Home server on old android phones?
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.
It can work as long as the phone has an option to limit the battery charge to 80% or less. Keeping the battery fully charged for an extended amount of time will damage it and may even cause it to puff up.
Yeah, I think creating a custom script for it won’t be an issue, for example when battery hits 80% it stops charging, and resumes charging when it hits 40%
I have an ESP32 based switch between the power and my tablets which turn on /off the power between 80% and 20% using an automation in Home Assistant:
…esphome.io/…/sinilink-xy-wfusb-usb-switch-relay/
Been working well for a couple of years now, but still, the batteries in the tablets are gonna be the thing that determines how long this will work for.
I’m not sure about the Note, but the Samsung Galaxy S series phones have an option to limit charging to 85%.
Cycling the battery is a good idea too though. I used to do that with a wall mounted tablet and a smart plug, until I swapped it for a Lenovo tablet that has this as a built-in feature