upgrading linux on gemini

[depscribe]

Hi, everybody . . .

My little iPhone is at least temporarily dead due to the "No Service" malfunction installed as the main part of iOS 14.71, so I'm returning to the Gemini, last booted many months ago.

My question is simple: is it safe to run the regular "apt update" and "apt upgrade" on it, or are there other contortions and tricks I must do? I've fallen entirely out of sync with the Linux-on-Gemini community, and the Sailfish OS situation looks to have gotten pretty weird.

Does the phone now work with Linux? If so, what need I install to bring it about (besides my SIM card)?

Thanks in advance!

[MonkeyControl]

I think Debian is pretty usable, and there is some mention of apt update and apt upgrade on the planet page:      https://support.planetcom.co.uk/index.php/Linux_for_Cosmo
I used Debian for a while on Cosmo, calls worked fine, I don't remember any deficiencies.  Some other folk on here I'm sure will be able to tell you more detail. 
However, if you are fond of Sailfish you might want to have a play with Ubuntu Touch, I find it as pleasant as my old Jolla, even if not (yet) quite as capable as a 'proper Linux desktop' OS like Debian. 

edit:  Just noticed this thread is for the Little Gem, not the Cossie, apologies for my confusion and gibberish. 

[depscribe]

Many thanks -- I'll give it a shot. It has been gadget hell this week, and I have been hoping not to reflash anything. So far:

-- I did manage to get the iPhone working again, sort of, I think, just now.

-- Thought I'd resurrect my Xperia X running Sailfish. Had to run the SFOS upgrade twice. It lost everything. I had backups, but they didn't contain anything I wanted to save, such as VPN and ProtonMail stuff. SFOS ain't soup yet, imho.

-- The SFOS dual boot on the Gemini won't connect to wifi. Great. Connects fine in Debian. But I do not now nor have I ever had any phone stuff working under Debian, because it didn't exist last time I was using the Gemini, so I have no idea how to invoke it.

The iPhone debacle has made me realize the necessity of having at least two working cellular gadgets, so I'm hoping to get the Xperia X and Gemini totally updated and working and keeping them that way.

This stuff used to be more fun . . .

[jakfish]

@depscribe--have you seen this, for phone capability?

https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?topic=36582.0

cam1965 is a go-to user with this stuff and he seems to have his Gem up and running, phone-wise.

I like Stretch just fine on my all-linux Gem, but I'm not using a sim card. I know geminifrench, another wizard, at least has data working on his Stretch.

So I think it can be done, though any linux phone as your daily driver could present its challenges.

I actually prefer Stretch to Buster (Buster's on my Cosmo).

Jake