I'm new to Linux and have been pondering a cool project: could we use a phone as a boot drive for other devices? I've seen past attempts like MS Continuum, Ubuntu, and Plasma Convergence, but I feel they failed because they relied too heavily on phone processors, which, while powerful, still can't replace the performance of modern PCs. Instead of using the phone for everything, why not just keep the OS and user files on the phone, but run applications on more capable hardware? Imagine plugging your phone into a desktop or laptop via USB-C and booting directly from its internal storage. This way, device-specific applications could be stored locally, minimizing storage issues and reducing latency. I envision a docking system, kind of like a game cartridge for laptops, where the phone could serve both as a controller and an SBC for its sensors. What do you all think? Is this realistic, and how complicated would it be to implement? Also, how convenient would it actually be compared to traditional setups? I'd love some insights, especially regarding security risks!
1 Answer
Honestly, this kind of setup isn't really feasible. Phones act more like MTP share devices rather than true external drives, so computers can't boot off them directly. You can access files on your phone, but that process is pretty limited and slow. Direct storage access was restricted a while back in mobile operating systems, making your idea quite challenging.
Would it be possible to use a small cyberdeck instead of the phone?