> feel like I'm living my childhood dream of having a full computer in my pocket
While Android can provide such feel, GNU/Linux smartphones (Librem 5 and Pinephone) are such computers. And they do not depend on Google in any way. (I'm a happy owner of both.)
I understand the sentiment, but I disagree. From the last time I checked, the big compromise with GNU/Linux phones is still the lack of social media and messaging apps and appstore ecosystem. Android, with root, is every bit as much a computer as a Pinephone and Librem 5, but the opposite isn't true. Termux has PRoot, a user-space implementation of chroot allowing a full distro install. I personally don't have any problem depending on Google, I have a problem with things being locked away with no alternative. Given the option, I will happily accept the risks and void my warray to root.
> Android, with root, is every bit as much a computer
Can you install a completely different OS on your Android phone? AFAIK no, whereas on Pinephone you can choose among 15+ systems and on Librem 5 currently among 4 or more. What about installing a mainline kernel?
> lack of social media and messaging apps
You can use Waydroid for Android apps, or install one of a few Matrix and Mastodon clients. Telegram works, too. Also, Flatpak apps work natively.
> I personally don't have any problem depending on Google, I have a problem with things being locked away with no alternative
To me these sound like the same problem. Google is restricting your freedom, not someone else.
If you want full freedom from google, GrapheneOS feels like the best de-googled solution. In some ways, PRoot is to android what waydroid is to linux, except PRoot is way more capable. Google free AOSP, like GrapheneOS exists so it's not fair to say it's the same problem. I appreciate having access to things like Kali NetHunter and value that over being able to install and run a mainline kernel on bare hardware. I don't see a difference in installing a completely different OS vs PRoot, because I am focused on the functionality. I wouldn't be able to tell you a meaningful difference in function between iperf3 running on a Librem phone vs native termux vs PRoot.
Here's someone that's installed Termux on waydroid, installed on manjaro installed in Termux on an android phone. https://www.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/y0kupg/termux_on_ma...