Linux Compatible Hardware

Reading this page about OS architecture:

I have realized that there is a quite distinct separation about smartphones. Those the hardware is supported because Android and those can be supported by Linux kernel alone.

Is there a list of this device? For example - because Volla 22 supports Ubuntu Touch - I am keen to think that Volla 22 is one of that hardware. Instead, also Ubuntu Touch is based on a ASOP but AFAIK and I am not an expert because Ubuntu Touch can have two different way of relating with hardware with ASOP or directly.

Running a Linux Kernel on the bare smartphone hardware, is an intriguing and fascinating matter. Unfortunately, I am a total newbie about this topic. I worked with many boards and hardware with Linux but never had the chance to get into smartcameras (even if I have tweaked some Nikon digital models enough to control them by remote via USB port) and smartphones.

Now, it is the right time to fulfil this gap! :blush:

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The 2 smartphones that definately can run with a mainline Linux kernel are the Librem 5 and the Pinephone. There may be incomplete but working support for a few old other ones, maybe Nexus 5. Most phones will use the Android kernel with the compat layers. E.g. the 1st volla phone works with Android kernel + compat but some person successfully booted it on mainline. The postmarketOS wiki is an excellent source to find out the details of specific devices.
Third, there are also out-of-tree but “real Linux kernel” phones like the iPhone 7.

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