diff --git a/faq.md b/faq.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7b47e1a --- /dev/null +++ b/faq.md @@ -0,0 +1,98 @@ +--- +title: FAQ +permalink: /faq/ +layout: default +--- + +Frequently Asked Questions +========================== + +Why is Plasma Mobile not using Mer/Nemomobile? +---------------------------------------------- + +Plasma Mobile is a software platform for mobile devices. It is not an +operating system in of itself, it consists of Qt5, the KDE Frameworks, +Plasma and various software that's part of the application set. Plasma +Mobile can work on top of the Mer distribution, but due to a lack of +time and resources, we're currently focusing on Halium as a base for +testing and development. + +Can Android apps work on Plasma Mobile? +--------------------------------------- + +In the future, potentially, but currently no. There are projects like +[Anbox](https://anbox.io/) which are seeking to have Android apps run on the Linux desktop without any performance loss, and with full +integration. This could be leveraged in the future to have Android apps +running on top of a GNU/Linux system with the Plasma Mobile platform, +but it's a complicated task, and it's not a priority right now. + +Can I run Plasma Mobile on my mobile device? +-------------------------------------------- + +Currently, Plasma Mobile runs on the following device types: + +* **(Recommended) Nexus 5X:** We offer official + installation scripts for the Nexus 5X. The images are + built on top o +f Halium and KDE Neon. You can find more + information on the Plasma Mobile [documentation](http://docs.plasma-mobile.org). + +* **x86-based:** If you want to try out Plasma Mobile on an Intel + tablet, desktop/laptop, or virtual machine, the x86_64 Neon-based + Plasma Mobile [image](https://www.plasma-mobile.org/get/) is for + you. Information on how to permanently + install it can be found on the Plasma Mobile [documentation](http://docs.plasma-mobile.org). + +* **postmarketOS devices:** postmarketOS is a touch-optimized, + pre-configured Alpine Linux that can be installed on Android + smartphones and other mobile devices. This project is in *very early + stages of development* but it does currently offer support for a + fairly wide range of devices, and it offers Plasma Mobile as an + available interface. Please find your device from the [list of + supported devices](https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices) and + see what's working, then you can follow the [pmOS installation + guide](https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Installation_guide) to + install it on your device. Your mileage may vary, and it is **not** + necessarily representative of the current state of Plasma Mobile. + +* **Other:** If your device is not listed here, you can manually + install the Plasma Mobile rootfs onto your device if it's supported + by Halium. You can check + [here](https://github.com/Halium/projectmanagement/labels/Ports) to see if your device is listed, and if so, you can see the status + and the functional device features. Assuming your device is listed + and well-supported, you can follow the [Halium Porting + Guide](https://docs.halium.org/en/latest/) to install it on your + own device, and reuse the manifest linked in the device-specific page + on the Github. If there are no reports for your device, you can still + install Halium on it similarly, but you'll have to follow the + instructions in the porting guide to create the manifest yourself. + +What are requirements of device for porting Plasma Mobile? +---------------------------------------------------------- + +For Android based devices (ARM and x86) a Halium port is required: + +* Device tree & Kernel source +* Kernel version must be 3.8.0 or later +* Devices with MediaTek chipsets are not recommended +* 16 GiB of storage is recommended, but 8 GiB could also work +* 1 GiB of RAM is needed + +Intel or AMD based devices (with open source firmware) just can use the x86 ISO + +I've installed Plasma Mobile, what is the login password? +--------------------------------------------------------- + +If you've installed it onto your Nexus 5X via the installation script, +the password should be "1234", and you can then change it afterwards by +running "passwd" in Konsole. + +If you're using the x86 image, no password is set by +default, and you'll have to set it by running "passwd" in Konsole before +you can authenticate for anything. + +What's the state of the project? +-------------------------------- + +Plasma Mobile is currently under heavy development and is not intended +to be used as a daily driver. If you are interested in contributing, [join](/findyourway) the game.