Google’s Android, the world’s most widely used mobile operating system, started life as open-source software. In its quest for ever-greater profits, the tech giant has been gradually eroding Android’s open-source capacity over the last decade.

Google’s Android, the world’s most widely used mobile operating system, started life as open-source software. In its quest for ever-greater profits, the tech giant has been gradually eroding Android’s open-source nature over the last decade.

Originally published on The Lever, but that one asks you to sign up.

  • Canuck@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    6 hours ago

    Mobile GNU/Linux is getting better, but I think it is 5-10 years out from what’s needed. I suppose people need to adopt Desktop first. The nice thing is you can install Android apps including Google Play on it natively, and they appear in your app drawer like a regular app

    • douglasg14b@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      5 hours ago

      It’s a bit of a catch honestly.

      OSS/community Linux graphical environments have kind of always been ~5 years out from what’s needed. 15 years ago they were behind ~5 years, 5 years ago they where behind ~5 years.

      The only difference is today. I think they’re only behind by ~3-4 years thanks to the backwards movement of things like Windows and OSx staleness.

      Mobile operating systems are in a worse place.

  • Zink@programming.devEnglish
    0·
    6 hours ago

    I find myself using desktop Linux more than my mobile device, even on the couch with the family. Monitors on arms that can swing out of the way ftw. No cute advice for keyboards though. We have wireless ones around but I still use my wired Deck Legend on my lap. It’s an old mechanical keyboard that’s built like a tank, with the PCB literally mounted to a sheet of metal that is mounted inside the housing, lol.

    It’s almost a shame, because smart phones are still absolutely amazing to me as far as the amount of scientific and technical advancement that can fit in the palm of your hand. But I look forward to the open options various parties are working on.

  • BilboBargains@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    7 hours ago

    The obfuscated nature of compiled code does an incredible amount of heavy lifting on behalf of shareholders. Imagine a world where x-ray specs suddenly revealed source code. The flight to open solutions would be irresistible. Windows is hot garbage but it clings to its market share like a limpet, through the magic of closed source, occupying space like a flabby tumour. It doesn’t care if it kills the host because the top priority is growth and an unassailable market share. That’s the magic of capitalism.

  • majster@lemmy.zipEnglish
    0·
    14 hours ago

    MS keeps making Windows worse but that is not a problem because Linux is great on PCs. The reason is that PC is made out of standardized plug&play components that you can make generic OS image for.

    There is no such thing in smartphone world. Each chipset is it’s own Linux fork that gets only most crucial bug fixes while in warranty. Same is true for ARM SBCs where I believe the only board that supports generic image are new RPis.

  • Erik L. Midtsveen 🏴🌈@lemmy.wtfEnglish
    0·
    14 hours ago

    Android has always taken the approach of it being developed in private and then having the full sources and commit history published for each stable release.

    We’re going to be moving forward under the expectation that future Pixel devices may not meet the requirements to run GrapheneOS.

    Many companies and individuals are trying to mislead people about the future of GrapheneOS to promote their insecure products and services.

    European authoritarians and their enablers in the media are misrepresenting GrapheneOS and even Pixel phones as if they’re something for criminals.

    • rozodru@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      12 hours ago

      one of the best products Microsoft ever produced. I absolutely LOVED my old Lumia. great phone, the OS was perfect, just an awesome all around phone. wish I still had it.

    • Domi@lemmy.secnd.meEnglish
      0·
      14 hours ago

      I loved my Lumia 1520, but it just doesn’t hold a candle to a modern Android phone with LineageOS installed. Both in functionality and in privacy.

  • Valmond@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    16 hours ago

    I’m on hyperos and every time I have to touch anything pure Google I feel like I’m on a windows PC.

    Don’t get me wrong, hyperos isn’t a pinnacle of freedom, but all I do with my phone is basically using Firefox and take photos (+ signal, & SMS) and use the lichess app.

    It’s so infuriating, they steal our data, but just needs more. I’ll try a Linux FOSS system next phone.

  • jjjalljs@ttrpg.networkEnglish
    0·
    19 hours ago

    Google should be broken up and its leadership fined into oblivion for anti competitive behavior

  • usernameunnecessary@lemmy.zipEnglish
    0·
    19 hours ago

    Unfortunately the Android experience is getting more and more bloated and users’ freedom to tinker with their phones or sideload apps is getting more and more difficult. The Play Store is riddled with more ads than useful content. Just try searching for something, and oftentimes more than half of your screen is ads.

    I’ve been with Android since the start and I hate what Google is reducing it to. It pains me that the only viable alternative is Apple and I feel trapped.

    • wise_pancake@lemmy.caEnglish
      0·
      8 hours ago

      Play Store is truly vile to use. It just feels gross and scammy and like a mine field of low quality slop and scam apps.

      iOS isn’t great either but it at least feels a whole lot better. The iOS store needs the ability to report fraid which it doesn’t sort until you install an app.

    • chaosCruiser@futurology.todayEnglish
      0·
      12 hours ago

      We’re all trapped. If you’re not using either Android or iOS, you’re pretty much screwed.

      Technically, you can use one of the alternate phones, but the software support still leaves a lot to be desired. You can get most basic things working, but when it comes to crucial deal breaker apps like anything involving payments or banks, it gets a lot trickier. The world has become increasingly dependent on mobile phones, and if your phone can’t handle for train tickets, mail deliveries, restaurant reservations or pay your bills, it suddenly becomes very difficult to live in the 2020s.

      More and more hardware is also depends on specific iOS or Android apps, and those apps may also require GAPPS or some OEM Android. At some point, it just isn’t worth the hassle, and it becomes easier to pick either one of the toxic platforms everyone else is already using.

    • Rivalarrival@lemmy.todayEnglish
      0·
      15 hours ago

      F-Droid is a decent replacement for the play store. Lots of FOSS and less-enshittified apps available.

    • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      0·
      17 hours ago

      Long term you should look out for Waydroid compatible devices. Basically linux devices (smartphones, tablets, pcs) that run android containers very close to hardware so you can run your important android apps while not having to rely on the mess that android is for everything. There is a GApps version too if you need google shitware for some reason. Ubuntu Touch (smartphone os) is one of the most prominent to implement it. Personally i hope to eventually just get rid of my phone and only have a laptop with a sim-card and waydroid.

  • SeeFerns@programming.devEnglish
    0·
    19 hours ago

    I really want to try a pinephone or something with Ubuntu touch. It’s likely not daily driver ready but I’m still curious at how far along it is.

    • utopiah@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      16 hours ago

      Can’t speak for Ubuntu Touch but tried PostMarketOS on PinePhone and PinePhone Pro.

      The PP works well, good support for most things included SIM, camera, BT, etc but it’s big and bulky, also IMHO not powerful enough for Waydroid so no Android apps, “just” Linux. Relying on the browser to avoid using app is rarely practical as it’s too slow.

      The PPPro being more powerful should cover the gap… but some lack of support, specifically the camera, makes it tricky as daily driver.

      Both PP and PPPro don’t have great battery and/or power management so you can go through a day of usage, barely, and you might get stuck in a cycling loop if you depleted it entirely. That means also as daily driver, if you are not very cautious, it’s tricky.

      So… we are nearly there but unless you have a very VERY minimum usage of your phone, basically a dumb phone with a bit of CLI to remote connect to your own server from time to time, it’s probably not practical for now.

      Maybe the Liberux NEXX thanks to its power would have closed the gap but the failed crowd funding campaign shows that price point does not have a market fit right now.

      • SeeFerns@programming.devEnglish
        0·
        7 hours ago

        Thanks for the write up! It honestly sounds like it’s be fine for me. My iPhone is already extremely bare and stripped down. I barely use the camera too, so like, idk I don’t feel like I’d be missing much?

        If I could buy a super cheap used one for testing, I’d do it. I’m waiting for my iPhone SE to die on me anyways before making the switch.

        • utopiah@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          5 hours ago

          If by any chance you can be in Brussels for a bit, I can lend you mine for a while to test.

      • Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pubEnglish
        0·
        14 hours ago

        So… we are nearly there but unless you have a very VERY minimum usage of your phone, basically a dumb phone with a bit of CLI to remote connect to your own server from time to time, it’s probably not practical for now.

        …and, that’s me.

        I gave up on my phones. There’s no way to remain connected to the modern world and my own without just keeping everything off of my phone and using it entirely in stock NPC mode. Trackers? Adware? Malware? Doesn’t matter, I only use it for calls, banking apps and cash apps. How do I access my personal, more 1337 haxxor shit?

        Laptop, although I can do a lot of work over ssh on phones and use things like syncthing and nextcloud to get around the ecosystem, still, but for the most part, I’m back in 2007, baby! We’re carrying messenger bags! We don’t care!

        • utopiah@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          5 hours ago

          banking apps and cash apps

          Unfortunately that’s prevents from switching to Linux proper over (hopefully deGoogled) Android.

  • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    22 hours ago

    Up until about two weeks ago I could use wallet on my rooted pixel with lineage and play integrity fix.

    Some recent change on their end and it doesn’t work at all anymore. I guess they don’t want to know what I’m buying.

      • Khrux@ttrpg.networkEnglish
        0·
        15 hours ago

        I’m trying to make my own smart watch as a hobby experiment at the moment, and one of my most important features is NFC payments. It’s a nightmare, although I understand why. Currently my plan is to buy another smart watch or smart ring and take the NFC chip from it, which is maddening, but more or less my only option due to contactless payment security.

        To do contactless payments, your bank must effectively permit the specific device, otherwise go through GPay or Apple Pay, who in turn just do the permitting themselves. Anything outside of the standard ecosystem just gets overlooked.

        The best workaround while avoiding these companies is to find a smart watch or ring that has compatibility with a proxy card, such as Curve. But beyond halving the price of the accessory, this is pretty much an arbitrary decision.

        • edgemaster72@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          18 hours ago

          I think what they were trying to say is “I heard people use an Apple watch to get NFC payments working”. I’m not confident that answer=Apple (also I have no idea if that would actually help), but it’s the best I can come up with.