[kwlug-disc] Sony Xperia Phones open source repository

[Doug Moen]

It's great that Sony open sources this stuff for Xperia, and allows you to unlock the bootloader on some models. We need multiple manufacturers doing this to keep the free software phone community healthy.

That said, there are different levels of openness for cell phones.
The Google Pixel not only allows you to unlock the bootloader and install a custom OS with a custom kernel, but you can also relock the bootloader with different signing keys. So now you are running a custom kernel with a locked bootloader. As far as I know, this ability to relock with custom keys is only found on the Pixel so far. This is an important feature if you have a security mindset, and it's one of the stated reasons why GrapheneOS only supports Pixels. I can't find evidence of any Sony Xperia models that support this.

On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, at 10:35 AM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:
> As a customer who has been only Sony phones for about 12 years,
> I was surprised that they open source their kernel, bootloaders,
> and such.
> 
> This was not the case when I last looked into unlocking my phone
> many years ago.
> 
> This is a list of their models that are "open devices":
> 
> https://developer.sony.com/open-source/aosp-on-xperia-open-devices/get-started/supported-devices-and-functionality
> 
> And here is the git repository
> 
> https://github.com/sonyxperiadev/kernel
> 
> I like Sony because they have top notch cameras, and their hardware
> is reliable, and usually waterproof. Usually, I get a model that is a few
> years old for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
> 
> The one I have now (Xperia 1) has full manual control of exposure,
> like a prosumer camera.
> --
> Khalid M. Baheyeldin
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