[Mediterraneo10]

Even Linux desktop suffers from a lack of contributors. Even many core-infrastructure projects are shockingly dependent on 1–2 devs who have been unsuccessful in attracting more contributions.

One example of where the manpower just isn’t there for both Linux desktop and the PinePhone is a solid maps app. All solutions are little more than tech demos compared to OSMAnd on Android. Yes, OSMAnd itself has grown through contributions from the community, but it basically soaked up already what little manpower there is. There are other examples where running Android apps on the PinePhone under a compatibility layer is seen as a necessity to get around the PinePhone's lack of manpower.

[linmob]

I don’t think Anbox is not so much about man power. It’s for proprietary services or services that don’t have a decent Linux app. I recall the early days of Android very well [0], it had a similar lack of apps (then compared to Symbian and Windows Mobile). I don’t think it’s wise to say “this is not going to happen” one year after the first Community Edition PinePhones were delivered.

For an overview of the current PinePhone app landscape I suggest a look at https://LINMOBapps.frama.io – contributions welcome!

[0] I recently brought back old posts to my blog https://linmob.net that I wrote 1.2 years after the G1’s initial US release.

[paulcarroty]

> Even Linux desktop suffers from a lack of contributors.

After IBM intervention and their contribution to GNOME 40 - I'm not sure about suffering anymore.

So yeah, we need more players on mobile Linux field.

[fsflover]

Purism puts a lot of effort in FLOSS development for Librem 5 (compatible with Pinephone). They are also working on the maps.

[Mediterraneo10]

Sure, Purism puts in a lot of effort. But after a year of the PinePhone drawing on Purism's effort, the community can plainly see that it a drop in the bucket of what needs to be done.

Everyone I know working on something PinePhone-related is concerned about the small size of the dev community.