this post was submitted on 02 May 2026
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Unfortunately, Sailfish OS uses a proprietary (closed source) android compatibility layer, as well as a closed source UI.
For the parts they have open-sourced, they implementrd a CLA that contributers must sign. It's the HA-CLA-I-ANY license, which specifically allows them a perpetual Copyright and Patent license, and permission to relicense your code contributions to a more restrictive license which enables them sell or package it into a closed-source proprietary app.
Personally I'd be more comfortable supporting the development of PostmarketOS instead, since it is completely open-source with no CLA, meaning no chance of any rug-pulling in the future.
It's unfortunate that it isn't open source. Their AppSupport feature looks so great though. Hopefully it's possible to do something similar in postmarketOS.
PostmarketOS has a similar ability thanks to Waydroid, though I've never used it myself.
I know but what I meant is having the Android compatibility layer integrated into the OS itself so that Android apps are available directly in postmarketOS, like they are in SailfishOS. Waydroid is cumbersome since you have to launch that first to then be able to open the app you want.
SailfishOS seems to run quite nicely, but has the limitations listed by you.
PostmarketOS seems to run a tad worse, but is fully open source.
Wouldn't it make sense to support both, because otherwise there's some danger of a chicken and egg situation:
people don't use PostmarketOS, because it doesn't work well enough. People don't support PostmarketOS, because they don't use it.
SailfishOS could pave the way for people using Linux phones and developing the need for completely open source ones after they realize the limitations of SailfishOS.
I can see that happening to me at least, because I ordered a Jolla phone with SailfishOS, which will hopefully be delivered in a few months (batch #3). I chose SailfishOS over PostmarketOS because of their Android app compatibility layer being fully aware this part isn't open source and that I will eventually trying to get rid of that situation.
The demand for having a Linux phone soon that may be able to become my daily driver was more pressing than facing the risk of getting frustrated by PostmarketOS.