Abbreviated as pmOS and available since mid-2017, postmarketOS is an open-source operating system alternative for mobile devices, including some popular Android smartphones, Chromebooks, and tablets. Unfortunately, after all this time, it’s still considered a work in progress of code with power users as the target audience. On the positive side, development is in full swing, and yesterday, postmarketOS 24.06 arrived. This update comes five months after its predecessor, namely version 23.12, which was released in mid-December 2023.
Built with Alpine Linux 3.20 software stack postmarketOS 24.06 comes with updated user interfaces namely GNOME Shell on Mobile 46_git20240610, KDE Plasma Mobile 6.0.5, Phosh 0.39, and Sxmo 1.16.3. The list of changes also includes new keyboard mappings for Chromebooks, GPU acceleration for the Samsung Chromebook, various improvements for the MSM8953 – as well as many minor kernel tweaks and fixes.
The list of supported devices has expanded with a few new items, including the Google Nexus 10, generic x86_64 platforms, Microsoft Surface RT, and Nvidia Tegra ARMv7. Some of the most popular devices already supported include the OnePlus 6/6T, Xiaomi Mi A1pocophone F1, Motorola Moto G4 Play, and the Fairphone 4.
For detailed information on supported devices and the features available for each, please visit this page. Downloads can be obtained from here.
Those who consider postmarketOS too big a headache to try at this stage may find it interesting to read Linux for Beginners by Brooke Santiago. This 158-page book is only available in Kindle format and costs $6.99.
