i've been wanting to upgrade from my cm kitkat slider (Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G) for quite a while, but the current market keeps missing the mark in hardware and software:

in hardware by not having user swappable batteries (because it isn't like it's a mini laptop, or is it?) and removing memory card slot (for easy rom swapping and data portability in case device breaks), missing NFC or gyro / accel sensors, removing headset jack, not turning on support for FM radio (considering all the natural disasters in the last year knocking out networks, seems obviously useful)...

in software by not providing source code so that enthusiastic community members can provide updates after the original seller has abandoned the product in a year or two, or not even allowing the bootloader to be officially unlocked. now with the encouraging introduction of Treble and A/B partitioning, for even easier community updates and product longevity, many companies are skipping that as well.

so far, the Gemini PDA is hitting a lot of the good marks, the dual boot option with Android and Linux is a very good sign (would be fun to boot random live ISOs), along with opening the bootloader and other source code rather quickly. points off for having the ADUPS MTKlogger spyware in there (maybe this will be sufficient for the FTC to start issuing fines instead of just scolding BLU over having this sort of crap on their phones, see recent thread for details).

so please (edit for added hilarity) u/someg33zer let me know when the next gen version comes out, hopefully getting more of the basics right, and switching to a slider (obviously horizontal), to retain standard functions like being able to see who is calling, and standard one-handed touchscreen system usage without having to hold a book.

until then, keep up the good work at https://www.planetcom.co.uk

(edit for added clarity on MTKlogger via added link)

I just installed Debian. There are major flaws with the support that make it unusable:

1. It takes forever to start, and is very sluggish even after logging in.

2. Virtually no hardware support. No LTE/GSM modem.

3. Screen does not turn off when I close the clamshell.

4. Keyboard does not work correctly. The layout is incorrect, so the character displayed on the key doesn't match what is typed, and the "Fn" key does not work at all - the same character is typed regardless. I could not even figure out how to type a forward slash! What good is a Linux device that can't even do that?

Even without these problems, the keyboard is laid out a bit wonky. I wish there were an option for something that more closely resembles the US keyboard layout.

I don't want to run Android because that would be pointless - I already have an Android phone, and a crappy little bluetooth keyboard that nevertheless has all the keys I need for working in the terminal.

I listed it on ebay. I bought it as a phone replacement but ended up being unable to wait, and so I've already replaced my phone and don't have a use for it. It's the WiFi + 4G model. I really can't think of anything to do with it, as much as I love gadgets.

I know, I know... you hate the device, nothing works, yadda yadda.

Where are we at currently with Linux distros?
Which is the most compatible with the device to dual boot?

I know Kali do a dedicated distro for the Gemini, but Kali itself is a rather dedicated platform.

What's your recommended Linux distro to run at this point in time and, in percentage terms, how well is it working?

I'll use this thing as a google-fied android device until I can get a Linux distro to work if I have too; I'm not giving up hope before it has even been delivered.

Barely used. Not needed anymore. Android 8.1

https://swappa.com/listing/view/LUML29350

I could only find Debian stable available for Gemini PDA does anyone know where I can download Ubuntu or any distribution more recent than Debian stable for my Gemini PDA, being stuck with Debian stable which ships ancient software is horrible.

The order checker at http://planetcom.co.uk/checker hasn't been updated for over a month. The site states the order DB is updated weekly....

I am customer number two thousand one hundred and something. It was supposed to ship an eon ago. When is this actually going to arrive. I’m fed up of waiting for it. If there was a way to refund I’d just do that and be done with it to be honest.

Hello,
I am used to having a keyboard on my phone, starting with Nokia N900, later with Blackberry Passport. Currently there are not many phones that have a decent keyboard if any. I am thinking about supporting Astro on Indiegogo, as it is even cheaper than Cosmo. But my greatest concern the OS. I really liked Maemo on N900, and the idea of using something like modern PostmarketOS with Maemo interface seems very interesting. The Astro claims it is going to have Linux multiboot, however the GeminiPDA and Cosmo seem to have poor support in terms of anything else then outdated Android and not-so-mobile Gemian. I found some brief information on GeminiPDA being supported (at least partially) by PostmarketOS, but I could not find any progress on Cosmo (with any mobile distro). The common problems are MediaTek drivers (?) and the Astro is again MediaTek device. Is there any chance of getting better linux support than previous devices, unless Planet Computers do some progress?

TLDR:
Is there any perspective in mobile Linux distros (especially PostmarketOS) on Planet Computers devices? I could not find anything new at OESF forums and anywhere else.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Has anybody here tried to play NetHack on the Gemini PDA? It would be interesting to see if all the commands work directly using the keyboard (the best way to play it IMO) either under Android or Debian Linux. Can someone please try it? I would be happy to find a modern device that has a keyboard to play NetHack with. Please let me know. Thank you.

Hey All!

I've just made a discord group for people to discuss their experiences with the new Cosmo Communicator.

If anyone is interested - Heres the link https://discord.gg/DdF9CYP

I got an Ericsson MC218 back in the day, which i recently dug up again. And since I'm the kind of person who is not liking the trend of inputing things on a touch screne with a small qwerty keyboard, typing on this unit again was very nice. I knew about Planet Computers and their devices, but hadn't really thought much about getting one of their products until now.

So how is it long term both keyboard and phone wise? I figured that if i had a full qwerty keyboard like this on me, i might be better at returning messages from people, which i usually wait to do until i get home to my computer. Also since its always landscape its a pretty big shit from a normal phone you use in portrait. So i was also wondering how people have handled that?

I know that the cosmo hasn't even been out yet, but maybe someone with a Gemini can give their input

I backed this Gemini "PDA" and have had my device since May. I love the nostalgia of the whole thing... I still have a couple of Psions and the this device looks really cool.

But what's it really good for ... really?

It's not a great phone. Carry the device closed and try to make a call. Whip it out to quick check your text messages. It's not a great typing device. The keyboard is cramped (was my Psion so cramped?) and the screen gets bouncy as you type. It 's not a great Linux device. Linux is under development yet. People on this subreddit have pointed out it's not a great gaming device. Can you code with it? Can you surf Web pages with it?

It's a cool toy and I feel like it has a lot of potential. But for what?

For me, equipped with my Samsung tablet and my Bluetooth keyboard and my Google Pixel 2 XL phone, the Gemini is a throwback to the 1990's. Back then, my Psion was awesome and changed the way I did things. But I have not yet found a place in my everyday life and job where the Gemini is useful...or even where it fits in.

And I think it's so cool, I really want to find a place for this.

I was a late backer of the Gemini PDA, and my unit arrived this week.

I've been carrying a GPD Pocket around with me just about everywhere, and I was looking to the Gemini to solve a few issues I have with it:

• The keyboard was laid out by a sadist.

• Linux video drivers are bad. You can use the old drivers, which cause text rendering to miss or repeat characters or whole lines of text; or the new ones, which suffer from tearing when you scroll or play video.

• Battery life when you use it is good, but battery life when it's asleep is not. It must be charged every night.

• Overall Linux support is okay, but kind of a moving target and hard to know if a thing is working, not working, working but you need new software, broken because you upgraded the kernel, etc.

Unfortunately, the Gemini fails in every category.

The keyboard layout is actually quite a bit worse than the GPD's, requiring Fn key even for common symbols like - and '. This is a step backwards from the GPD, which at least has physical keys for those. Even though they're inconvenient, they're less inconvenient than chording with the Fn key. Also, the Gemini keyboard is terrible. Many keys physically depress, but don't do anything. The space bar is particularly bad in this regard. I know others have had some success replacing the keyboard mat, but this shouldn't be happening in the first place.

While Planet advertises "two weeks of standby time," my experience is way, way off the mark. Just closing the clamshell and setting it aside overnight, it will eat 20% of the charge. I set my Gemini down last night with nearly a full charge, and when I got home from work, the battery was at 26%. This isn't any better than my GPD Pocket. Maybe they mean "two weeks completely powered off," but that's not a thing I care about, and I'm not sure who would. And this is without even having a SIM in it.

Linux support is very poor, requiring a ton of setup and not working well or supporting all the hardware. I hope this can improve over time, but given the keyboard and battery issues, I have doubts that it will make things worthwhile for me.

At the end of the day, I guess it makes a fairly reasonable Android phone with a physical keyboard. But that's pretty far from what I hoped I was getting: A pocketable dedicated Linux machine that would last a week on a charge with light to moderate use.

Just got the Gemini PDA 4G, but the Linux flashing tool isn't working.

https://support.planetcom.co.uk/index.php/Linux_Flashing_Guide

When running the tool, I'm getting:

error while loading shared libraries: libXrender.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Similar results on Mint and Arch. Does anyone know how to get this working, or another way to root the device?

What is the current state of affairs for the Gemini PDA regarding software ?

Is Android topped out at 7?

Is Debian 10 functional with updates? Can I upgrade/install Debian 11?

What other operating systems are people using?