Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

calyxos.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

461–470 of 496 posts

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#461

Post by summm »

luca020400 wrote: post #416
summm wrote: post #397

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Root doesn't mean you give root permissions to any dumb app. I implied proper permission management and authorization, of course. Then it's just like a secure castle where the user can go into all of the rooms, to some with a special key. You don't have to go into those rooms, but you have the option to at any time. And, depending on the implementation, you may change the special room, but if you return after the nex…

If you're rooted your security is way lower. Simple as that. Rooting can be used against you, it can lead to exploitation, and likely has been. Note: you can have secure boot without root and using your own Android build, such as CalyxOS. Not rooting doesn't imply using the stock firmware, never has been.

I honestly don't understand why it should be "Simple as that"? If you have the phone rooted, as long as you don't grant root to any application, why should it be less secure than if you hadn't rooted it? (assumed everything else the same, specifically the rom supporting verified boot with root) Then, by granting root permissions to apps, of course the attack surface gets larger, but this is a thing you control yourself.

Your note was always understood. Of course not rooting doesn't imply using the stock firmware. It however implies that you are submitting to a different master. Who may be different, and maybe a bit more lenient than Google/Samsung/whoever, but that other master will still enforce any dumb app's will against you.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#462

Post by godelski »

atatatat wrote: post #423
godelski wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why not use open protocols like DeltaChat, Matrix or XMPP instead? Because Signal and WhatsApp are text/messanger replacements and Matrix is a slack/discord replacement? I'm not sure why there's the constant Signal vs Matrix battle here on HN, I see them as different tools doing different things. I'm not going to create or get all my friends to join a server with Matrix. Or even coworkers or random acquaintances I…

> I don't see why Signal and Matrix have to be in competition Because people here only care about security and privacy, and Signal/Matrix offer some of the best user accessible encryption.

Yeah, I agree, but I don't see why they are in competition and not complement an ecosystem.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#463

Post by emptysongglass »

strcat wrote: post #457
emptysongglass wrote: post #411

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you please stop attacking another Android distro under the umbrella of a project (the Calyx Institute) that has done a lot of good for others? It makes you look like an a**hole. There's plenty of room in this space for multiple visions of what a more-secure, more-private Android OS looks like. There's gradations of privacy and security and some users might prefer your gradient, whereas others might prefer CalyxOS…

You don't see LineageOS, /e/ or countless other operating systems constantly spreading misinformation about GrapheneOS. It's only CalyxOS. Others are not doing this. I' not sure why you folks can't resist the urge to attack us with false claims any time either OS is mentioned anywhere. See https://github.com/bromite/bromite/discussions/1186 for an example of what is being done on a regular basis. These impersonation…

All you've done is expose your paranoia with this (and the other down thread) comment. I'm not affiliated with the vast conspiracy you've concocted in your head.

I'll tell you what though: I see people who think they can throw their clout around (DevOps Engineer from Denmark, hi) every day in my line of work. I make a habit of telling them they better act like adults if they hope to cut it.

Look through my comments history and you'll see I don't take kindly to people like Moxie, like you, thinking you get to push people around because you think you're better. That time is over. You can lord over your tiny fiefdom all you want but the rest of the industry is done taking it.

The future is human cooperation and dignity, not this paranoid, egoic trip you're wrapped up tight in.

I suggest you work together with the broader community and don't fall into useless, divisive attacks on people engaged in the shared enterprise of a more-secure, more-private OS.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#464

Post by einpoklum »

commoner wrote: post #308
flir wrote: post #304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Vance gives you an audio-only option, which is nice.

NewPipe also has an audio-only option. Unlike YouTube Vanced (a mod of the original YouTube app), NewPipe is open source and supports video downloading. I think the main advantages of Vanced over NewPipe are the SponsorBlock integration and the ability to log in to a Google account (if that's what you're looking for).

How do you play Youtube clips audio-only with NewPipe?

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#466

Post by efreak »

atatatat wrote: post #412
sleavey wrote: post #373

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good to know, thanks! I plan to reinstall LineageOS since I stupidly relocked my bootloader last time and can't upgrade without wiping the phone. I'll try out microG this time!

> relocked my bootloader last time and can't upgrade without wiping the phone That doesn't sound right.

Sounds right to me. Unlocking your bootloader wipes storage.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#467

Post by efreak »

newsch wrote: post #420
commoner wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NewPipe also has an audio-only option. Unlike YouTube Vanced (a mod of the original YouTube app), NewPipe is open source and supports video downloading. I think the main advantages of Vanced over NewPipe are the SponsorBlock integration and the ability to log in to a Google account (if that's what you're looking for).

I've been very happy with this fork of newpipe that has sponsorblock built-in (it's been kept up to date with upstream so far): https://github.com/polymorphicshade/NewPipe It started with this rejected PR: https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/pull/3205

The sponsorblock faith is also available through fdroid

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#468

Post by scns »

ineedasername wrote: post #343
brundolf wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can other Android flavours like GrapheneOS or LineageOS do this? There's a separate question you're missing: what your Google Services situation is Distros like Lineage come without Google Services; if you want them, you install them yourself "gapps" is the official one. It's straight Google everything. Lineage OS + gapps will give you a very clean and nice Android experience if you don't care about Google collecti…

I once had to return some headphones because the app that went with them simply wouldn't work. Kind of awful when we're at a point where a pair of headphones requires a specialized app to use them.

True. Mine run over bluetooth just fine. The app enables configuration, checking for firmware updates and a hearing test which creates a custom equalizer setting to counteract individual deficiencies.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#469

Post by medstrom »

myself248 wrote: post #449
danvittegleo wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, building AOSP requires a fairly powerful machine (at least to do it quickly): https://source.android.com/setup/build/requirements . It's definitely possible to do on a local machine with decent specs though.

By my reading, my not-really-a-gaming-desktop could do it in 3 hours, that doesn't seem bad at all. Now granted, those were heavyweight specs when Android came out in 2007, but I'd figure about half of us probably have a similar box sitting around today, and the other half would just need to beef one up with some additional RAM.

I haven't used a desktop since 2010 and my laptop is old. Building AOSP is the sort of huge compute-task that sticks out with its rarity.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#470

Post by lu4p »

NullPrefix wrote: post #276
yusi-san wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

https://newpipe.net/
Post reply on HN