Building LineageOS for Astro feasible?

[Zarhan]

Unlike Cosmo, the Astro really doesn't seem to have too many custom components (like CoDI). The slider keyboard is of course there but it shouldn't require anything *too* special. Due to this, I'm wondering how to keep my device updated in the long term since Planet really doesn't seem to have a history of keeping devices up to date in the long term.

In practice, how hard would it be to build LineageOS for it? Mediatek seems to have lots of closed stuff in their SoCs but there does seem to be support for at least *some* Mediatek chips...any thoughts?

Someone apparently ported it to Gemini PDA in 2018, https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-7-1-2-unofficial-lineageos-14-1-geminipda.3770821/ and https://www.xda-developers.com/planet-computer-gemini-pda-lineageos-14-1/ - so it's not totally infeasible.

[ArchiMark]

Good question.....

I have very limited knowledge of coding, but I'm guessing that for someone that is very knowledge and skilled it would not be too difficult. Think issue would likely be more about what amount of time and energy do they have to devote to doing the work needed and resolves issues as they arise.

Would be great if someone would do it.

Mark

[Zarhan]

Well, Planet slightly commented this in their latest video, https://youtu.be/P9e18HG09qQ?t=2244 - but nothing beyond "we will need to look into that".

[Dom (shymega)]

It's entirely possible. I'm working on getting the Android sources for Cosmo so I can link my new WIP CoDi daemon into it, improving flashing too, but I don't know if PC will allow me to have the sources. Gemini.. I'm waiting for some libraries to be updated, but it IS possible to get current Lineage on it. Astro, I hope to get a pre-prod unit of that and Gemini to get Lineage on. I have a spare Cosmo which I do for Android and CoDi dev.

Planet will most likely ask the community for help with ROMs, as before, but I'd really like to get automated Lineage builds on Gemini, Cosmo, and Astro.

[aRTee]

Honestly, it's very valuable to me too to have LineageOS on the Astro.

I my not run it right away, sticking with whatever PC ships on the Astro, but in time...
It doesn't have to be LineageOS per se, for a colleague I recently installed AOSPExtended on his phone, I really liked the look and feel of that one too.
But custom ROM support for a couple of years longer than manufacturers are typically supporting is worth a lot.

I have 2 old and not really used Galaxy S4 phones (used for other things, like alarm clocks) running LOS, and my backup phone is a OnePlus 3T which had no more official support since late 2019, it now also runs LOS with weekly updates.

Anyway, if I still use the Astro (well, getting ahead of myself) in a couple of years, surely by then running a custom ROM, I'll also happily dunk $5 in a tip jar every few months.

[shani]

That would be really great and I also think it should be possible, just depends on someone with the required knowledge being able to put the time and effort into it.
If need be maybe we could collect some tips for that person too.

shymega made a really good point though, if we could get the automated builds onto the Astro, that would be ideal!

[Dom (shymega)]

With regards to Planet - they're very busy right now, and I haven't heard anything from PC with regards to CoDi/pmOS/LineageOS, which I *was* focusing on, but have since put to the side while I work on my hybrid KVM switch.

I now have a build server donated, and there's Telegram groups I run for the above projects. Planet are unlikely to ship custom ROMs by themselves.

Let's put it this way - don't get too excited just yet. I'm currently waiting to hear back from some other companies for jobs, and even then, my work might need to be put on the backburner, should my employment obligations conflict.

[Zarhan]

With regards to Planet - they're very busy right now, and I haven't heard anything from PC with regards to CoDi/pmOS/LineageOS, which I *was* focusing on, but have since put to the side while I work on my hybrid KVM switch.

I now have a build server donated, and there's Telegram groups I run for the above projects. Planet are unlikely to ship custom ROMs by themselves.

Hi, can you tell what's going on with these efforts? There is your(?) kernel available at https://github.com/PCLineageOS-Ports/android_kernel_planet_mt6873 - but you do you turn this into actually building LineageOS (or preferably, just have binaries somewhere available).

I wouldn't mind otherwise, but it seems that Planet's official Android updates are just not going to happen (no surprises there).

[Dom (shymega)]

@Zarhan - sorry I've been busy. Planet keep saying they'll send me an Astro to get Lineage on, but they haven't.

I've been trying to get Lineage on the Cosmo, but no luck yet. Waiting for a UART cable to arrive for debugging.

Honestly, I'm not really working on Lineage right now - I need a development device to hack on, and I don't get paid. If I were paid or sponsored by Planet, maybe I'd devote more time to it.

The other issue is that I need to look into something like cloud VMs for *building* Lineage. I could achieve this with AWS ECS/EKS, and scale up build nodes when I need them - but it can be costly.

Planet did say there was an Astro update soon... I didn't see that come by my Astro. They also haven't responded to my proposal for an OTA system.

*sigh*.

[64kbiscuits]

I've just been catching up on all these threads.

While I think Linux is ultimately the thing to make this device more useable, getting other Android builds up and running such as Lineage has to be an intermediate step.

Did your UART cable ever arrive in the end ?

[EDIT] On re-reading, the more important question: did you get access to an Astro slide ? [/EDIT]

[Dom (shymega)]

My UART cable did arrive. I haven't managed to get it working on Cosmo, there's only limited output from the preloader. Suspect I need to adjust the baud rate.

And no, I only have one spare Development Cosmo. No Gemini, no Astro dev units.

I also only have access to the Astro BSP, not Cosmo or Gemini.

[Zarhan]

Hi,

  anyone know of any efforts for this? Or getting a newer Android or something?

  It's just that Android 11 ran out of security updates a few months ago (not that Planet ever shipped more than the single update), so I'd really like to move to a newer OS...

[Xweld]

It's possible to build LineageOS for the Astro, despite Mediatek's closed components. The Gemini PDA port shows it can work. Custom ROMs could be key for long-term updates, given Planet's update history

[Zarhan]

It's possible to build LineageOS for the Astro, despite Mediatek's closed components. The Gemini PDA port shows it can work. Custom ROMs could be key for long-term updates, given Planet's update history

Well, yes, but as https://xdaforums.com/t/rom-7-1-2-unofficial-lineageos-14-1-geminipda.3770821/ doesn't exactly show what did the author have to go through to get it done.

Based on https://medium.com/@daltonfury42/building-lineageos-for-your-device-a7d26ab50549 "all" that needs to be done is getting the kernel sources, device tree and device vendor files. Kernel is apparently here, https://github.com/planet-com/astro-kernel - but how to get the other stuff?

[Dom (shymega)]

There's a device tree I got hold of on the Planet Community GitHub organisation. Advice is really to focus efforts on that organisation, where I'm working on funding via Open Collective, and from Planet.