What if we made an alternative to everything on Android?

ElPussyKangaroo@lemdro.id to Open Source@lemmy.ml – 103 points –

It's a big question. I know.

But given that we have the source code to Android (AOSP) and the community to collaborate with, couldn't we just create an entire ROM filled with the necessary applications and utilities, all open source, and with modern UI?

It'll take a shit load of time, and effort. Definitely. But maybe if we banded together? A unified OS running only open source software, with the option for Google Services via something like MicroG, so that we don't need to worry.

I'm no expert. I'm just floating an idea. But I'd love to know if this is possible, step-by-step...

Edit: I know custom ROMs are a thing. I use one. I'm just saying, what if we go ahead and make an open source ecosystem that runs under the same project, so that there's a set of services and apps that are free, open source and non-corporate.

Edit2: I forgot the Lineage project exists. Nevermind 🤦🏻‍♂️. Let's just try to support it. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

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You mean /e/OS ? Or GrapheneOS ?

I haven't used these ROMs... Do they have their own apps? I've used Lineage... They have some nifty apps that look cool, but they're still being developed.

Actually, now that I think of it, I forgot the Lineage project exists. Nevermind 🤦🏻‍♂️

I've used Lineage... They have some nifty apps that look cool, but they're still being developed.

That's the point of these big open source projects, they're always being developed. LineageOS is turning 7 this year, and it's a fork of CyanogenMod, which started in 2009. It's a mature software by most definitions, but still in active development.

e/OS and GrapheneOS are just privacy focused forks of AOSP, with a focus on removing all traces of Google from the OS.

Well, they have some app of their own, and other app that are from other devs. but the android ecosystem is one of the worst anyway design wise. Every manufacturer do their own design app devs use Material design or the new Material You, it's not great, even linux phone on GNOME or KDE have a better GUI ecosystem.

That's just a matter of preference, I quite like material design.

Me too. I like how minimalistic it is.

It feels substantial, unlike the transparency and blurriness in iOS.

Only thing really missing is Wallet and NFC support. Other than that I think Graphene and Lineage OS cover it all

Only thing really missing is Wallet and NFC support

It's for this reason I keep having to temper my recommendation of degoogled Android, because I often forget most people don't consider that a feature.

It would be nice if Wallet worked. A workaround for probably a pretty small subset of Graphene/degoogled users is to use a Garmin watch compatible with Garmin Pay.

I have a Garmin watch with Garmin Pay. It works with exactly one of my bank accounts. They seem to only support giant banks like BofA, Chase, Wells Fargo, etc., and only a few of the very large credit unions.

I suspect that a Venn diagram of FOSS fans and large bank haters/credit union enjoyers is probably pretty close to a circle.

I wish Garmin supported almost any Canadian banks

Is it something that can never work or something that is not yet implemented?

It can never work, because most (if not all) payment related apps check in with google safetynet to see if your phone runs approved software and if it is locked down from your access.

Actually, there are workarounds.. but that either involves installing closed source system mods (because they rely on security through obscucity to avoid their ways being patched), or always patching banking apps themselves to not actually check for it.. until that's not enough anymore.

My personal workaround is a smartphone book case with a spot for the debit card.

The problem is manufactures are doing everything to sabotage users running custom roms on their devices. Frankly everything you highlight exists already, though there are very difficult problems on the image processing front. Personally I would much rather use a full Linux distribution on a phone, than AOSP without the play store.

Also micro G is not a solution. Having a desktop browser to access drive, docs and photos could be, especially if there were some unique rendering options for those things. (microG is bad, because Google can break it at their leisure)

Yeah - unfortunately the days of Android phones being totally customizable down to the root level are more-or-less gone unless you specifically buy the few models of phone that still allow this sort of thing.

Not gonna lie microg is not that bad, as everything as it's downsides, in my experience, indeed I'm writing this comment with a phone that has lineageos and microg installed.

Thing like gps are not the best not the worst either, bur every app I use work without any problem! And in the list there is even the app for my credit card.

At this point, I'd be more than willing to use a Linux based distro that's a full-on desktop distro scaled down for the size of a phone screen and made to work with a variety of phone hardware and just use something like Waydroid or whatever would be better for the few games and apps I actually use daily.

Though I feel we are very far away from that since the closest we have that I know of is Ubuntu Touch, which I don't know whether it's even still worked on or not. I'd definitely devote time or funds if I had either the know-how to make the dream a reality or disposable income to help fund it, though.

Sure there are AOSP ROMs that provide privacy and that do their best to remove all traces of gøøgl€ exist, but at this point I feel like we need more options like a desktop distro like experience for mobile. That's just my unimportant 2¢ on the subject, though.

There is huge progress on the Mobile Linux front and Ubuntu Touch is still very much a thing but all of it is far from ready. The majore issue with phones is their closed source drivers and hellscape of vendor specific kernels tho, if they had mainline Linux kernels vendors could update them forever with relatively little effort, custom ROMs wouldn't need devixe specific ports and we could use much of the current mobile Linux progress accross a wide range of devices!

Typing this from my OnePlus 6T running postmarketOS. I have Waydroid installed. It works quite well. The Linux phone experience is getting consistently better all the time, but I have been keeping a spare Android phone around for calls as calls still have issues with Linux phone (missing audio sometimes, no Bluetooth handsfree support).

This would be easier if more hardware was easier to put custom OSs on. For example, my phone is dumb and doesn't have an unlockable bootloader, so i'm stuck with android forever on it. For devices you can actually work on, lineage and graphene are cool projects that i'd love to see embrace the sort of holistic experience you're talking about~

Same 😔 As soon as this one shatters or stops working in 10 years I'll get on that does work

This is exactly what I did. I hat a poco X3 NFC. I did install lineageOS on it which was a absolute pain due to MIUI and their unlocking method. A few weeks ago it flung off the motorcycle on the highway in Germany. got my self a google pixel and instantly installed GOS on it. and i am loving it it works great is secure and privacy focused. i do not miss any google services at all.

I found a great bargain on a refurbished Pixel 6 identical to the one I owned, and I can safely say I prefer GOS to an extreme degree. I am slowly degoogling my other pixel and backing up to swap it to GOS as well.

there is fdroid and other FOSS repositories.

Would be great for open source infotainment systems. Hard to get away from Android auto or Carplay

As people mention, there's a bunch of them. I'll also add the Simple Mobile Tools phone project. And Divest OS.

Running project zephyrus as my daily driver it is based on CLO project.

Better apps

Chromite - google chrome

Mull - firefox

YouTube revanced - stock youtube app

Sadly can't replace whatsapp with anything.

Beeper is free now and it's native chat is Matrix, but it also supports whatsapp, iMessage, and Signal along with Google RCS. It doesn't get rid of your WhatsApp entirely (unless you can switch your friends to Matrix) but it does seem like a good solution to at least consolidate all that stuff.

Interesting I'll look into this. Thanks. WhatsApp became a necessity here in my country almost everyone uses it.

A list of recommended apps to replace the stock/common Google ones would also be good.

E.g, best app to replace Google Maps, Inbox, Drive, Calendar, Chrome, Authenticator, Gboard, Keep, Photos, Phone/Contacts, Lens, YouTube, etc.