The /e/ Google-Free, Pro-Privacy Android Clone Is Now Available (zdnet.com)
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An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: Gael Duval, creator of the popular early Linux distribution, Mandrake Linux, wanted a smartphone, which was open source, would run a wide variety of popular software, and protect your privacy. His answer was the Android-based /e/ operating system and smartphones. While it's still in beta, both its code and refurbished Samsung phones running it are now available. Duval's approach hasn't been to reinvent the mobile operating system wheel, but instead to clean up Android of its Google privacy-invading features and replace them with privacy-respecting one, in which, as Duval said in an interview, "Your data is your data."
To do this, he's started with LineageOS. This is an Android-based operating system, which is descended from the failed CyanogenMod Android fork. According to Duval, the /e/ operating system is a Lineage OS fork. It also blends in features from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) 7, 8, and 9 source-code trees. In the /e/ OS all Google services have been removed and replaced with MicroG services. MicroG replaces Google's libraries with purely open-source implementations without hooks to Google's services. This includes libraries and apps which provide Google Play, Maps, Geolocation, and Messaging services for the Android applications when they need them. What this means is that you can run some Android apps, which normally only work on a fully Google-enabled Android phone on an /e/ phone. These compatible apps are available via the /e/ app store. The /e/ platform also comes with its own services, the report notes. For example, its search program uses Qwant, a popular, privacy-first European-based search engine, and for cloud storage, you get /e/'s own cloud, which is based on the open-source NextCloud.
You can download and install /e/ on 85 different smartphone models. You can also buy an /e/ phone today if you're in the EU.
To do this, he's started with LineageOS. This is an Android-based operating system, which is descended from the failed CyanogenMod Android fork. According to Duval, the /e/ operating system is a Lineage OS fork. It also blends in features from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) 7, 8, and 9 source-code trees. In the /e/ OS all Google services have been removed and replaced with MicroG services. MicroG replaces Google's libraries with purely open-source implementations without hooks to Google's services. This includes libraries and apps which provide Google Play, Maps, Geolocation, and Messaging services for the Android applications when they need them. What this means is that you can run some Android apps, which normally only work on a fully Google-enabled Android phone on an /e/ phone. These compatible apps are available via the /e/ app store. The /e/ platform also comes with its own services, the report notes. For example, its search program uses Qwant, a popular, privacy-first European-based search engine, and for cloud storage, you get /e/'s own cloud, which is based on the open-source NextCloud.
You can download and install /e/ on 85 different smartphone models. You can also buy an /e/ phone today if you're in the EU.
Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)
Figure out which of the 85 supported phone models will work for you in the US, buy one (second hand if need be) and replace the stock OS with /e/.
How is different from Lineage? (Score:2)
Google service (Score:5, Informative)
as the summary indicates, the main difference is that LineageOS lacks any implementation of the Google Play Service, whereas /e/ uses the microG open-source implementation of the same API.
Thus some apps that can't work without the API can now work, while still google-free.
Re:Google service (Score:5, Interesting)
You can install microg on LineageOS, so what does /e/ offer that I can't get that way?
Re: (Score:3)
Being integrated by default, so you don't have to install it?
Re: (Score:2)
So nothing relevant? Guess I'll stick with lineage then.
Re: (Score:2)
Nothing relevant!? You haven't heard of the Default Effect? [wikipedia.org]
The fact of not having to do something explicitly is considered a game changer in economics. Don't Underrate the Power of the Default Option [bloomberg.com]
How is it that tech people so often dismiss this huge effect, just because they know how to do something themselves?
Re: (Score:2)
It's not relevant because the people who can handle installing this on their phones can also handle installing microg on lineage. This would only be relevant if it were coming preinstalled on phones.
Buying it pre-installed (Score:3)
It's not relevant because the people who can handle installing this on their phones
I think you missed the part where /e/ foundation that has /e/ already pre-installed, no end-user effort required.
- You can buy a device from
- You can send them one of the mentionned 87 compatible phones and they'll install it for you and mail it back.
I'm a Sailfish OS user my self, you can trust me: the number of occurence when other people ask Jolla to provide a device pre-installed (like they did with the Jolla 1, and like probably it is going to be with the Pure Phone) and/or an installation service is q
Re: (Score:2)
It's not relevant because the people who can handle installing this on their phones can also handle installing microg on lineage
What you don't realize is that you are dooming this software to be used only by people with a perfect understanding of code. If an image comes preinstalled with everything needed for it to work for phone model X, a sufficiently motivated average guy can follow this simple script:
1. Download the right image for my device
2. Download the flash program for Windows
3. Run the software
4.
Re: (Score:2)
Nothing relevant!? You haven't heard of the Default Effect? [wikipedia.org]
So... the make a completely different fork of Android, to avoid working w/ Lineage to have it bundle microg, or to avoid having Lineage users install one app... because installing apps on smart devices is a foreign concept to most people.
The most interesting part about this isn't the Android fork, but microg. That's no small feat.
Re: (Score:2)
Being integrated by default, so you don't have to install it?
In this case, integrated means they bundled the app in the OS. It's tough to justify an entirely parallel OS effort by bundling one app.
MicroG's Lineage (Score:2)
polish? (Score:2)
I'm not a /e/ user (I flashed my phone to Jolla's Sailfish OS. Full blown GNU/Linux, baby !)
But according to them:
- a few extra opensource applications to compensate the missing Google one (e.g.: some Bromite derivative browser)
- a few extra patch to further disable any contact with Google servers (e.g.: uses other connection-checking servers than Googles).
- a different launcher
So basically: yeah, what you mostly have but a slightly different coat of paint on top.
Re:How is different from Lineage? (Score:4, Informative)
If you break with tradition and actually RTFA you can find the following:
" /e/ = LineageOS + microG? /e/ is forked from LineageOS. Weâ(TM)ve modified several parts of the system (and weâ(TM)re just beginning): installation procedure, settings organization, default settings. Weâ(TM)ve disabled and/or removed any software or services that were sending personal data to Google (for instance, the default search engine is no longer Google). Weâ(TM)ve integrated microG by default, have replaced some of the default applications, and modified others. We have added a synchronization background software service that syncs multimedia contents (pictures, videos, audio, filesâ¦) and settings to a cloud drive, when activated.
Does
Also, weâ(TM)ve replaced the LineageOS launcher with our own new launcher, written from scratch, that has a totally different look and feel from default LineageOS.
Weâ(TM)ve implemented several /e/ online services, with a single /e/ user identity (user@e.email). This infrastructure will be offered as docker image for self hosting: drive, email, calendar⦠to those who prefer self-hosting.
We have added an account manager within the system with support for the single identity. It allows users to log only once, with a simple âoeuser@e.emailâ identity, for getting access to /e/â(TM)s various online services (drive, email, calendar, notes tasks)."
Re: (Score:1)
So the response to the "Monopoly" (Score:3, Interesting)
Was just to fork Android the exact way open source is supposed to work ?
Good job Richard Stallman
What an amazing idea, If the project isn't murky as hell I'd like to try to port this to some android tablets I own.
Re: (Score:3)
Failed CyanogenMod fork... (Score:5, Informative)
"...which is descended from the failed CyanogenMod Android fork..."
There was no failure of the fork. The community took the code and formed LineageOS.
CyranogenMod isn't a failed fork in the sense of a software failure.
It failed because the company (Cyanogen, nee Cyngn, https://www.bizjournals.com/sa... [bizjournals.com]) tried to turn a COMMUNITY-CREATED operating system into a FOR-PAY system.
Redhat, in contrast, took software, added value, and got rich, and bought by IBM. "Cyngn" tried to take the community effort and just keep it.
There's no failure of the "Android fork." The fork worked great. That's why we have LineageOS today, and /e/ as well. Also if these forks didn't work... there's no harm in going all the way (one layer up) to AOSP and forking that.
Ehud
Proud user of LineageOS and CyanogenMod before it on devices from MotoX, OnePlus1, MotoG4, OnePlus7, etc.
Also I've contributed to help fix bugs. Cyngn wasn't interested.
Re: (Score:1)
Not true. One obvious example, the Pixel 3 can be trivially unlocked with the adb command fastboot flashing unlock, then you can flash LineageOS or anything else.
For another, all recent devices are required to be based on the Project Treble layer, and will thus run any unmodified Generic System Image [android.com], meaning that LineageOS (or any of dozens [github.com]) can be built against that and will work on anything you can flash it to. Aftermarket rom mods are easier and better today than they've ever been.
Re: (Score:2)
I feel confused here. Any new smartphone like the latest Galaxy Note can run be built against this? I have been waiting for the Pixel 4 to be released, because I know that has an unlockable bootloader, but I do like the Note form factor.
Call me crazy, but some root-only mods are a must, be it firewalling on the kernel level, Titanium Backup, as well more esoteric stuff.
The Motorola phones are easily unlocked (Score:2)
The Moto phones from Motorola are easily unlocked.
It seems to be the best value price point is around $130 for 32GB built-in storage with and SD card slot for more, so I bought the Moto e5 Plus. It took maybe 5 minutes to unlock.
Of course if you consider buying some other Motorola phone, make sure that model can be easily unlocked. Obviously I haven't checked all Motorola models.
Re: (Score:2)
Not true. One obvious example, the Pixel 3 can be trivially unlocked with the adb command fastboot flashing unlock, then you can flash LineageOS
Care to share the link to the official LineageOS images for Pixel 3? I haven't seen any available for download, the last 50 times I visited https://download.lineageos.org... [lineageos.org]
Not even snarking, you'll make my day if I'm wrong.
Not all manufacturers (Score:2)
With every single Android phone across the board shipping with a locked bootloader, no devices wil be added onto that list.
Some manufacturers keep making unlockable smartphone. e.g.: Sony has an opendevice program, which even enable the guys from Jolla (the former Meego/Maemo at Nokia) to provide Sailfish OS (a full blown GNU/Linux) for those.
To boot, services like Android Pay won't work on that,
Well, that's true. These alternative firmware won't pass Google's "Security" checks.
and I have my doubts how trustworthy F-Droid is for a clean app store.
At least they compile apps from source repos that the authors provides, to as least the source can be auditable.
That doesn't make it automatically better, but that gives the possibility to check for cleanli
Re: Failed CyanogenMod fork... (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Sony and Moto both still unlock all their phones.
If you bought from a cellular provider or handset manufacturer who locks phones, that's on you. Next time, do some research like an adult would.
Re: (Score:2)
Failed English.
I think he means "Failed Cyanogen" rather than "Failed fork".
Re: (Score:2)
Browser is still ("ungoogled fork of") Chromium. (Score:2)
My current (android) smartphone (which I got free from AT&T when they killed 2G) still doesn't have the browser activated. That's because the Chrome license includes an Adobe license, due to their using an Adobe product as a component. The Adobe license, while apparently intended as a no-reverse-engineering prohibition, amounts to a non-compete that would forever taint my ability to work on software similar to Adobe's. /e/ comes with "an ungoogled fork of Chromium". If that does NOT include the Adobe
Re: (Score:2)
I'd not even bother with Chrome. Historically, Dolphin Browser or a third party is just as good, and has built in ad blocking support which, barring root and Ad-Away, it pretty good.
Bromite (Score:4, Informative)
according to their git-lab [gitlab.e.foundation] the degoogled fork is based of Bromite.
I don't know what extra /e/ has added atop of Bromite (I don't use /e/, only microG and F-Droid on an AOSP based app compatibility layer), but I doubt it's flash.
According to F-Droid, Bromite license is BSD.
No mention of Adobe in their about page licenses.
Even the Name is Google-Resistant! (Score:2)
They could hardly have named their project something more resistant to a search-engine query.
Is it great? Is it crap? Will it trip the stupid "Knox" counter on my Samsung handset? Let's try to find out!
Searching for "/e/" "knox"... I'm sure Harvey and David were were nice blokes, but that's hardly relevant.
Okay, about about "samsung" "e os"... I don't read Portuguese, but I'm pretty sure none of this applies.
What about "Android" "e os" "knox"? That's no good, either.
Programmers (and I speak as one) shou
Re:Even the Name is Google-Resistant! (Score:4, Funny)
Try searching for /e/ on 4chan.
Re: (Score:2)
This was my impression as well. "/e/ os" did finally work for me, but it's basically guaranteed that no one, ever, outside of a few well-informed geeks, will ever be able to find this with an easy search. It's one of the most terrible names I've heard of for a tech product in recent memory, and that's saying something. The very first thing you should do with a name is see what happens when you search for it. My result: E! Entertainment News!
Sad, because it sounds like a cool idea.
Re: (Score:2)
If you seek to bring about real change to the stance of manufacturers of computing hardware toward the free software community, sometimes it takes being a nuisance.
Re: (Score:2)
Continuing the long, proud tradition of shitty names for OSS projects. This is one of the worst I've ever seen.
Just say no to Gael Duval. (Score:2)
This is the same guy that lied to his customers at Mandrake Linux, promising StarOffice to those who joined their club membership. Later he changed it to only higher levels of membership, AFTER people had already bought in. Rather than ever deliver on his published advertised promise, he instead forcefully issued refunds to any basic level members of the club that demanded what they indeed paid for.
You can not trust this guy, he lied to us before. What makes you think he's safer with your data than Googl
if I ever fork it ... (Score:3)
... it will be \e/ OS!