Linux phone or mini laptop?

[Kiriririn]

I'm curious how people are using (or plan to use) Linux on the Gemini.

My question mostly lies around power management and interaction, as follows:

Linux phone:

• Touch-optimised large UI
• Supports calls/texts
• 'Always-on' - think mobile phones where they're not truly 'off' like a laptop when sleeping/locked

Mini laptop:

• Mouse cursor UI intended for use with mice or something like this, with full fat Linux GUI software
• Lid closed = full sleep, no exceptions - same behaviour as a laptop.
• No networking while asleep, battery should last weeks in sleep mode.

[novaldex]

I'll admit i've voted for Linux phone at this time.., but i'm still using Android for now.

I'm debating on supporting the Cosmo, in which case that would become my daily driver & i'd probably then switch the Gemini to more of a Mini laptop style use..

I can see use cases for both options

[Varti]

My choice would be something between the two options.

My Gemini is both a mini laptop and my primary (and only) phone. Hence, I find it essential that I don't miss any phone call or message while I'm working under Linux. On the other side, I'm planning of getting myself a Bluetooth mouse, and I'd like to use it under Linux and to have a GUI which resembles a desktop one as much as possible.
If really I'd have to choose between the two options, then I'd choose the "Linux phone" one, but ideally it would be nice to have these various configurations as options in a preferences tool, so that I could choose to have the mobile features on and a mouse-driven GUI. Or, if I'm working during night time or a flight, to temporarily disable the calls and messages support and enable the sleep mode when the lid is closed, to maximize the battery duration, even if a reboot will be required after every configuration change.

Varti

[Eric BF]

I use the Gemini as a mini-laptop exclusively.

Although the power management could be much better (ideally along the lines of what you state), it does get me through the day which is no worse than the (much bigger) laptop it replaces and I use it more.

I would consider using it as a phone if it had had a decent camera as that's the only function of my existing phone that the Gemini cannot replace.

[Kiriririn]

I use the Gemini as a mini-laptop exclusively.

Although the power management could be much better (ideally along the lines of what you state), it does get me through the day which is no worse than the (much bigger) laptop it replaces and I use it more.

I would consider using it as a phone if it had had a decent camera as that's the only function of my existing phone that the Gemini cannot replace.

It is possible, I've swapped out connman for NetworkManager and am calling nmcli r all off/on in repowerd when entering/leaving sleep. Same is probably possible with connman but I've not looked into it

Power usage with wifi off in deep sleep is about 1-3% per day, as long as you close the lid the right way, though I believe there has been a kernel fix in the past few days for letting the lid slam closed preventing sleep

[Eric BF]

It is possible, I've swapped out connman for NetworkManager and am calling nmcli r all off/on in repowerd when entering/leaving sleep. Same is probably possible with connman but I've not looked into it

Yes, I could do this as well with connman:

Code: [Select]

connmanctl disable offlinebut I would like to know how you tell repowerd to do this? I have no idea how to actually configure repowerd and I think that is the core of my problems. I have tried using repowerd-cli but I don't seem to have had any success.

Power usage with wifi off in deep sleep is about 1-3% per day, as long as you close the lid the right way, though I believe there has been a kernel fix in the past few days for letting the lid slam closed preventing sleep

So how do you close the lid the right way?  

Edit: I will update my kernel if that's what I'm missing, of course...

Thanks.

[Kiriririn]

So how do you close the lid the right way?

Close it to the last cm ish (until the screen turns off), pause for half a second, then shut it the remaining amount

The issue is because the keyboard is not ignored instantly, and keys are pressed when the lid is fully closed

[Eric BF]

Close it to the last cm ish (until the screen turns off), pause for half a second, then shut it the remaining amount

Mine doesn't do that.  No matter how close I get to shutting it (mm or 2). I don't use whatever window manager was the default (I used stumpwm) so maybe there's something being configured that I don't do.

I manually (via a script) turn X off and then shut the lid. Not ideal but works.

[Kiriririn]

Close it to the last cm ish (until the screen turns off), pause for half a second, then shut it the remaining amount

Mine doesn't do that.  No matter how close I get to shutting it (mm or 2). I don't use whatever window manager was the default (I used stumpwm) so maybe there's something being configured that I don't do.

I manually (via a script) turn X off and then shut the lid. Not ideal but works.

Love that hardware consistency /s

Here's hoping the new kernel fixes it for good