Sailfish - anyone tried it?

[Reverend Benny]

I would love to have a "third" option next to iOS and Android, its a shame MS threw in the towel and hasn't picked it up.
But there has been a quite cool OS around for years that never seem to get momentum in terms of users, that's Sailfish.

On paper, reviews and forums people seem to like it.
Have been thinking of trying it out for years but never got my finger out.

Anyone tried Sailfish?

Sailfish OS fifth generation - Sailfish OS

sailfishos.org

 

[Sami13496]

MS really messed up. Not only Windows phone failed miserably, another potential OS was killed off as a result. If not MS we might have three major OS platforms now.

MeeGo - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Sami13496]

This is the only Nokia’s MeeGo phone that was released. After that MS took over.

Nokia N9 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Sami13496]

Something about Sailfish

Jolla, Sailfish OS maker, is trying to cut ties with Russia

Jolla, a Finnish startup that develops a mobile Linux-based alternative to Google’s Android which has had some take-up by the Russian government in the

techcrunch.com

 

[Prospect0r]

I had a Nokia N9 and before that an N900 which also ran a Linux based OS, both were brilliant.

So I was surprised that SailFish was not available to install on either device given Sailfish’s MeeGo roots.

Last time I looked the compatible hardware was very limited, and I wasn’t going to buy a device to try installing Sailfish on.

 

[Reverend Benny]

Its odd that this OS doesn't really take off, surely there must be some interest for a "third" option.

 

[SnowCrocodile]

Its odd that this OS doesn't really take off, surely there must be some interest for a "third" option.

MS Windows Phone had great hardware and the OS was very good. Excellent, really. What killed it was the lack of AppStore. Any other potential new mobile OS is facing the same issue, especially now that there’s no real growth in the overall market.

 

[Reverend Benny]

MS Windows Phone had great hardware and the OS was very good. Excellent, really. What killed it was the lack of AppStore. Any other potential new mobile OS is facing the same issue, especially now that there’s no real growth in the overall market.

Yea, I know, its sad. The good thing with sailfish is that it can run Android apps.
I do miss Windows Phone, a shame that MS gave up on it.

 

[SnowCrocodile]

Right. Sailfish developers have been in close working relationship with Russian government on Aurora OS (an official Russian government fork of Sailfish that is intended for the state operations and is also promoted to the average citizens). In the process, Russian government-affiliated developers have greatly contributed to the Sailfish OS code, based on that proud statement on Jolla’s blog

Fourth generation of Sailfish OS is here! | Jolla Blog

We’ve come a long way, since Sailfish OS was first introduced in 2013. Now as we enter the 4th generation with Sailfish OS, the secure platform for trusted mobile solutions, we can proudly say that our product is in great shape and ready to expand to new frontiers! After Sailfish 3 was launched...

blog.jolla.com

“ Long-term collaboration with OMP deploying Aurora OS in Russia has delivered tons of open source contributions to the OS”

Tons, eh…

These are the same Russian government developers that have been actively engaged in cyber war against Ukraine and cyber attacks on the Western institutions since the invasion started.

If you go to the official link to Aurora OS, it’s all in Russian but the Safari translation mode works exceptionally well. There, I found a link to OMP, the main Russian developer of Aurora, with this statement:

“ The only mobile OS in the register of Russian software, certified according to the requirements of regulators.”

So, would Putin’s government’s only officially certified mobile OS be truly inaccessible to their governmental hackers ? Seems more as “we like it because we own the backdoors” is the reason.

Not sure if I’d trust the OS with “tons” of contributions from them…

 

[Technerd108]

Right. Sailfish developers have been in close working relationship with Russian government on Aurora OS (an official Russian government fork of Sailfish that is intended for the state operations and is also promoted to the average citizens). In the process, Russian government-affiliated developers have greatly contributed to the Sailfish OS code, based on that proud statement on Jolla’s blog

Fourth generation of Sailfish OS is here! | Jolla Blog

We’ve come a long way, since Sailfish OS was first introduced in 2013. Now as we enter the 4th generation with Sailfish OS, the secure platform for trusted mobile solutions, we can proudly say that our product is in great shape and ready to expand to new frontiers! After Sailfish 3 was launched...

blog.jolla.com

“ Long-term collaboration with OMP deploying Aurora OS in Russia has delivered tons of open source contributions to the OS”

Tons, eh…

These are the same Russian government developers that have been actively engaged in cyber war against Ukraine and cyber attacks on the Western institutions since the invasion started.

If you go to the official link to Aurora OS, it’s all in Russian but the Safari translation mode works exceptionally well. There, I found a link to OMP, the main Russian developer of Aurora, with this statement:

“ The only mobile OS in the register of Russian software, certified according to the requirements of regulators.”

So, would Putin’s government’s only officially certified mobile OS be truly inaccessible to their governmental hackers ? Seems more as “we like it because we own the backdoors” is the reason.

Not sure if I’d trust the OS with “tons” of contributions from them…

Wouldn't touch sailfish or Harmony OS with a ten foot pole.

NSA is bad enough with Apple, Google and Microsoft but at least there are rules they are supposed to follow to ensure privacy while at the same time identifying threats. Russian and Chinese governments have no restrictions and only have interests in control over their populations and ultimately the world. One is defensive and the other is offensive. If I am going to choose who is listening in I guess I will go with the defense. The Russians and Chinese are certainly going to data harvest, have open back doors, and who knows what else?

 

[SnowCrocodile]

Wouldn't touch sailfish or Harmony OS with a ten foot pole.

NSA is bad enough with Apple, Google and Microsoft but at least there are rules they are supposed to follow to ensure privacy while at the same time identifying threats. Russian and Chinese governments have no restrictions and only have interests in control over their populations and ultimately the world. One is defensive and the other is offensive. If I am going to choose who is listening in I guess I will go with the defense. The Russians and Chinese are certainly going to data harvest, have open back doors, and who knows what else?

Exactly. Especially if you read up on the extent to which Russian secret services, police, and mafia are intertwined. Using one's position in security apparatus for personal enrichment is pretty much the norm there. I'd like to keep their grubby paws as far away from my primary device as possible.