I have been using LineageOS without google replacement libs for about a year. There is a huge amount of comments here, which is interesting in itself - clearly there is a lot of interest in de-googled Android. I worry about fragmentation, eg: if there are too many options will they get diluted without the larger user base. Many apps won't work without google libs. I would like to think that this puts pressure on app builders to not just blindly require google libs, but the reality is without a significant user base wanting it, the tradeoff will always side with the majority. Interestingly WhatsApp works fine - presumably because using your competitors libs is seen as a no-no. FB are no angels here, but I need WhatsApp for family chats.
CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
271–280 of 496 posts
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#272I purchased a Pixel phone to test this stuff on. I installed LineageOS and found I couldn't run some google apps. I reinstalled LineageOS with https://opengapps.org added during the install and made the mistake of transferring from my old phone which brought all the google services and everything back to the phone (mostly). I then installed CalyxOS - much easier install process than lineage. Really liked the defaults…
Don't you think it is kind of absurd that you have to buy a device from Google to degooglify it as CalyxOS does not support other devices. How difficult would it be to actually port it to a device already supported e.g. by lineage?
The OS in this case has nothing to do with not being able to be ported to other phones. Google is one of the few who will pay extra to Qualcomm for the ability for users to flash their own signing keys. Lineage does not support one of the most important security feature of any modern smartphone, lockable bootloader and verified boot.
Lineage might be more privacy respecting than Googles Android, but far behind regarding security.
CalyxOS and GrapheneOS are the only real options (because they support relockable bootloaders) if you dont want to use Googles Android.
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#273Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just note that there's a tonne of apps on F-Droid that haven't had updates in years
That's true, but the date of the most recent release is clearly shown, and it's easy to avoid the unmaintained ones. Also, F-Droid most likely has newer alternatives for the kind of app you're looking for.
Yep, you have good points. I just thought I'd warn people thinking its going to be all roses.
Either way, I'm happy with my non-Google, Android setup
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#274Earlier quoted context omitted.
As if an app should have any say about if it can be backupped or not. 'Muhh security model'. If your security model includes letting apps randomly deprives me as a user of backups of my own phone , it's just another creepy google-bigbrother-wannabe.
https://github.com/seedvault-app/seedvault/issues/165 this is the issue, and it seems they are working on it. Good. What I didn't understand is why one would need to fake some Device2Device transfer, when one could just as well patch the root cause. It's open source after all.
Yep, that was my point. If you're backing up, apps shouldn't get a say
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#275I made the mistake of purchasing a DOOGEE phone a few months back. Won't touch it now that I realize the OS is completely hijacked by whatever chinese company produced this not-half-bad phone. (It goes so far as adding a watermark of the company logo to every photo I take! Sure I can disable it but I just don't feel right putting anything of value on there.) What would happen if I tried installing CalyxOS on it? Or a…
Copying my reply to another comment:
Not recommended. Downloads are tailored to specific device models, and installing an operating system image intended for a different device model would not work and could brick your device.
DOOGEE phones are not supported by LineageOS, and there is unfortunately hardly any developer focus on this brand:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/c/doogee.12007/
You are probably better off selling it. A used Google Pixel 3a is in the same price range, and would make a much more flexible replacement.
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#276I purchased a Pixel phone to test this stuff on. I installed LineageOS and found I couldn't run some google apps. I reinstalled LineageOS with https://opengapps.org added during the install and made the mistake of transferring from my old phone which brought all the google services and everything back to the phone (mostly). I then installed CalyxOS - much easier install process than lineage. Really liked the defaults…
You can try lineage with MicroG[0][1], it replaces Google services. If you want stores there is the F-Droid store for FOSS app or Aurora Store if you want casual apps. YouTube can be replaced by NewPipe and these days I'm trying Organic Maps (a layer for OSM with nav and offline maps) to replace Google Maps. [0] : https://microg.org/ [1] : https://lineage.microg.org/
Youtube app can be replaced with Firefox
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#277Are there any resources summarizing the differences between… - CalyxOS - Purism, Librem - microG - /e/ - LineageOS - LineageOS for microG - GrapheneOS And I’m sure many other Android open source/degooglers?
It doesn't answer your real question, but still, I'll try to make a summary: All of CalyxOS, LineageOS, LineageOS for microG, GrapheneOS and /e/ are Android distributions (based on the open-source part of Android, with some modifications and additions) Purism (brand name) Librem 5 (model name) is an opensource smartphones that reduces black boxes to closed areas, while on most smartphones black boxes like modem share…
An additional note: Android is natively much more private (1) and secure (2) than GNU/Linux. This is the reason /e/ is considered okay privacy-wise, by simply removing Google and OEM apps, you make Android much more private.
(1) Except if you have Google apps or OEM apps, which can access all your data. But your data is pretty safe from other people.
(2) except that kernel upgrades are often lagging behind
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#278I made the mistake of purchasing a DOOGEE phone a few months back. Won't touch it now that I realize the OS is completely hijacked by whatever chinese company produced this not-half-bad phone. (It goes so far as adding a watermark of the company logo to every photo I take! Sure I can disable it but I just don't feel right putting anything of value on there.) What would happen if I tried installing CalyxOS on it? Or a…
> I made the mistake of purchasing a DOOGEE phone a few months back.
You can't make this stuff up. Does it ship with a Shiba Inu as the default background (and photo watermark, of course)?
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#279Earlier quoted context omitted.
It doesn't answer your real question, but still, I'll try to make a summary: All of CalyxOS, LineageOS, LineageOS for microG, GrapheneOS and /e/ are Android distributions (based on the open-source part of Android, with some modifications and additions) Purism (brand name) Librem 5 (model name) is an opensource smartphones that reduces black boxes to closed areas, while on most smartphones black boxes like modem share…
An additional note: Android is natively much more private (1) and secure (2) than GNU/Linux. This is the reason /e/ is considered okay privacy-wise, by simply removing Google and OEM apps, you make Android much more private. (1) Except if you have Google apps or OEM apps, which can access all your data. But your data is pretty safe from other people. (2) except that kernel upgrades are often lagging behind
> An additional note: Android is natively much more private (1) and secure (2) than GNU/Linux.
Not so. There's nothing stopping you from using containerization in GNU/Linux to sandbox any potentially malicious programs, as AOSP does. It's just that running a fully Free desktop means you generally don't have to do this in the first place!
Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
#280I purchased a Pixel phone to test this stuff on. I installed LineageOS and found I couldn't run some google apps. I reinstalled LineageOS with https://opengapps.org added during the install and made the mistake of transferring from my old phone which brought all the google services and everything back to the phone (mostly). I then installed CalyxOS - much easier install process than lineage. Really liked the defaults…
Did you try microg? It's dead simple to install (they publish builds of lineage+microg for any device which has an official lineage build), works out of the box, and I haven't had any compatibility issues.
> I reinstalled LineageOS with https://opengapps.org added during the install and made the mistake of transferring from my old phone which brought all the google services and everything back to the phone (mostly).
I think you have misunderstood what "opengapps" is. Despite the name, it's just a zip that installs Google services and apps (Google framework, play store, etc)