive.
EDIT:
Sorry, I misread the parent comment.
You would use them for literally anything you typically or potentially could use a phone for.
If you are not playing video games on your phone... there is basically no common reason to have a top spec brand new phone.
What do I want my phone to do?
Make calls, send messages, run a web browser, check emails, take a picture or video every once in a while, act as a notepad, check a weather forecast, have some map explorer, use some entirely 2D proprietary apps for things like... groceries or hailing a ride or checking my bank balance.
Pretty sure that right there is about 80% of people's phone use case.
You do not need top spec hardware to do any of that.
You have the gaming thing to do the gaming stuff.
I'm not the person you replied to, but I would love to have more ARM hardware for running tests on. A lot of what I write needs to be separately tested on each architecture.