CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
1–10 of 67 posts
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#2Does anyone prefer CalyxOS over GrapheneOS or LineageOS?
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#3Nice development. Just yesterday I ordered a Pixel 6 to replace my ageing Ubuntu Phone — Google's Pixel smartphones are the only ones really well supported by privacy focussed Android forks like GrapheneOS and CalyxOS (I intend to install GrapheneOS on it). Currently, this seems like a decent middle ground between being able to run apps from one of the two app stores (Apple's and Google's) when needed without sacrificing too much control over your computing devices.
Having to buy the hardware from Google leaves a bit of bad aftertaste though. I really hope that in the future I can just get something like a Fairphone and be able to run a fully supported more user-aligned OS on it.
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#4One thing that bugs me to no end with Android (don't know about iOS or various tweak android builds), is that it is sooooo hard to restrict basic things. I don't want random apps to start on bootup as an almost-invisible-service, instead I don't want anything to do with that app until I explicitly start it and use it.
Revoking permissions should be supereasy - like remove any and all network ability (eg camera or flashlight apps), start on bootup (don't need a service running for app X until I start it), clipboard snooping (ok to read clipboard if I tell the app to, but otherwise it's just creepy and a risk).
slash-rant
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#5I got a 8T and they botched the android 12 Update . Overall it's a huge downgrade in usability . I dont want to downgrade and stay on an older version with no security updates .
So I'm taking a look at these roms and they are not as bad as the early days of roms
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#6Does anyone prefer CalyxOS over GrapheneOS or LineageOS?
I'd pick Graphene over Calyx on privacy and security grounds, and Lineage over Calyx on device support or tweakability grounds.
Graphene is honestly ahead on the security and privacy front. MicroG requires very strong privileges and weakens the comprehensive privsep you'd otherwise have; GrapheneOS offers sandboxed play services with the standard SELinux policies for unprivileged Android software.
GrapheneOS also has hardened_malloc, which seems to have the best design for malloc hardening out of any alternatives I'm aware of.
On the userspace side, Graphene uses several of its own apps. One is Vanadium for its webview and browser; it's a hardened fork of Chromium. Check the patchset; it's got a bunch of security improvements and cross-pollenates with Bromite. The most interesting feature they've been working on is per-site JIT toggles.
The list goes on. Few other OSes come close.
Now, if you want to tinker with your phone at the expense of security, Lineage is actually a great option. It has a big community of tweakers and ricers who root their phones and come up with some cool experiments. It also supports a wider variety of devices, including devices abandoned by their manufacturers. Don't expect security updates, though.
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#7Nice development. Just yesterday I ordered a Pixel 6 to replace my ageing Ubuntu Phone — Google's Pixel smartphones are the only ones really well supported by privacy focussed Android forks like GrapheneOS and CalyxOS (I intend to install GrapheneOS on it). Currently, this seems like a decent middle ground between being able to run apps from one of the two app stores (Apple's and Google's) when needed without sacrifi…
GrapheneOS is collaborating with a hw vendor to create a device that can run GOS and which has similar hw to current Pixel devices. https://twitter.com/GrapheneOS/status/1490518600339308544
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#8There's some sort of battle happening between the devs of Graphene and Calyx as we speak:
https://twitter.com/GrapheneOS/status/1511593168667611139?s=...
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#9Does anyone prefer CalyxOS over GrapheneOS or LineageOS?
I'd pick Graphene over Calyx on privacy and security grounds, and Lineage over Calyx on device support or tweakability grounds. Graphene is honestly ahead on the security and privacy front. MicroG requires very strong privileges and weakens the comprehensive privsep you'd otherwise have; GrapheneOS offers sandboxed play services with the standard SELinux policies for unprivileged Android software. GrapheneOS also has…
Isn't graphene a huge target for black hats and three letter agencies? I guess no more so than lineage.
Re: CalyxOS releases test builds for Fairphone 4, OnePlus 8T, and OnePlus 9
#10Does anyone prefer CalyxOS over GrapheneOS or LineageOS?
I'd pick Graphene over Calyx on privacy and security grounds, and Lineage over Calyx on device support or tweakability grounds. Graphene is honestly ahead on the security and privacy front. MicroG requires very strong privileges and weakens the comprehensive privsep you'd otherwise have; GrapheneOS offers sandboxed play services with the standard SELinux policies for unprivileged Android software. GrapheneOS also has…
> I'd pick Graphene over Calyx on privacy and security grounds, and Lineage over Calyx on device support or tweakability grounds.
I'd pick Calyx over privacy grounds not Graphene. (I totally agree that Graphene beats anyone on security grounds by miles, and depending on your threat model, security could be related to your privacy)
> MicroG requires very strong privileges and weakens the comprehensive privsep you'd otherwise have
If we're speaking of FAKE_SIGNATURE.... No it doesn't? If implemented properly (I don't know how Calyx do it, but I know I do), only apps in firmware are allowed to use FAKE_SIGNATURE, and if you build your firmware with only microg that has FAKE_SIGNATURE, then only microg can fake signature. Also it can fake exactly one signature, which is Google's. It's probably possible to make that patch better, if some people gives us reasons it is a flaw.
Really, please tell me in which threat model does using microg hinders security, maybe we can find a fix. So far, I've never heard any.
> GrapheneOS offers sandboxed play services with the standard SELinux policies for unprivileged Android software.
With regards to privacy, I take unprotected opensource software over Google trackware no matter the sandboxes you put under it. Windows has a better sandboxing model than Linux, yet I feel much better doing random apt installs, than downloading random Windows apps.