GrapheneOS says Google's September update contains APIs and other changes that aren't being made available to the wider Android ecosystem.
  • sanitation@lemmy.todayEnglish
    24·
    4 days ago

    Grateful for this graphene os team.
    They are doing a great job.

    Alienating google is not really a problem in my view, google is already alien and hostile to everyone so it changes nothing.

  • undu@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    7312·
    4 days ago

    Shaming Google will only work for so long. Grapheme is is doomed to fail as long as it has a complete dependence on Google’s whims.

    Have they announced the pivot to a non-android platform? Being security-mind it is frankly bizarre they have long ignored the Google dependency as a huge risk for the project.

    • im_fine_sandy@nord.pubEnglish
      511·
      4 days ago

      they have long ignored the Google dependency

      What a silly thing to say.

      I’m absolutely certain that no contributors, and extraordinarily few users, are ignoring the risks implied by the google dependency.

      A pixel with Graphene is the best option for a daily driver for as long as it’s viable. I expect that’s everyone’s understanding of the project.

      I don’t really see how this project can “pivot to a non-android platform”, as I imagine none of their codebase can be transferred.

      Sooner or later the project will become non-viable and we will all switch to whatever the best option is at that time.

      • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
        8·
        4 days ago

        Sooner or later the project will become non-viable and we will all switch to whatever the best option is at that time.

        Or everybody who isn’t Google will have to collaborate on a hard fork of AOSP.

        Or some governments will have to finally break out of their oligarchic regulatory capture and step in with antitrust law.

        • sudoer777@lemmy.mlEnglish
          11·
          3 days ago

          Or everybody who isn’t Google will have to collaborate on a hard fork of AOSP.

          Along with the Google Play dependencies and Android SDK that everything is tied to. Or we could use an OS that already exists and doesn’t have any of that bullshit called “Linux”.

    • Augmented1207@feddit.orgEnglish
      321·
      4 days ago

      Idk if i am missing someting, but what Plattform other than Android is suitable? Linux is just not there yet and people want a phone they can use easily, which graphene is and Linux is just not there yet i think

      • undu@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        241·
        4 days ago

        That’s exactly my point, there’s none and GrapheneOS are not working to create a suitable one yet.

        The time to start working on plan B is yesterday

        • MalReynolds@slrpnk.netEnglish
          11·
          4 days ago

          Likely plan B is fork AOSP and crossport security fixes, such features as Google deigns to put in AOSP and so forth. They can do that at any time they choose, may as well wring as much work out of the big G as possible, later is better. Remember their focus is security, it just happens to benefit privacy as well.

          Here’s hoping they can hang on long enough that there’s a viable hardened Linux phone to take the role.

    • asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.worldEnglish
      211·
      4 days ago

      I will never understand this argument. Why in gods name would it be better for them to switch to a completely different OS like Linux and essentially have to destroy the entire ecosystem and start from scratch vs just hard forking current AOSP and maintaining it themselves?

      • sudoer777@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        3 days ago

        Maintaining an entire OS doesn’t sound like a sustainable amount of effort. Linux already has an ecosystem surrounding it that’s not about to get crushed by a single corporation. The biggest issue is hardware support and security takes a lot more effort which goes against their main goal. Hopefully the rise of ARM laptops will help with the first point.

      • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        32·
        4 days ago

        i mean, i think there would be a lot of merit in maintaining a minimal linux platform that’s basically just an android VM, that way it’s basically infinitely easier to port to new devices and sandboxing becomes quite ironclad.

      • mmmm@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        1410·
        4 days ago

        But somehow Android, which is based on Linux, somehow checks those points for them…

        The hipocrisy is too big to ignore and it’s true, with that mindset of just wanting and waiting for someone else to do the hard work for them to just add patches here and there… they’re doomed to fail.

        • yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
          16·
          4 days ago

          I don’t think you understand how different Android and Linux distributions truly are.

          Linux alone refers to the kernel. There are custom AOSP kernels based on the Linux LTS versions with a few extra patches but that is basically all that connects Linux to Android.

          But absolutely everything in userland is wholly diifferent in Android than with any Linux distribution out there.

          And you can’t just replicate what Android did on top of the Linux kernel without Google amounts of resources. Which GrapheneOS does not have in the slightest.

          • 🌞 Alexander Daychilde 🌞@lemmy.worldEnglish
            43·
            4 days ago

            I don’t think you understand how different Android and Linux distributions truly are.

            But they’re both things that drive on the same road, using wheels and engines and steering wheels and seats and doors!

            Yes, and one is a car and one is a semi truck. (I’m not saying either is close to those things, the point is how different Android and Linux are)

        • Auli@lemmy.caEnglish
          1·
          3 days ago

          Android uses the Linux kernel but is not a GNU Linux distro if you need a distinction.

  • carrylex@lemmy.worldEnglish
    271·
    4 days ago

    I really like reading some stuff like that from a website that summarises a few mastodon posts and additionally adds 10 ads and trackers.

    How about posting the original source next time?

        • sanitation@lemmy.todayEnglish
          23·
          4 days ago

          But you see my friend - most these stupid communities don’t let you just post random URLs. If people don’t understand what they are seeing they accuse you if being a bot. Article is fine IMO, phoronix I thought exclusively cover Linux and shit

  • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    4 days ago

    While my dream is to see something like PostMarketOS replace java junk Android someday, my immediate desire is to see Motorola kick Google’s ass with GrapheneOS.

    • d-RLY?@lemmy.mlEnglish
      4·
      3 days ago

      If Moto doesn’t fuck it up by not having multiple options at different price points (I want to be able to have a flagship that can last, but want to see people that need mid or low tier also have real options). Then I would love to have a real option for ditching Samsung after so long. I just need the camera to be on par with my S24U and to have at least 12GB of RAM to help lasting for years without the old days of just feeling so slow after two years for me. Really doesn’t help that the RAM and NAND likely causing regressions while prices are the same or higher than stuff from last year.

      But beyond those two personal wants, it will need for Moto to be in it for the long haul as the most important thing. Not just going back to only regular Android if this first release isn’t popular with mainstream buyers. Which is what I fear happening if the folks at the top and shareholders don’t see Samsung levels of sales.

      • BlaestEgnen@feddit.dkEnglish
        3·
        3 days ago

        Samsung levels of sales?? Moto??

        Nah, they’ll just do like fairphone and let buyers decide between two OS’s

  • eleitl@lemmy.zipEnglish
    35·
    4 days ago

    But of course they would that. And it shouldn’t take too long until Google makes Android completely proprietary.

  • Jiral@lemmy.worldEnglish
    32·
    4 days ago

    Graphene’s problem is that its very high firmware and other requirements mean they have to stand on the shoulders of giants. Their problem is that the giant is Google.

    They would probably need huge resources to do that on their own, which is why they have to rely on the maintenance effort of some large company.

  • kepix@lemmy.worldEnglish
    161·
    4 days ago

    ive seen the same news on reddit and lemmy. reddit was like “omg gimme that feature, even i dont use it, it is my right”. lemmy is like “are you insane? just get a better platform, your dependency from google is going to kill you”

  • heavy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    4·
    4 days ago

    I feel like this sort of friction is inevitable. Ideally we’d just move on from Android one day, but that’s asking a lot. Not completely, but something that can still support Android apps.

  • Pirate2377@lemmy.zipEnglish
    104·
    4 days ago

    I feel vindicated for pivoting to Ubuntu Touch. It’s far from secure and is admittedly inferior to Android right now, but at least it has no dependence on Google. I kind of saw this coming the second they annouced closing down Android and making security fixes no longer open source

    • some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      3 days ago

      It has security through obscurity, for what that’s worth. As in, no one’s tailoring large-scale phishing efforts and the like towards a Linux phone. Also, being willing to daily drive a Linux phone probably means you have good enough opsec awareness to avoid becoming low-hanging fruit.

      All bets are off if a nation-state or the likes of Palantir go after the platform or a specific user/device, but you’re Probably Safe™ from most run-of-the-mill bullshit targeting phones these days. Your phone might not be secure in a technical sense, but the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze.