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How to Android without Google

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Re: How to Android without Google

#51

Post by lightedman »

izacus wrote: post #37
krn wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When a security patch for Android becomes available, it takes a lot of time until it gets ported to the LineageOS build targeting your device. If it ever happens at all.

Also it's worth remembering that LineageOS can't patch the driver blobs (which are a source of a large number of security issues). As a result, if you don't run it on a maintained platform (e.g. Google Pixel phones), you're still behind in security.

"Also it's worth remembering that LineageOS can't patch the driver blobs "

You absolutely can if you build your own ROMs.

Typed on my Nook Color with a Lineage-piece custom-updated CyanogenMOD ROM.

Re: How to Android without Google

#52

Post by thsealienbstrds »

Qwertie wrote: post #6
GranPC wrote: post #3

This isn't really Android without Google - if you do this, you're still using Google's services and piping data through them. It's kind of like switching from Chrome to Firefox to open Gmail.

There is android without google. My device uses 0 google services.

I also thought I was 'Google-free' by having 0 Google services, but then I discovered that my Android phone does this: https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/7m8tsq/mysteriou...

Re: How to Android without Google

#53

Post by opencl »

bennofs wrote: post #45
krn wrote: post #9

The real Android without Google is CopperheadOS[1], which is also ahead of Google in terms of security (not behind, like LineageOS). [1] https://copperhead.co/

Unfortunatly, copperhead only supports a tiny number of devices: Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P (+hikey as preview)

And for the Pixel models it also costs $500 per device unless you want to run your own build server.

Re: How to Android without Google

#54

Post by CuriousCosmic »

sigfubar wrote: post #34
d33 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> doesn't do Oreo Well I call bullshit: https://www.lineageos.org/Changelog-16/ As for why the device was dropped, go ask the maintainer. They're probably volunteers and it might be that one of them just stopped having time to do that. I don't think they're actually paid for porting LOS.

Somehow this sort of thing never happened to a recent device like the S7 back in the days of CM, before it became Cyanogen Inc. Between the death of Cyanogen Inc. and the birth of LOS a crucial ingredient appears to have been lost, leaving the project as a whole less vital that it was before.

Overall interest in the ROM and android modding community has been decreasing. CM appeared right when android really started gaining traction and the modding community prospered. That was when phones were seen as the cool new tech with all these interesting features. Nowadays most people don't care what is in their phones as long as it runs the apps they want, takes decent pictures, and lasts for a decent part of the day. It also doesn't help that nowadays app developers have started intentionally crippling apps when a custom ROM is detected.

Because of this most people don't contribute to android ROM projects anymore. For a lot of people it just isn't worth the effort those that do care tend to keep up with new tech and buy the latest and greatest tech so they aren't maintaining old devices as much anymore unless they were major hits or a personal preference of the maintainer.

As for why a lot of features have disappeared, through the whole process of surviving the Cyanogen Inc. issues, it took everything the community had to keep basic android supported let alone all the extra features considering how many devices they support. Now that Treble has been deployed, this shouldn't be so much of an issue but maintaining so many old devices that have long been deprecated isn't easy.

Also, as for why the S7 is no longer maintained, apparently there was some bs issue with the software license on the S7 binaries.

Re: How to Android without Google

#55

Post by Animats »

Enable Google device registration Enable Google Cloud Messaging

I run Android without Google. I bought a new phone, and when I powered it up, it tried to get me to "sign into Google". I declined. I downloaded F-Droid. Then I disabled every Google thing that could be disabled.After that, all apps came from F-Droid. Mail is via K-9 mail and an IMAP server. Browsing is Fennec F-Droid, which is Firefox minus some unwanted Mozilla-calling stuff. Mapping is ZANavi. Location provider is Mozilla. Works fine.

Re: How to Android without Google

#56

Post by nextos »

Animats wrote: post #55

Enable Google device registration Enable Google Cloud Messaging I run Android without Google. I bought a new phone, and when I powered it up, it tried to get me to "sign into Google". I declined. I downloaded F-Droid. Then I disabled every Google thing that could be disabled.After that, all apps came from F-Droid. Mail is via K-9 mail and an IMAP server. Browsing is Fennec F-Droid, which is Firefox minus some unwante…

Do you prefer ZANavi to OSMAnd~?

Re: How to Android without Google

#57

Post by Couto »

Animats wrote: post #55

Enable Google device registration Enable Google Cloud Messaging I run Android without Google. I bought a new phone, and when I powered it up, it tried to get me to "sign into Google". I declined. I downloaded F-Droid. Then I disabled every Google thing that could be disabled.After that, all apps came from F-Droid. Mail is via K-9 mail and an IMAP server. Browsing is Fennec F-Droid, which is Firefox minus some unwante…

Out of curiosity, how did you manage to have Mozilla as a location provider?

I hope i'm wrong here, but as far as I can tell. You need either google services or unifiedNLP from microG to achieve that.

I say this, because I run LineageOS without Gapps and I could never make it work with Mozilla's location provider.

The lack of geolocation is the only thing bothering me to be honest.

Re: How to Android without Google

#58

Post by bitL »

paradite wrote: post #48

It is pretty interesting that people outside China are trying hard to get rid of Google on Android. Whereas people buying phones in China are getting Android without Google by default and trying hard to install Google play services (those who travel or live oversea).

Not that interesting TBH. In Germany people are trying to get on Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn right now, when people in the US are trying to escape them. It's simply a new thing marketed there.

Re: How to Android without Google

#59

Post by rehemiau »

I don't even run microg. Here WeGo is great for maps. Firefox is great as a browser, and has nice things like playing youtube in background (after adding an extension) or ublock. Slack works (without notifications), Spotify, Netflix, Authy, Signal... Many things have PWAs that work because they are platform-independent. For installing things there's F-Droid or APKUpdater. You could even use Facebook Messenger without Google and still get notifications. My battery is great and Android

Re: How to Android without Google

#60

Post by dbuder »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #36
whyagaindavid wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the OP meant SIM unlocked. Sadly Nokia android phones bootloader locked. Nokia's CTO statement: they would not be offering an official bootloader unlock method “due to security.” The only OEM consistently provides open code and unlocking easily is Motorola - Still some Google's DNA. https://www.xda-developers.com/no-official-bootloader-unlock...

But at least not shoved with uninstallable and pre-installed apps. Yes I know I can "disable" some apps but I find it ridiculous that phones come with Facebook, Instagram etc preinstalled. Just no thanks.

Yeah this was such a huge win for those social media companies, they had to pay the phone makers, which explains why FB have/had so many phones to give away at events.
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