Phosh and GNOME Mobile: the future of Linux on smartphones

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Linux has been trying to gain a foothold in smartphones for years , but until recently the general feeling was that it was all just experiments for hardcore Linux enthusiasts. Now, with the push from projects like Phosh, GNOME Mobile, and distributions like postmarketOS, things are starting to get really interesting: we're no longer just talking about tinkering, but about using Linux phones as everyday devices, with their limitations, but also with many advantages.

Meanwhile, Android has become increasingly closed off around the Google ecosystem , and although AOSP remains open-source software, it's becoming harder and harder to escape Google's services if you want a functional mobile phone. In this context, the rise of mobile shells like Phosh and GNOME's commitment to bringing its experience to phones opens the door to something many in the open-source software world have been dreaming of for years: truly free , sustainable, and convergent mobile devices.

Phosh: the engine behind the Linux mobile revival

Phosh is currently the most mature mobile desktop environment in the Linux ecosystem . It originated at Purism for their Librem 5 phone as a kind of "GNOME Shell for touchscreens," but over time it has become the de facto standard for those who want a Linux mobile device usable on a daily basis.

Technically, Phosh is much more than just a visual overlay . People often refer to the entire system as "Phosh," but in reality, it consists of several distinct components that work together:

• phosh: the graphical shell itself, responsible for the app launcher, screen lock, top and bottom panel, notifications, quick settings and general gesture navigation.
• phocThe Wayland compositor on which Phosh runs. It relies on wlroots and is designed to work well on resource-constrained devices.
• On-screen keyboard (Squeekboard or Stevia): the virtual keyboard designed for touch use on mobile phones and tablets.
• phosh.session: the “session” that orchestrates the launching of phosh, phoc and the GNOME components necessary for everything to work coherently.

Purism made the decision to build upon GNOME and GTK technologies rather than reinvent the wheel . This means that applications designed for the GNOME desktop, especially adaptive ones using libhandy/libadwaita, fit quite well in Phosh without major interface changes.

Distributions and devices that rely on Phosph

Although Phosh was originally designed for the Librem 5, its adoption has skyrocketed in other distributions . It has established itself as the "serious" option when someone wants to take a Linux phone out of the drawer and actually use it.

• Librem 5 with PureOSPureOS is Purism's original "testing ground." Based on Debian, it's entirely free software and FSF certified. Here, Phosh is a core part of the user experience, and daily work focuses on refining the convergence between mobile and desktop.
• postmarket OS: a distro designed specifically for phones, offering different interfaces (Plasma Mobile, sexmoGNOME, Phosh…). For a long time, their official GNOME offering for mobile devices was structured precisely around Phosh.
• Mobian and DebianDebian integrated Phosh into its repositories, and Mobian uses it as the default interface on several devices, including the PinePhone.
• Fedora MobilityThe smartphone-oriented edition of Fedora also uses Phosh as its main mobile shell.
• Manjaro ARM, ALT Mobile, Droidian and other systems for Pine64Many official or unofficial images for PinePhone, PinePhone Pro, and other ARM devices include Phosh because, quite simply, it works best.

Besides specific distributions, Arch Linux has also jumped on the bandwagon . Since September 2023, an Arch developer and Red Hat employee has added Phosh to the official repositories, allowing you to build a custom mobile environment based on Arch's minimalist philosophy.

Phosh 0.54: New features that point to maturity

Phosh version 0.54 represents a significant leap in functionality and refinement , not so much because it radically changes the interface, but because it reinforces those small things that make a difference in an everyday device:

• Status indicators as pluginsNow the bar indicators (battery, network, etc.) can be implemented as plugins, allowing for expansion or customization of the panel without patching the entire shell.
• Notification when an app fails to startInstead of an application simply "not starting", Phosh displays a clear warning to the user, something essential if you don't want to leave someone who is not used to debugging problems stranded.
• Advanced location management in quick settingsAn option has been added to change the level of location accuracy, a key point when you're looking for a balance between privacy and usability.
• Updated list of adaptive applications: a relationship is maintained between apps with adaptable interfaces that work on both small screens and large monitors, reinforcing that idea of ​​convergence.

Phoc, the compositor, also receives significant improvements to the graphical experience:

• Control is being expanded window focus and window handling is improved with the “override-redirect” flag, crucial for screensavers and pop-up menus of X11 applications running through Xwayland.

On the virtual keyboard side, Stevia is updated with extra modifiers in the shortcut bar and an option to disable automatic space handling. Small details, but they make a big difference when you type daily on a Linux mobile device.

The phosh-mobile-settings tool is now more flexible : it allows you to disable integrated panels, opening the door to using its components on systems that aren't strictly Phosh. In addition, a library of standard widgets reusable by other apps has been released, and an option to play sound on incoming calls has been added.

Meanwhile, the ecosystem around Phosh continues to grow :

• gmobileThe set of drivers for running GNOME on mobile devices adds support for more models: Google Pixel 6a, Motorola Edge 30, Motorola Moto G7 and SHIFT6mq.
• Appears libpms-rs, a link library for using libpms (Phosh-Mobile-Settings) from Rust.
• The widget pfs (Posh File Selector) It incorporates a context menu when you press and hold a file, with properties, copying and icon resizing, bringing file management closer to what we expect on a modern mobile phone.
• The transition to GNOME components 50, with important updates to dependencies such as callaudiod, Calls, ModemManager, wlroots or feedbackd, key for calls, notifications, sensors and hardware.

Phosh on Arch Linux: minimalism and customization

Arch doesn't impose any desktop environment by default . The user decides whether they want KDE, GNOME, i3, or a mobile shell like Phosh. This means you can build a system focused on touch devices without having to carry over unwanted packages.

In broad terms, the process for using Phosh on Arch (on a compatible device) would follow this logic:

• Update the system to have the latest versions of everything.
• Install the package phosh from the official repositories using pacman.
• Add add-ons such as a virtual keyboard (e.g., Squeekboard) or other apps adapted for mobile devices.
• Create a Wayland session .desktop file so that you can select Phosh on startup (for example in /usr/share/wayland-sessions/phosh.desktop with the entry that calls to Exec=phosh).
• Select “Phosh” in the screen manager and log in to start the mobile shell.

Phosh on Arch is clearly geared towards advanced users who know how to deal with drivers, bootloaders, and touchscreen configurations, but in return, it allows a brutal level of control: you choose exactly which packages enter your system, which services are loaded, and how your mobile behaves.

Key features of Phosh as a mobile interface

Beyond the technical aspects, Phosh stands out for its interface, which is very much designed for touch use , without blindly trying to copy the desktop experience.

Among the most relevant usability features we find:

• Gesture-based navigationSwipe in from the edges to access the app launcher, side panel, or multitasking. The idea is to minimize small, hard-to-press buttons on touchscreens.
• Customizable interfaceIt adjusts to different screen sizes and orientations, making it suitable for phones, tablets, and even laptops with touchscreens.
• Moderate customization optionsWithout going crazy with thousands of options, it allows you to tweak key settings and complement with extra software to adapt the experience to each user.
• Integrated on-screen keyboard: with Squeekboard or Stevia, designed for fingers, with adjustable layout and multi-language support.
• Using Wayland as a baseThis helps improve security and isolation between applications compared to the old X11.

In terms of performance and power consumption, Phosh aims to be lightweight . It's designed to run on limited hardware, with modest CPUs and RAM, trying to get the most out of batteries that are already scarce in many test devices.

However, Phosh isn't intended to replace a desktop GNOME or KDE on a traditional PC . Its goal is to offer a specific experience for touchscreens, although thanks to convergence it can perform quite well when you connect your phone to a monitor and keyboard.

GNOME Mobile: GNOME Shell gets on the smartphone train

While Phosph was consolidating its position, GNOME began to move more directly into the mobile market . What is now colloquially known as "GNOME Mobile" is not a packaged product with that name, but rather an effort to adapt GNOME Shell for small screens and touch use.

The idea of ​​GNOME for mobile crystallized starting with GNOME 40 , when the desktop experience was redesigned and serious thought began to be given to gestures, app grids, and workspaces that could also make sense on a phone.

The goal is not to exactly replicate the entire desktop GNOME on a mobile device, but to offer a coherent and convergent experience , where many of the applications and concepts are shared, but adjusting the interface for the pocket format.

GNOME Mobile's vision compared to Phosh and Plasma Mobile

Until now, the mobile Linux landscape was primarily defined by Phosh and Plasma Mobile , with Lomiri (Ubuntu Touch) maintaining its niche. Plasma Mobile still has a lot of work ahead in terms of visual consistency and polish, while Lomiri became practically tied to Ubuntu Touch and UBports.

GNOME Mobile arrives with a different strategy : instead of starting from scratch, it builds upon the established philosophy of the GNOME desktop, with a strong emphasis on minimalism, gestures, and adaptive applications. In fact, many mockups and prototypes show a certain similarity to the Phosh approach: application drawer, multitasking "cards," top and bottom panels…

The GNOME for Mobile roadmap includes very specific goals:

• Gesture API and screen size detectionA new API has already been introduced so that apps can react to gestures and know if they are running on a mobile, tablet or desktop.
• Panel layers: a top and bottom panel is proposed, reminiscent of what Phosh already offers, but integrated directly into GNOME Shell.
• Optimized workspaces and multitasking: a task view designed for finger use, with cards representing apps and allowing quick switching between them.
• Adapted application grid: an “app layer” that works well on both a large monitor and a 6-inch screen.
• Native on-screen keyboard: improved integration of the touch keyboard with the shell and GNOME applications.
• Quick settings: an area of ​​toggles and controls accessible by gestures, something essential in a mobile phone.

In demonstrations and videos from developers like Jonas Dreßler, GNOME Shell on mobile looks fluid and very promising . However, it's still geared towards development and testing; it will be some time before it's something a typical user can confidently install on their main phone.

postmarketOS and the push for GNOME Mobile

postmarketOS 23.06 marked a significant milestone: it officially introduced GNOME Mobile among its desktop environment options. Until then, postmarketOS's "GNOME for mobile" was primarily offered as Phosh.

With this version, GNOME Shell adapted for mobile devices begins to be packaged directly from the Git repositories , which for the moment places it in a clearly development phase, but opens the door for enthusiasts and developers to test it on real hardware.

Furthermore, GNOME Software is adapted to act as an app store on mobile devices , with a clear focus on Flatpak. This is crucial: without an easy way to install and update applications, no mobile system has a chance of attracting users beyond the more technical community.

The financial support from the German Ministry of Education for GNOME's mobile efforts is another important factor. While public funding doesn't guarantee success (we've seen funded projects that later fizzle out), it does provide the necessary resources for developers to dedicate sustained time to something as complex as redesigning a desktop shell for touchscreens.

Hardware, fragmentation, and the great challenge of Linux on mobile devices

If there's one thing that Phosh, GNOME Mobile, and any Linux project for smartphones share, it's hardware . It's not so much about raw power as it is about compatibility and open-source drivers.

In the ARM world, each manufacturer, and sometimes even each model, changes critical details of the GPU, modem, cameras, sensors, power management, and more. This makes adapting a "pure" Linux distribution to a commercial mobile device a real puzzle. There's a lot of talk about ARM as the future, but until there's a standard or at least open documentation, any progress is an uphill battle.

Guido Günther, one of the main developers of Phosh and the Librem 5, sums it up perfectly: sustainability in mobile devices depends on being able to replace software and components for many years , without relying on proprietary blobs that remain locked to an outdated kernel. This is clearly seen in Android: many devices stop receiving security updates because the manufacturer doesn't update the proprietary binaries for newer kernels.

On the hardware side, repairability and modularity also matter . The Librem 5, for example, uses screwed-on, not glued, parts and modules that can be replaced with standard tools, not in a lab. There are limitations (for example, efficient video decoding depends on specific hardware support), but the more open and accessible the platform, the longer its lifespan can be.

Android, AOSP and Linux alternatives: what makes sense today?

Although Android is based on the Linux kernel, the reality is that the ecosystem is heavily controlled by Google . AOSP remains free, but increasingly, key parts of the user experience rely on Google services and APIs that are not easily replaceable.

For those who want to escape the Google ecosystem without abandoning the Android world , ROMs like LineageOS, /e/OS or other AOSP derivatives remain the most practical option: you maintain compatibility with APKs, alternative stores and most popular apps, sacrificing the least amount of day-to-day functionality.

Meanwhile, pure Linux alternatives for mobile devices have been gaining strength:

• postmarket OS: Complete Linux distro for smartphones, with support for various environments (Phosh, Plasma Mobile, GNOME Shell mobile, Sxmo…) and designed to extend the life of old mobile phones.
• Ubuntu Touch (UBports)The community-driven successor to Canonical's attempt to compete with Android and iOS. It strongly emphasizes convergence (using the mobile phone as a PC by connecting it to a monitor) and maintains a Lomiri-based system.
• PureOS on Librem 5Based on Debian, focused on privacy and the idea of ​​having only free softwareIt is the natural home of Phosh and a testing ground for convergence.
• Mobian: another adaptation of Debian to mobile, with support for devices such as the OnePlus 6 or the PinePhone and regular use of Phosh.
• MoonsIt is part of webOS and, although its development is slower, it is still alive with a focus on card-based interface and support for devices like the PinePhone.
• Sailfish OS (from Jolla): a veteran European system that never quite reached the general public, but remains a reference for those seeking to escape Big Tech, although it is not completely free in all its parts.

Today, for the average user, it's still much more sensible to opt for an AOSP ROM than a pure Linux distro on their main phone . Hardware limitations, reduced compatibility with popular apps, and installation complexity make a "clean" Linux experience more appealing to enthusiasts, developers, and those deeply committed to software freedom.

Sustainability, freedom and convergence: the role of Phosh and GNOME

The value of projects like Phosh and GNOME Mobile goes beyond simply having another pretty interface . They represent a serious attempt to build a mobile ecosystem where the user has real control over their device: they can install whatever they want, repair their hardware, and receive updates as long as there is a community, not just when a manufacturer decides.

In the view of people like Guido Günther, there can be no truly free democracies without free software , because more and more aspects of our lives depend on opaque systems that we cannot audit or modify. Bringing that ideal to mobile phones, the devices we use most and that collect the most data, is almost an obligation for the free software movement.

Furthermore, convergence —the ability to connect your phone to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse and use it like a PC—becomes much more natural when the foundation is a complete Linux system with GNOME or Phosph. It's not about your phone replacing all computers, but rather about having the same system, with the same tools, accompany you in different formats without you having to relearn everything.

All this effort clashes head-on with a market dominated by Android and iOS, manufacturers focused on rapid replacement, and a brutal inertia favoring the familiar. Even so, seeing Phosh consolidate its position, GNOME Shell targeting mobile devices, and distributions like postmarketOS, PureOS, and Mobian gaining relevance demonstrates that Linux for smartphones is no longer a simple experiment: it's a long road, full of obstacles, but increasingly well-trodden for those who want to break away from the script dictated by Google and Apple. Share this information so others can learn about this new development.