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+---
+layout: post
+title: 'PostmarketOS: Some impressions (and solving a QMI Protocol Error)'
+lang: en
+categories: tech
+date: 2024-12-17 18:00 +0100
+---
+During another day when I had nothing else to do, somemow "PostmarketOS" came
+to my mind again. I checked the website and noticed in the "Supported Devices"
+that I actually own one of them, an old OnePlus 6T.
+
+The web flasher didn't work under my Chromebook with Chromium under Puppy
+Linux. Something along the lines of "unable to open device" in the developer
+console. Maybe related to the fact that Chromium probably shouldn't be run as
+root? (The device was *detected* anyway.) So I switched to my desktop PC to
+flash it. That worked. (In the process the dtbo partition is deleted, so going
+back to LineageOS requires a bit of an effort. Just a word of warning.)
+
+{% image
+img="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/12/17/20241217164801-7c45d24e-me.jpg"
+alt="A OnePlus 6T smartphone showing the PostmarketOS boot screen" %}
+
+One of the first things I noticed, I haven't been able to unlock my SIM card.
+During the setup wizard, the UI was *simply crashing* when I tried. When I
+tried unlocking the SIM card via the settings menu, I was always getting an
+error
+
+> Couldn't verify PIN: QMI protocol error (3): 'Internal'
+
+Same as for the command line. In a [conversation with
+@anderslund@expressional.social](https://furry.engineer/@uvok/113641361222749964)
+I was actually able to solve the problem by swapping the SIM slot. Not sure if
+it actually has to be done while the device is switched on, or if it would also
+have worked if the device was turned off. However, mobile data doesn't work *at
+all* (with 1und1 as a provider, in the network of Vodafone), although I set the
+right APN, there's a red icon in the top bar over the mobile indicator, and I
+get no network access whatsoever without WiFi.
+
+Anyway… For the UI, I tried out Phosh, Plasma Mobile and Sxmo. Of all these, I
+liked Phosh best, but still, I don't like it *particularly*. I think I should
+take a closer look into how to customize the keyboard. It seems kinda "cramped"
+to me. But still, may daily driver smartphone is a Google Pixel with
+GrapheneOS. So I actually have no real purpose for this, anyway.
+
+Right now, I'm listening to radio streams via "Shortwave". Previously, this
+device was used for listening to Spotify. Kind of a "media device", if you will.
+
+Also, the rotate screen function appears way too sensitive. (There's probably a
+setting for that). When I'm not careful, the UI sometimes fidgets back and
+forth and is then "stuck" rotated by 90 or 270 degrees, and doesn't rotate back
+when I hold the device upright, I have to rotate it to the other side first.
+Very annoying. I think I'll simply switch off screen rotation.
+
+Overall, it's awesome such a project exist. I wouldn't trust it as a daily driver.
+Yet.