Interesting that they chose Android as a base and not one of the desktop-Linux-for-mobile ports like postmarketOS.
FSF announces Librephone project
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Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
It becomes much harder to force attestation on people if there's a significant user base that runs alternative operating systems.
Do you really NEED to be forced to attest if you can make your phone look like any damn PC using a browser?
These days browsers are becoming increasingly distrusted. My bank logs my browser out after 30 minutes inactivity and then to log back in I have to confirm the login on my phone.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#13Ultimately, I don't think the most important challenge is in binary firmware blobs, but the software which people depend upon to run their lives. What does it matter if you can run a completely free software stack on your phone, if your bank software (or your required government ID, as is looking depressingly likely) requires you to run a Big Tech approved phone OS? Perhaps the FSF can't do much about that, but that…
you have to start somewhere, and with Goggle closing Android to non-approved apps this seems like the right move.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#14Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#15Unfortunately, even if you could completely de-blob the kernel itself (and for many chipsets, that would require a considerable amount of reverse engineering work!), smartphones bear the Curse of the Modem.
In a modern smartphone, modem is often a part of the SoC itself - and it runs some of the biggest and fattest blobs you've ever seen.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you really NEED to be forced to attest if you can make your phone look like any damn PC using a browser?
Some banks require app confirmation for PC-initiated transactions, using play integrity requiring apps. Cause security, you know.
It's because it's way easier to install malware on PC than mobile. None of us are immune either. In recent times there has been malware distributed by common NPM packages as well as game mods. Every NPM package you install has the ability to steal your browser session tokens and the only thing stopping the attacker from actually logging in and spending your money is the fact it has to be confirmed on your phone.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#17>Librephone aims to close the last gaps between existing distributions of the Android operating system and software freedom
I am so happy they are focusing on Android, one of the most popular operating systems widely used by every day people. This is important work for providing user friendly, free software to users.
Let's just hope they don't fall into the trap of disqualifying binary blobs sent as part of drivers vs opting for hardware that harcodes the blob.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#18Interesting that they chose Android as a base and not one of the desktop-Linux-for-mobile ports like postmarketOS.
App compatibility is a thing, you know.
I like postmarketOS, but it always felt to me more like a pet project than a real OS, for that reason.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#19Thank you John Gilmore.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#20Interesting that they chose Android as a base and not one of the desktop-Linux-for-mobile ports like postmarketOS.
Inertia is a hell of a thing.
Seems like a smart decision to me since that's what everything phone related builds to as a lowest common denominator anyway.