Hey guys, since I got into hosting my own servers, any electronic device I see I wonder - can it become a server?
This is probably not a crazy and new idea with android phones, but I had to share it with you. If you don’t know, there’s this thing called postmarket OS, full linux experience on an android phone.
Of course, not all phones are supported, but a phone like Galaxy Note 9 is a great candidate - it supports LAN over usb, postmarket OS fully supports it (the Exinos version) and setting up a phone as a selfhosted server has it’s real perks. Pis got really expensive, not to mention they don’t have a built-in UPS (phones have batteries), they use slow SD cards, while phones have faster UFS memory, phones draw way less power.
What do you guys think? I will for sure get a used Galaxy Note 9 and explore this idea, and if all goes well, I might even buy more of them and create a cluster.
bad idea IMO. i did this once, the device has to be permanently plugged in, which strains the battery. after a few weeks the battery inflated. that stuff can explode and set your house on fire.
better buy a raspberry pi. last time i checked they were $20 each.
That’s a very important point to consider. Unless you remove the battery, you shouldn’t use it as a server. If you still do, store it in a metal bowl or so and put it somewhere where the heat of the bowl itself cannot start a fire. And make sure that your smoke detectors are still working and not expired. Then, be aware that if the battery explodes, your apartment fills with biting toxic smoke within minutes, and that can happen in the middle of the night. So keep some clothes ready at the door that you can wear when fleeing the apartment.
I looked at using my old Galaxy S10e to host some things and ran into this same issue. It depends on the device, but I found a video of a guy revmoving the battery and soldering in a special resistor or something to trick the phone into a) thinking the battery is installed and b) that the battery is not discharging and will stay powered on.
It’s been a minute since I’ve seen the video, but I think he gave an explanation of how it all works. Still on my to-do list for when I need a weekend project.