The #PinePhone modem (yes, the modem) can now run Linux kernel 5.10 ( @postmarketOS )... we're sure many of you know where this is heading :)
Massive thanks to biktorgj, konradybcio and others.
@feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS The mobile network communication part already runs on a DSP core inside the modem, this is linux 5.10 running on the application processor in the modem that's responsible for passing along the data and providing the configuration interface. Normally this runs some 3.x kernel.
@feld @PINE64 @martijnbraam @postmarketOS
> seems like a huge unnecessary attack surface
Not at all: you are already running all your applications, the network stack and a ton of drivers on the same kernel version on the main CPU.
@kuleszdl @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS well most devices don't have a seperate modem. So when the phone is mainlined in postmarketOS they're at the same point as this.
@martijnbraam @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS Yes, but only regarding the Linux version. There are good arguments regarding security why the modem should be isolated just like it is done in the #pinephone, and in the early Android days many devices did have this separation in place.
Of course, on the other hand, having separate chips often comes with the trade-off of less power efficiency and higher costs. But I really hope the next #pinephone will keep these things separated.
@martijnbraam @kuleszdl @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS There has been some research at https://osmocom.org/projects/quectel-modems/wiki. And it's not only about Android, iPhone 5's modem and some USB-Modems also use Linux.
@martijnbraam @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS How near is that 5.10 kernel to mainline?
@Alexmitter @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS it's 17 commits ahead, of 5.10, it's not huge.
@martijnbraam @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS Where is the repo?
@Alexmitter @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS ah it's at 19 commits currently: https://github.com/SoMainline/linux/tree/konrad/pinemodem
@martijnbraam @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS Do I see it right? Isn't it based on the 5.11 rc1 state, not 5.10?
@Alexmitter @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS yeah it got rebased
@martijnbraam @feld @PINE64 @postmarketOS Amazing milestone! It's the first device I know where this was accomplished.
We better don't want to know what version of Linux runs on a typical Android device (provided its modem runs on a separate chip like in the #pinephone).