Signal-android: Support for Librem 5 HW phones (no GPlay) with PureOS (deb), or compatibility with Matrix/riot protocol

[breznak]

The privacy & security focused mobile HW has just been founded:
https://puri.sm/shop/librem-5/

As these projects share common ideology, it would be nice if Signal were natively ported to the PureOS platform on release day.

• ETA availability for customers on 1/2019
• PureOS (already available), based on Debian, definitely withOUT GPlay services

Alternative to a native port would be a compatibility with their intended IM: Matrix using riot protocol (i think the compatibility would be a better approach, but not sure if it's feasible?)

[moxie0]

I'm not sure what PureOS is, but if it's a skinned version of Android that meets the Android CTS, then Signal should work.

[breznak]

It's definetely not a skinned version of android, it's a debian based distro that will run the phones.

[christianfl]

It is just a Debian based distro which will be adapted to work on small screens (smartphones). So the new Signal-Desktop Electron application should work. In my opinion the only question is whether the desktop application will support the standalone mode one time. Will it maybe?

[s72785]

@moxie0 PureOS is a Debian fork, so GNU/Linux with limitations due to a "free software only" approach. Also they aim to support privacy features, see yourself: https://puri.sm/products/ . I am surprised you do not know them already, there are not a lot companies successfully launching a notebook line and none that add some real USP like "build for free software" and sustain it.

nicest would be a gateway to matrix as this one already enables us to use irc and xmpp, so more people can communicate. but it is said moxie doesnt like to federate.

so alternative would be to make Signal Desktop (for Linux, deb) support touch and small screens (like down to 5") if it doesnt yet. well, personally I stick to federating networks.