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Suppose I wanted to build modern GrapheneOS for my old Pixel 3, but didn't know anything about mobile OS development... (programming.dev)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/graphene_os@lemmy.sdf.org
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I assume it's possible, but it seems like a huge task and I'm not sure where to start. It seems like official support ended with the loss of upstream security patches, which makes sense. I plan on using my phone strictly on trusted wifi and with non-sensitive data, so I'm not overly concerned about device security, I mostly just want it as a test device for developing applications. A side benefit of porting the OS to the device will be getting more familiar with the OS and device interfaces, which I have been meaning to do anyway as I'll need it for some of the apps I have in mind.

I guess my questions are, where should I start? Are there particular pitfalls I should look out for? Will the lack of modern kernel security have implications for the security of apps developed for that platform? Is such a thing even doable / feasible? Should I just use PostmarketOS instead?

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[–] 7 points 11 months ago

What's wrong with LineageOS for this use case?

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    [–] 8 points 11 months ago* (3 children)

    This is not feasible. You are not going to become an expert in mobile development on a timeline that makes any sense. Even if you did its still a massive under taking to port an end of life phone to work with a version of an OS that was never built to work with that phone, that's assuming its possible.

    Just buy a used pixel 7a and start learning to develop apps on that.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

    I am considering that option, but part of the motivation is that I already have the device (two, actually) and I want to see what I can do with them. I don't want to just throw away perfectly good electronics if I can recycle / repurpose them. And since it's more of a hobby pursuit, really the only timeline is how long I can keep the hardware functional. I've already irreparably destroyed two phones, but I have also done a few successful screen / battery replacements, so I think I can get several more years of life out of these if I keep an eye on the batteries.

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  • [–] 6 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    PostmarketOS recently added support for the Pixel 3, and I'd recommend that instead of what you've proposed. That gives you a great way to tinker with it alongside an active development community, without being completely on your own.

    That's what I just did with my old 3a that was collecting dust after it went EOL, and it's been a really fun project.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 11 months ago

    That is a good point, and PostmarketOS is definitely one of the options in the mix. I actually didn't know it had official support, will have to give that another spin. I have Postmarket on another device but I've never gotten it running on a Pixel 3.

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    • [+] 3 points 11 months ago (1 child)
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  • [–] [S] 1 point 11 months ago

    I think it makes sense that they don't advise it, they have limited resources and I don't blame them for not spending them on older devices. I think the only reason it would make sense to even try this is if you had two Pixel 3's just collecting dust and were hunting for a project for them.

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