Surely practically everyone is familiar with that "dualboot" or dual start. After performing more or fewer steps (more in the latest versions of Windows), we can run two operating systems on the same computer. Dos is nothing compared to what the p-boot tool allows us to do, which is an image that allows us to do multiboot on the PinePhone. Multi are more than two, but what is surprising is the number of available distros and, even more, their weight.
The image contains a total of 13 distributions that you have after the cut, but it is that, although each one should weigh close to or more than 1GB, this image weighs about 5GB, so we would only need an 8GB microSD to be able to use it. This is possible because they all use the same kernel, a Linux 5.9 customized to work with the PINE64 PinePhone. The supported devices are practically all, from the Braveheart edition to the newer ones that already have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
Distros included in p-boot for PinePhone
- Arch Linux ARM 2020-09-08
- Monday OS 0.113
- Maemo East 20200906
- Mobian 20200912
- pmOS/fbkeyboard 2020-09-11
- pOS / GNOME 2020-09-11
- KDE Neon 20200912-132511
- pmOS/Phosh 2020-09-11
- pmOS / Plasma Mobile 2020-09-11
- Pure OS 20200908
- Sailfish 1.1-3.3.0.16-devel-20200909
- pmOS/sxmo 0.1.8-20200726
- Ubuntu Touch 2020-09-10
In case it doesn't sound like that, pmOS is postmarketOS, one of the best options that is available with various environments or interfaces, such as the most famous Phosh (based on GNOME) or Plasma Mobile. As for the rest, I who have tried them on the PineTab, I would highlight Mobian and Arch Linux, since they are two of the ones that work best.
As we mentioned, they all share the same kernel, a Linux 5.9-rc5 which was launched last Sunday the 13th. This, in theory, will make the available Ubuntu Touch work better than the version that comes by default with the UBports PinePhone with Ubuntu Touch, but all in theory.
Interesting, but in beta
If you are interested in trying p-boot, you can download the image from the project page, where you also have more information. Taking into account that we will do everything in a microSD (although it can be installed in internal memory), you would not lose anything beyond time. But in the wasted time we could enjoy many mobile Linux distributions, which can help us to test them and find out which one we like the most, and this in turn can lead us to install that version in internal memory.
Choose what you choose, p-boot It allows us to run 13 distributions on the PinePhone, and personally I am looking forward to them releasing the same tool for the PineTab. The bad thing with the tablet is that it is newer and includes a more updated LCD driver that makes few distributions work, being officially available only Mobian, Arch Linux ARM and, although half working (but very fast and correct what it does), Manjaro. We cannot say that the thing does not promise.