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Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

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121–130 of 219 posts

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#121
post #116
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Linux kernel is the singular decent component of Android.

On the contrary, the way Android forces security best practices, by allowing native code only to be used for implementing native methods, enabling all security mechanisms by default, use containerized applications and moving away from ossified POSIX APIs (except for what ISO C and ISO C++ require) are Android's best features.

Oh yeah, I forgot about how that fixed the malware problems on the platform.

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#123
post #109
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that, in general, when a company doesn't respect intellectual property laws or obviously makes use of industrial espionage (and I'm not suggesting either is true for Huawei) they are sending a clear signal that laws do not apply to them. So as a customer why would I trust any company with my most personal health, banking or own intellectual property if that company sees no reasonable limitations to its…

You might be the sort of person who takes a principled stand against intellectual property, so not see Huawei's behaviour as inconsistent with protecting consumer privacy? I don't personally trust Huawei to behave responsibly. But I don't really trust any other company either. Android is basically a Google anti-privacy play. Western IP law is arguably just a tool to delay Chinese progress (speaking from an internatio…

> Android is basically a Google anti-privacy play.

That's uncharitable. Android effectively started as a pro-web play: a way to ensure Google could deliver their services to mobile users regardless of what mobile manufacturers wanted (we're talking Nokia and Blackberry, which dominated the sector at the time and, together with phone carriers, could dictate what would or would not get to phones). They later got greedy with data-siphoning, but Apple effectively does the same, they're just a bit shy about over-exploiting it.

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#124
So "Harmony OS" is official, but I don't get it. - Their watches run a "LiteOS kernel" - Their tablets and phones run a Linux kernel - An "open Harmony" project exists with an actual HOS kernel, but doesn't currently run on any devices - Yet all of these are somehow Harmony OS?

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#125
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be cool if we could discuss the technology for once instead of spinning into a geopolitical discussion or meaningless copycat allegations which likely will lead nowhere.

This kind of pragmatism is what leads to this kind of dystopian technologies.

This kind of pragmatism is what saves us from pointless discussions.

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#126

I appreciate the gesture but app developers in the West are firmly and irrevocably slaves to Google.

I think you'll find it's consumers who are actually slaves to Apple and Google. Developers are not particularly happy to use iOS or Android, there is simply no commercially-viable alternative.

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#127
post #123
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You might be the sort of person who takes a principled stand against intellectual property, so not see Huawei's behaviour as inconsistent with protecting consumer privacy? I don't personally trust Huawei to behave responsibly. But I don't really trust any other company either. Android is basically a Google anti-privacy play. Western IP law is arguably just a tool to delay Chinese progress (speaking from an internatio…

> Android is basically a Google anti-privacy play. That's uncharitable. Android effectively started as a pro-web play: a way to ensure Google could deliver their services to mobile users regardless of what mobile manufacturers wanted (we're talking Nokia and Blackberry, which dominated the sector at the time and, together with phone carriers, could dictate what would or would not get to phones). They later got greedy…

I think it is unfair to say Apple does the same. It is night and day between the two platforms when it comes to privacy and I say it as someone who really dislikes Apple’s walled garden.

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#128
post #89

Huawei has "OS Kernel Lab" in their research division [1] and seems to do real research, including building an OS kernel. I guess they at least tried to ditch Android at a point. I'm not supporting their PR strategy. Just interesting to see where a corporate research goes. [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=huawei+OS+Kernel+Lab

The Linux kernel is the singular decent component of Android.

Nah, it’s the greatest security vulnerability of the platform.

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did submit this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27378926 Which has some example code - as I understand it the apps will look just like android apps.

Fancy! I don't understand who would in their right mind, except for web devs, prefer this to Kotlin + Compose.

I would use it.

There are just far more JavaScript developers out there than android Java/kotlin developers.

Also if you just distribute the js, the apps would get quite small, so maybe you no longer need an App Store with an explicit installation step but instead you could just browse the apps on the internet like you would browse web pages.

Re: Huawei replaces Android with HarmonyOS, which is also Android

#130
post #121
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the contrary, the way Android forces security best practices, by allowing native code only to be used for implementing native methods, enabling all security mechanisms by default, use containerized applications and moving away from ossified POSIX APIs (except for what ISO C and ISO C++ require) are Android's best features.

Oh yeah, I forgot about how that fixed the malware problems on the platform.

Indeeed, it is wonderful when people install outside Play Store and keep giving permissions for everything on flashlight apps.
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