LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices • Hacker News Board

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#21

Post by dheera » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:12 AM UTC

broodbucket wrote: post #10

reify wrote: post #2

I install Lineage on the phones of the elderly at local care homes and any people who are interested in prolonging the life of their old phones. Poor people can't afford a new phone every two years. When in your 80's you dont need or want the constant nagging of apps pestering you when all you want to do is text and call your family and friends. I use abd to delete/disable every unnecessary useless app and leave them…

I wish there were more incentives for people to develop accessible software experiences. Navigating the digital world is really hard for the elderly but it doesn't have to be that way. I guess this problem will eventually go away as digital native generations are all that exist, but it does feel like we've left a lot of the populace behind (and then bemoan that they don't understand us).

Intentionally restricting users from modifying client-side software running on devices they own should be considered an ADA violation.

Punishment should be being forced to be blindfolded in public for 3 months and should be levied on all senior executives.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#22

Post by brnt » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:12 AM UTC

dheera wrote: post #17

canistel wrote: post #16

I want to, but I cannot. Most of the banking or payment applications baulk at getting a whiff of Lineage. You are then forced to play a cat and mouse game which is quite stressful. It is sad that ROM customisation (and rooting) is stigmatised in the Android world.

Change banks! It's a very easy thing to do to get a new bank account and move your funds over. Or use the web version instead of the app.

Around here using an app for two factor is widely a default. Even the government requires it for their services. It's a practical requirement, just like how a back account itself is.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#23

Post by dheera » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:14 AM UTC

brnt wrote: post #22

dheera wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Change banks! It's a very easy thing to do to get a new bank account and move your funds over. Or use the web version instead of the app.

Around here using an app for two factor is widely a default. Even the government requires it for their services. It's a practical requirement, just like how a back account itself is.

What app? A standard app like Google Authenticator?

If so you can get a Yubikey and use Yubikey authenticator on a LineageOS device and it will work fine with all of those services. It follows the same standard as Google Authenticator and is a drop-in replacement.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#24

Post by brnt » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:16 AM UTC

charcircuit wrote: post #12

bsimpson wrote: post #3

Has anyone here looked at the security of Lineage? I know it's a rebrand/fork of Cyanogen, but I don't actually know much about it as a project. It seems to be the only image that works with Waydroid (the Android environment for Linux tablets), but I am not super comfortable entering my passwords into a project I don't know much about.

LineageOS prioritizes device compatibility and maintainability over security. I do not think this is a good tradeoff to make as normal people don't care about such security until it is too late.

I think it's wild how universal the idea that a phone is a place for secrets had become.

A device you are most likely to lose, break or get stolen by virtue of being outside of your home for much of the day.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#25

Post by Cloudef » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:23 AM UTC

Installed lineageos on Mi A1 few months ago as some apps stopped offering android 9 support, this is one of the few phones that do not report unlocked bootloader to safety net so it works with banking apps too. For my surprise, the lineageos is much snappier and battery life is longer, so it's win-win. Be warned though, Google's own Android backup system is completely useless, so make sure you export your important data to actual location where you can access it like hard drive, learned this the hard way when I had to manually contact support of various places to reset my 2FA. Now I backup everything with syncthing.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#26

Post by aidenn0 » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:24 AM UTC

reify wrote: post #2

I install Lineage on the phones of the elderly at local care homes and any people who are interested in prolonging the life of their old phones. Poor people can't afford a new phone every two years. When in your 80's you dont need or want the constant nagging of apps pestering you when all you want to do is text and call your family and friends. I use abd to delete/disable every unnecessary useless app and leave them…

> I use abd to delete/disable every unnecessary useless app and leave them with just 3 apps. Text, phone and contacts. No data or wifi either. A dumb smart phone. Much better than the ageist demeaning Doro big button phones.

I've used an MDM with a kiosk mode for a similar effect. I won't recommend the one I'm currently using because the kiosk launcher crashes every couple of days; still looking for one that works well, and I've tried most of the ones I could find that weren't "call us for pricing"

I don't own a phone that LineageOS supports or I'd try it.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#27

Post by guerrilla » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:26 AM UTC

dheera wrote: post #23

brnt wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Around here using an app for two factor is widely a default. Even the government requires it for their services. It's a practical requirement, just like how a back account itself is.

What app? A standard app like Google Authenticator? If so you can get a Yubikey and use Yubikey authenticator on a LineageOS device and it will work fine with all of those services. It follows the same standard as Google Authenticator and is a drop-in replacement.

No. BankID in Sweden. Other countries have similar. You need it for everything.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#28

Post by yellow_lead » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:27 AM UTC

bsimpson wrote: post #15

yellow_lead wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are concerned with security, you might be interested in GrapheneOS. It has some nice added security features, but only works with Pixel phones. This article has some good info about the security of LineageOS, although the biggest complaint comes from the physical security implications of unlocking the bootloader. https://madaidans-insecurities.github.io/android.html

Thanks! Since it's running in an emulator, I'm less concerned about bootloader and adb. More concerned about keyloggers, malware, etc.

I think you'll be fine for that purpose, it's a large reputable open source project. It's not impossible that someone has sneaked in a bug or exploit, but I don't think any overt attempts would make it in. Similar to Linux or other large open source projects.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#29

Post by dghlsakjg » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:38 AM UTC

bsimpson wrote: post #19

broodbucket wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish there were more incentives for people to develop accessible software experiences. Navigating the digital world is really hard for the elderly but it doesn't have to be that way. I guess this problem will eventually go away as digital native generations are all that exist, but it does feel like we've left a lot of the populace behind (and then bemoan that they don't understand us).

Apple has claimed to be at the forefront of design for decades,but their UIs look just as garbage as many others at elderly font sizes. It would actually be nice if they shipped a small phone to get regular developers to care about constrained layouts, and then shipped a Pro Max Tab whatever that was the same proportions, but with everything scaled up.

They ship the iPhone SE. That’s about as small as you can reasonably expect any smartphone to be.

Re: LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices

#30

Post by RedComet » Tue, Feb 06, 2024, 6:48 AM UTC

charcircuit wrote: post #12

bsimpson wrote: post #3

Has anyone here looked at the security of Lineage? I know it's a rebrand/fork of Cyanogen, but I don't actually know much about it as a project. It seems to be the only image that works with Waydroid (the Android environment for Linux tablets), but I am not super comfortable entering my passwords into a project I don't know much about.

LineageOS prioritizes device compatibility and maintainability over security. I do not think this is a good tradeoff to make as normal people don't care about such security until it is too late.

Surely having some vulnerabilities patched is better than having none patched. I don't think the crowd running Lineage is doing so in lieu of the latest iPhone.