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CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

calyxos.org

111–120 of 496 posts

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#111

Only available on Pixel phones and a single Xiaomi phone.

That is the irony. Only pixel hardware provides one step OEM unlocking in US. All other devices are carrier locked and have restrictive unlocking process.

Samsung/Motorola/ etc. should release OEM unlocked devices not just carrier unlocked that can be purchased directly from their online stores.

This will make adoption easy for these open Android projects.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#112
post #82
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does CalyxOS compare to GrapheneOS?

Calyx has more focus on functionality and privacy rather than security. On Graphene, security is always priority #1. For example: Calyx provides MicroG. This means you can talk to Google Play services, though in a better, more privacy-conscious way. MicroG is an open implentation of Google Play Services. However, MicroG requires signature spoofing: You need to install a fake Google certificate so that it can trick of…

The microG creator goes into more detail about signature spoofing at https://github.com/microg/GmsCore/issues/1467#issuecomment-8...

The concerns usually raised against that are due to the "default" patch included in their repository, which has a specific purpose.

We don't use that, https://calyxos.org/about/tech/microg/ are the precautions we take to try and prevent abuse.

I made it a privileged permission because that's a standard Android thing to gate things (such as reading of IMEI) - My thought process being that if you somehow managed to get around privileged permissions, we have much bigger problems than signature spoofing.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#113
I’m thinking about buying a degoogled Android phone to replace my iPhone. The main things I want are:

* Spotify needs to work over Bluetooth in my car

* WhatsApp needs to work (preferably with push notifications)

* I need the Fitbit app to work so my watch can show push notifications from my personal apps

* a network-based location provider to be consumed by my personal apps (I’m working on a personal data and automation suite that relies on frequent smartphone location updates)

Is this something that can be done with CalyxOS on a Pixel? Can other Android flavours like GrapheneOS or LineageOS do this?

And aside from Android, how far along are other “mobile linux” smartphones for use as a daily driver with regards to the above points?

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#114

I’m thinking about buying a degoogled Android phone to replace my iPhone. The main things I want are: * Spotify needs to work over Bluetooth in my car * WhatsApp needs to work (preferably with push notifications) * I need the Fitbit app to work so my watch can show push notifications from my personal apps * a network-based location provider to be consumed by my personal apps (I’m working on a personal data and automa…

I don't know about Fitbit stuff, but LineageOS can do everything else you named. Have been using it for years.

I guess other alternative Android distributions shouldn't be too different there.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#115
post #93
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah GrapheneOS is security over privacy, Calyx is privacy over security (and has a bit more mainstream appeal with MicroG, supporting push messaging and location services etc). GrapheneOS has also pioneered a lot of security measures, a lot of which have been added to Android proper (if you see their feature log, a lot of it says "removed because it was introduced in Android"). I wonder if that wouldn't have been th…

Don't privacy and security go hand in hand?

I think the distinction is such that with a private (but not secure) application, the only person getting my data is a malicious actor.

With a secure (but not private) application, the only person getting my data is the owner of the code & anyone they are willing to share it with (Governments, Ad-tech, etc.)

So if your hard requirement is 'nobody can know anything about what I do with this software' you are correct. However in-practice, security requirements often exist somewhere between the above two scenarios.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#116

I’m thinking about buying a degoogled Android phone to replace my iPhone. The main things I want are: * Spotify needs to work over Bluetooth in my car * WhatsApp needs to work (preferably with push notifications) * I need the Fitbit app to work so my watch can show push notifications from my personal apps * a network-based location provider to be consumed by my personal apps (I’m working on a personal data and automa…

For you first two questions: Spotify will work with Bluetooth, and WhatsApp will have eventual notifications (real-time if the app was recently opened, up to seven hours later otherwise, at least on my device)

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#117
post #50

Calyx made an effort to sponsor and integrate the backup tool Seedvault ( https://calyxinstitute.org/projects/seedvault-encrypted-back... ) into their ROM - and other AOSP distributions benefit from this effort. Handhelds are tethered devices, its essential to have contacts and precious photos stored at a second place (online or offline) and easily restored or used when changing devices. A user friendly full backup s…

Thank you for bringing this up.

We're continuing to fund work on it, both ourselves and also through applying for external funding.

Full Storage backup support (Files / Photos) was recently added thanks to a grant from NLnet - https://nlnet.nl/project/Seedvault/index.html

https://github.com/seedvault-app/seedvault Contributions welcome!

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#118

I’m thinking about buying a degoogled Android phone to replace my iPhone. The main things I want are: * Spotify needs to work over Bluetooth in my car * WhatsApp needs to work (preferably with push notifications) * I need the Fitbit app to work so my watch can show push notifications from my personal apps * a network-based location provider to be consumed by my personal apps (I’m working on a personal data and automa…

> * I need the Fitbit app to work so my watch can show push notifications from my personal apps

It's going to hard to degoogle your phone and stay attached to your Fitbit.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, but in return it only supports pixel phones, sadly (considering they're not great value for money for custom rom purposes, and most of their added value is lost when running a custom rom)

> most of their added value is lost when running a custom rom Could you please explain?

Well, Google packages the pixel phones with their latest OS updates and pixel specific features like Gcam. By running a custom ROM you lose those. Its cameras mainly perform so well because of the big AI farms at Google.

Re: CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative

#120

I’m thinking about buying a degoogled Android phone to replace my iPhone. The main things I want are: * Spotify needs to work over Bluetooth in my car * WhatsApp needs to work (preferably with push notifications) * I need the Fitbit app to work so my watch can show push notifications from my personal apps * a network-based location provider to be consumed by my personal apps (I’m working on a personal data and automa…

I can confirm that,

* Spotify over Blueooth in a car works.

* WhatsApp works, with notifications

* I'm not sure about FitBit, per https://plexus.techlore.tech/applications/fitbit it might not but things may have changed.

* We include some providers by default and you can install more from F-Droid.

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