To sum it up is sounds like you can do it with Emma in Windows and recovery + fastboot in Linux.

Sounds like change is positive and mikecomputing can calm down too

Thanks for providing some clear information without overreacting like some other people in this thread.

Distribution of binary blobs is a problem for all ports and this seems like a sensible solution.

If Sony do this for the other devices in their open mobile range then that's a great step forward for everyone porting any OS (including cutom ROMs like LineageOS etc.) to these devices.

Worth the delay IMO, and it probably won't stop Linux users from doing anything if you can still write to the partition from recovery.

Yeah, it's not even a delay in when you get the image just in when you can preorder it so no harm done at all

Even if its campaign succeeds and even if they manage to ship by January 2019 as they promised (63 months later than the original Jolla phone), Librem5 is just doomed. Even more than UbuntuPhone.

Sorry to redpill you, but you can't create a pure "libre" phone in a reasonable time. I heard too many project managers roaring "we'll slap some Linux distribution on it, add a few phone utilities, and we're go", and the last ones were those from Canonical (with more resources than OpenMoko and Firefox OS) and Samsung (have you ever seen someone happy with a Tizen phone?). Also I heard too many people entering a cellphone shop while shouting "quick! I need a phone with Whatsapp and Candycrush". I didn't yet hear someone whining about carrying two cellphones, a pure FOSS one and one supporting the usual killer apps™.

A brief reminder about SailfishOS:
- was built on promising technologies (Wayland, systemd, QT5/qml...)
- was created by people who previously worked on the only successful Linux phone out there (N900)
- delegated the hardware things to an Android layer (example: no need to debug GPS ports and registers if the OEM-supplied daemon takes care of them)
- was ready for daily usage since day one
- is not an imitation of some other product, and is not an existing desktop Linux with some phone utilities slapped onto it.

In short, the smallest reasonable compromise and the best results.

Even if some OEM released a blob-free opensourced phone, it will require quite a lot of time (and resources) to ship a daily usage ready "blob-less pure libre Linux" phone.

Will Purism Librem5 be a viable alternative to Sailfish phones? Or will it be just another platform where people will want to install Sailfish or some Android?

Serously for how long do you think that will be possible? Fact stand Sony has pissing in the boat and Xperia series is not an open platform.

When I used FP2 fastboot WAS the official flashing tool same goes for other open android phones such as nexus I guess. I don't want to use some crippled binary from random company that ponly work for broken OS'es like windows.

Sony are just same garbage as samsung/iphone and now trying locking in the user. Xperia is over for me I will not spend a second try install SFOS on the phone. I will probably sell the phone later (unrooted).

So sick and tired of locked in shitness. If I did know above a month ago I would not sell my FP2. Instead keept it and wait for:

https://puri.sm/shop/librem-5/

Indeed I just contributed for that phone. If people want true open phone they should also support librem 5.

Sony plain dead for me.

Over and out.

mikecomputing, you're over-reacting. seriously.

You don't have to believe in Librem it's up to you. But not come tell me where I should spend my money. I already spent them in wrong company that is, guess what, Sony!

Indeed FP2 was a better choice even if SFOS was not official supported. Same goes for N900, N9 and Jolla.

Then I was stupid and bought a phone from a big company like Sony and they made me just pissed.

Summary is I better sponsor upstart companies and creative people than companies like Sony.

So don't try convince me to not support Purism. Indeed I got even more convinced now that I also should buy the developer kit.

Also it is wrong compare Ubuntu phone with Librem 5. First of Canonical is a software company and they specs was huge to big. Jolla is also not a HW company. Purism has already made some Laptops.

I see where mikecomputing but this could be down to Jolla not really being great at communicating of what the hell is going on. Their blog post would be have been off just saying "Sorry we ran into some issues and had to delay stuff" or nothing at all as what they have posted just caused more confusion.

Now I am really hoping things will go well with Sony as the launch is successful but there should be a parity. If windows users get a tool that does everything with a button click and is robust and good to use, Linux users should get love too.

In two more days we should be getting more information, fingers crossed it's all good.

well, Jolla has a serious PR problem, they should probably look for a better public relations experts.

Knowing the current guys a bit from lose but fruitfull contact, i can tell you it is not about the person doing it, but the task of pleasing everyone in the current setting being near impossible.