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Android now forces apps to include proprietary code for push notifications

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Re: Android now forces apps to include proprietary code for push notifications

#11

Post by krn »

geofft wrote: post #2

You can still write free software that uses it and produces a not-entirely-free artifact when compiled, though, right? (Is there a distribution restriction on the artifact, or is it impermissible to link it with GPL apps, or something?) I'm curious if the free software apps are compelled not to link it to preserve the free software status of their code, or just voluntarily refusing on principle (which is laudable, to…

Ubuntu gets around any possible GPL violations by offering to download and install proprietary drivers (ex., Nvidia) and codecs during installation process. Could something similar work for Android apps?

Re: Android now forces apps to include proprietary code for push notifications

#12

Post by grenoire »

jmkni wrote: post #6

I'd love to know just how different/bare bones AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is to regular Android. As an experiment, I'd love to compile it, put it on a spare phone and use it as my daily driver for a week.

Practically, it's very difficult. LineageOS people are trying to work on that, but it's just a very big hassle with the variety of OEM components running amok the industry.

Re: Android now forces apps to include proprietary code for push notifications

#13

Post by iaml »

jmkni wrote: post #6

I'd love to know just how different/bare bones AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is to regular Android. As an experiment, I'd love to compile it, put it on a spare phone and use it as my daily driver for a week.

You won't get play store, default apps and apps from store itself. You can install f-droid, some other store or use microG as replacement for google services and apkmirror as a store, but you'll probably have some problems with compatibility.

Re: Android now forces apps to include proprietary code for push notifications

#15

Post by realusername »

jmkni wrote: post #6

I'd love to know just how different/bare bones AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is to regular Android. As an experiment, I'd love to compile it, put it on a spare phone and use it as my daily driver for a week.

You can't get anything running with AOSP, there's not a single common phone which would run without random Android blobs & custom kernel changes. Then once you add those blobs, you need to add MicroG to have any hope to run any moderately popular app.

Re: Android now forces apps to include proprietary code for push notifications

#16

Post by jmkni »

grenoire wrote: post #12
jmkni wrote: post #6

I'd love to know just how different/bare bones AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is to regular Android. As an experiment, I'd love to compile it, put it on a spare phone and use it as my daily driver for a week.

Practically, it's very difficult. LineageOS people are trying to work on that, but it's just a very big hassle with the variety of OEM components running amok the industry.

I'll check out LineageOS, thanks

Re: Android now forces apps to include proprietary code for push notifications

#17

Post by Iolaum »

jmkni wrote: post #6

I'd love to know just how different/bare bones AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is to regular Android. As an experiment, I'd love to compile it, put it on a spare phone and use it as my daily driver for a week.

You can get a close enough view on this by finding a phone supported by LineageOS and installing it without anything esle (e.g. no fdroidPriviligedExtension, no openGapps etc).

Alternatively, or maybe even better to what you ask, if you have a Pixel phone you can build RattlesnakeOS, again without adding anything like openGapps, which is almost pure AOSP iirc.

Re: Android now forces apps to include proprietary code for push notifications

#20

Post by caf »

icebraining wrote: post #3
geofft wrote: post #2

You can still write free software that uses it and produces a not-entirely-free artifact when compiled, though, right? (Is there a distribution restriction on the artifact, or is it impermissible to link it with GPL apps, or something?) I'm curious if the free software apps are compelled not to link it to preserve the free software status of their code, or just voluntarily refusing on principle (which is laudable, to…

Only if you are the author of all the code, so that the GPL doesn't actually apply to you. In this case, the Telegram-FOSS people take the original Telegram source (which is GPL licensed) and redistribute it, so they can't distribute a non-entirely-free apk without violating the original license. Other apps using, for example, GPL licensed libraries or accepting third-party contributions under the GPL exclusively are…

Other apps using, for example, GPL licensed libraries or accepting third-party contributions under the GPL exclusively are also forbidden from redistributing non-entirely-free stuff.

Or even just copying bits of GPL-licensed code in themselves.

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