---
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.