The Founder of Mandrake Linux Is Creating a Google-Free Android OS

[Megalith]

Google’s Android OS may be open source, but most of the phones and other devices that ship with Android include a bunch of closed-source apps and services, such as Gmail and YouTube. Mandrake Linux founder Gaël Duval wasn’t satisfied with that, so he decided to create a new fork of Android called “eelo,” which uses only free and open source software.

In his announcement post, Duval said that he isn’t happy with the current smartphone situation, which is dominated by Apple and Google. This makes sense, as iOS is closed source, and Google leaves no stones unturned to track its users. “Last, I think that, in the long run, Apple, Google, and Facebook’s business models are harmful for our economical and social environments,” he added.

 

[c3k]

I'd love it if this OS can work on my S8. Between google's intrusiveness and the Samsung bloatware, I don't think the phone is working/lasting as well or as long as it could.

I've switched browsers (mostly) to Brave and my search engine to Duckduckgo. This would be fun to try on a phone to continue the trend of cutting cords from bloated corporation and their controllist tendencies.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

I could get behind this.

I'd love it if this OS can work on my S8. Between google's intrusiveness and the Samsung bloatware, I don't think the phone is working/lasting as well or as long as it could.

I've switched browsers (mostly) to Brave and my search engine to Duckduckgo. This would be fun to try on a phone to continue the trend of cutting cords from bloated corporation and their controllist tendencies.

Is there a version of the S8 with an unlocked bootloader yet?

LineageOS only has builds for the S7 and S7 Edge (and even then, only for the international unlocked versions) for this very reason. Unless there is an unlocked bootloader there is nothing you can do

IMHO, it ought to be illegal to sell any device with locked boot loaders. These are essentially mini-computers. We should be free to do with them as we see fit.

 

[DukenukemX]

I could get behind this.



Is there a version of the S8 with an unlocked bootloader yet?

LineageOS only has builds for the S7 and S7 Edge (and even then, only for the international unlocked versions) for this very reason. Unless there is an unlocked bootloader there is nothing you can do

IMHO, it ought to be illegal to sell any device with locked boot loaders. These are essentially mini-computers. We should be free to do with them as we see fit.

The solution is to stop buying Samsung devices. That's what I did.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

The solution is to stop buying Samsung devices. That's what I did.

Yeah. They generally have good hardware (at least when it isn't bursting into flames) but the software tends to be inefficient, bloated, stuffed with unwanted garbage and poorly maintained. Great phones if you have one with an unlocked bootloader and can put a third party ROM on them though, but that is a distinct minority of Samsung devices out there.

I haven't had a Samsung device since my old Galaxy S3 in 2012, which I was able to put CyanogenMod on, which greatly improved the phone. I just set up my mother-in-law with a Galaxy S7. I got a used international version with the intent of putting LineageOS on it for her, but I couldn't get that to store pictures from the camera to the simcard by default. Since she always burns through storage space with the camera on her phones, I was forced to roll it back to the stock ROM. By random chance it has a fairly recent Android Security Parch level on it, but who knows for how long that will keep up. I'll probably keep her on the stock ROM until it is no longer supported, and then try LineageOS again.

It isn't Samsung that is the problem though. It is the carriers. They all seem to demand that hardware sold for their networks has locked bootloaders. This ought to be made illegal immediately.

So where does that leave us? Well, if we look at the official LineageOS devices list, with a few notable exceptions, it's a bunch of antiquated devices, and sketchy Chinese devices by the likes of LeEco, Xiaomi and OnePlus I wouldn't touch with a 12 foot pole.

I currently have a Pixel 1, but I honestly don't have a clue what I would buy if shopping today.

 

[CAD4466HK]

It isn't Samsung that is the problem though. It is the carriers. They all seem to demand that hardware sold for their networks has locked bootloaders. This ought to be made illegal immediately.

This. Back when I had a Note 2 Verizon variant, every time I would find a CM version that was purposed to work on it, a day or 2 later, Verizon would release a "performance patch" that would break the stock ROM so I wouldn't be able to obtain root with Odin, where as the AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile versions could be rooted and flashed with no issues. Stupid me later upgraded to a Verizon Note 4 with a locked boot loader again. So if your thinking of rooting and flashing a newer Samsung device, make sure you don't buy a Verizon variant, even though I'm not sure that still goes for today's Verizon models.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

This. Back when I had a Note 2 Verizon variant, every time I would find a CM version that was purposed to work on it, a day or 2 later, Verizon would release a "performance patch" that would break the stock ROM so I wouldn't be able to obtain root with Odin, where as the AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile versions could be rooted and flashed with no issues. Stupid me later upgraded to a Verizon Note 4 with a locked boot loader again. So if your thinking of rooting and flashing a newer Samsung device, make sure you don't buy a Verizon variant, even though I'm not sure that still goes for today's Verizon models.

Verizon is as adamantly opposed to 3rd party roms as ever. Sometimes someone is able to work around it, but most of the time not. It's unlocked international version, or nothing.

The other three carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint) are a little bit better, but not much. They too, have seemingly hopped on this bandwagon.

 

[Simmonz]

I wish him success. People need more options these days for mobile OS's. Choice isn't a bad thing.

 

[JDanser]

... decided to create a new fork of Android called “eelo,” which uses only free and open source software.

Sooooo AOSP with FOSS gapps.

 

[heatlesssun]

I'd love it if this OS can work on my S8. Between google's intrusiveness and the Samsung bloatware, I don't think the phone is working/lasting as well or as long as it could.

I've switched browsers (mostly) to Brave and my search engine to Duckduckgo. This would be fun to try on a phone to continue the trend of cutting cords from bloated corporation and their controllist tendencies.

Got an S8 Note on Black Friday. Running stock and the thing flies, even gives me great WiFi tethering life.

 

[lightsout]

Android without Gapps? What's the point? I guess I'm too tied into googled app suite.

 

[OblivionLord]

How is this any different from any Custom Rom that has no Google apps preinstalled?

 

[trparky]

People need more options these days for mobile OS's. Choice isn't a bad thing.

Choice is good... to a point. What most tech enthusiast people don't understand is that the average user doesn't give a damn about choice, all they care about is if the device works. They don't care if they can customize it, all they care about is if it works. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[the_servicer]

This guy is right on with his statement on the dominance of big tech companies. What an abysmal situation we find ourselves in.

In his announcement post, Duval said that he isn’t happy with the current smartphone situation, which is dominated by Apple and Google. This makes sense, as iOS is closed source, and Google leaves no stones unturned to track its users. “Last, I think that, in the long run, Apple, Google, and Facebook’s business models are harmful for our economical and social environments,” he added.

 

[Simmonz]

Choice is good... to a point. What most tech enthusiast people don't understand is that the average user doesn't give a damn about choice, all they care about is if the device works. They don't care if they can customize it, all they care about is if it works. Nothing more, nothing less.

Fuck the average mouth breathing moron.

 

[Derangel]

Fuck the average mouth breathing moron.

People having concerns outside of being able to dick around with a million things on their phones doesn't make them morons. For most people they just want devices that work so they can get on with more important things in their life.

 

[Simmonz]

People having concerns outside of being able to dick around with a million things on their phones doesn't make them morons. For most people they just want devices that work so they can get on with more important things in their life.

The average person is a moron. Anyone who argues that must be insulated from the general public and I envy them.

 

[DeChache]

Fuck the average mouth breathing moron.

Honestly I only have a smart phone because of work. So I really don't care about customizing it. I did at one time now as long as it can display my calendar and email I don't need anything else... I actually want my blackberry back. One of the bigger reasons I went iPhone this time around because all I wanted was email calendar and a music player. Way less bloat on Apple devices too.

I am all for this though. I was sad when I saw Ubuntu had given up their Linux phone ambitions. Right now if my iPhone were to die I don't know what I would get. I really don't want any of it.

 

[Derangel]

The average person is a moron. Anyone who argues that must be insulated from the general public and I envy them.

Morons in some areas, but not in all of them. In this specific situation it is incredibly elitist to call people morons because they don't care about doing a bunch of crap on their phones that power-users and enthusiasts like to do. Most people are dumb when it comes to what they consume, they don't care to research products or think carefully about what they buy, but when it comes to customization and all the guff I see no reason to insult them for having different priorities.