Last updated: February 2025. Contribute to the project if you want to see cellular calling in 2026.
Hold the volume up + power keys. You should see the U-Boot splash screen. Select “Boot Linux.” If all goes well, you’ll drop into a Weston terminal on the square screen.
Yes, it is possible to experience Linux on a BlackBerry Passport
The primary vehicle for this transformation is (pmOS). Unlike Ubuntu Touch or Sailfish OS (which have commercial ties), postmarketOS is a community-driven project with a simple goal: give smartphones a 10-year lifecycle by running a real, mainline Linux distribution.
Linux—specifically, a or Arch Linux ARM build—offers a different promise: lightweight, open-source, and incredibly customizable. Instead of pretending the Passport is a modern Android phone, you embrace it as what it truly is: a pocket-sized Linux terminal with a phenomenal keyboard.
For years, the primary barrier to Linux on the Passport was BlackBerry’s "root of trust" security, which prevents unauthorized operating systems from booting. Unlike many Android devices, there is no simple software command to unlock the bootloader.
Create a partition for Linux (e.g., 2GB for root):
fastboot flash aboot u-boot-passport.img fastboot reboot-bootloader