Pocketblue is a new project aiming to provide a version of Fedora Atomic made for mobile devices. The bad news is that it currently works on only three models: Xiaomi Pad 5, Xiaomi Pad 6, and OnePlus 6 or 6T.
The project offers Fedora Atomic system images with GNOME, Plasma, and Phosh desktops, based on Fedora 43, made specifically for phones and tablets. In other words, it brings the immutable, rpm-ostree-based setup from desktops to mobile devices, with system updates handled through image upgrades and layered changes.
As you can expect, apps are delivered mainly through Flatpak. Both Flathub and Fedora Flatpak repositories are supported, and Pocketblue has its own repository with builds for mobile devices. For development or using regular package tools, users can use toolbox containers. These let you install packages in a separate environment without changing the main system.
Regarding software, you can install apps using GNOME Software, KDE Discover, or the flatpak command-line tool. Flathub and Fedora Flatpak are enabled by default. You can also enable the Pocketblue repository, which offers mobile versions of Firefox. For using tools like DNF, you can set up a toolbox container.
If you need to make system changes, rpm-ostree layering is still available, as the changes take effect after a reboot.
It’s also worth noting that Pocketblue currently does not support full disk encryption during setup. Instead, you can make a systemd-homed account with an encrypted home folder. However, the root filesystem and the rest of /var remain unencrypted.
Finally, I’d like to note that the project is still in its early stages and is mainly geared toward users who enjoy experimenting. Whether it will grow and mature over time remains to be seen. For now, there’s no information on whether support will expand beyond the very limited selection of the three device models mentioned above.
For more information, visit the project’s website or check out its GitHub repository.
