Installing postmarketOS (Mainline Linux)

postmarketOS (pmOS) is a Linux distribution based on Alpine Linux tailored specifically for smartphones and mobile embedded platforms. Because Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) has exceptional upstream Linux kernel support, postmarketOS offers a lean, security-focused, and modern Linux environment.

Why postmarketOS?

Upstream Mainline Kernel: Runs bleeding-edge Linux (6.x+) without vendor Android hacks.
Ultra-Lightweight Memory Footprint: Idle RAM usage is often under 40–60 MB, leaving over 400 MB of free memory on 512 MB devices!
Fast Package Management: apk package manager is lightning fast on eMMC storage.
Active Upstream Community: Maintained by the core mobile Linux developers.

Method 1: Using pmbootstrap (Recommended)

pmbootstrap is postmarketOS’s official Python deployment tool.

1. Install pmbootstrap

# On your Linux/macOS host machine
pip install --user pmbootstrap

2. Initialize the Device Profile

pmbootstrap init

During the prompt:

Work path: Keep default (~/.local/var/pmbootstrap)
Channel: edge (or v24.06+)
Vendor: generic (or qualcomm)
Device: Select generic-msm8916 or your specific board model (msm8916-ufi001b, msm8916-ufi003)
User Interface: none (headless server)
Extra packages: networkmanager, modemmanager, openssh

3. Build & Flash

Put your dongle into fastboot mode:

# Build the images
pmbootstrap install

# Flash kernel and bootloader
pmbootstrap flasher flash_kernel

# Flash the root filesystem
pmbootstrap flasher flash_rootfs

Reboot the dongle:

fastboot reboot

Connecting & First Boot

postmarketOS brings up USB networking with CDC-ECM:

Host PC IP: 172.16.42.2
Dongle IP: 172.16.42.1

Connect via SSH:

ssh user@172.16.42.1

Once connected, update packages and install your needed software:

sudo apk update
sudo apk upgrade
sudo apk add htop curl nano docker