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Published: Thu, 24 Jan 2025 20:12:40 -0800
Shortly after getting into Linux, I gained the desire to have the ability to use it and the suite of programs I found on the go. I wanted to be able to control which applications I used, the background processes that ran, and the way windows were managed. For many years I tried to accomplish this by various means, but now I have made a major step forward in achieving this goal.
Ok, let me be frank, this falls short of the mark of what I imagined. I originally wanted to build a mini-laptop around a Raspberry Pi and a display like this, but after spending countless hours and hundreds of dollars over the years trying and failing to accomplish this, I needed to make a pivot. Realistically, second hand smart phones are cheap, come with everything I need (shy a keyboard), and can cram it all in a much smaller footprint than I ever could. It's the logical solution to all the problems I was having with my former approach. Thanks to all of the hard work of the people around PostmarketOS, booting Linux on a smartphone is only a matter of running a few commands. Without all their work this wouldn't be possible.
For the past couple of weeks I have been using the Step as my primary device and I intend to do so for the foreseeable future. Tiling window managers and tui/cli programs pair amazingly with this form factor. Everything is only a few keystrokes away; a pleasant change from the countless menus and submenus of touch-friendly mobile interfaces. I've been able to read blogs, watch videos, and listen to podcasts the way I want to, no longer needing to deal with restrictive apps or kludgey mobile sites. I've also noticed a positive change in how I spend my time using the device: I don't doomscroll. When the next hit of dopamine requires more than a swipe of the finger, it's easier to break out of the cycle. I'm spending more time enjoying the world around me and less time staring at a screen.
While I wouldn't write a novel on it, the physical keyboard is a joy to use. No longer do I have to go sifting through layers of a software keyboard to find non-alphanumeric keys, or have to deal with the unpredictability of attempting to copy and paste text with the sole input of a touchscreen. Where I'd be painfully frustrated trying to accomplish basic tasks in a mobile browser, the Step handles them with ease.
Additionally, The Step has given me the motivation to tinker again. Unlike the world of monolithic apps with little to no inter-app communication found in Android and IOS, I get to harness the openness of Linux. I don't have to reinvent the wheel of a UI, I can just write a script that does exactly what I need, nothing more, nothing less, and take advantage of tools like rofi or fzf to provide user-interaction.
But most of all, it just gives me ease to know I am the one in control. I don't have to be victim to the decisions being made in board rooms in Silicon Valley. If I don't like the way something works, I can change it. The only limit is my knowledge, something that I have control over.
All required files and materials are listed on the project page. I'd be happy to help anyone, just send me an email!
I regularly check my email, If I don't respond quickly, send me a poke:
jasco.website@pm.me