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Thanks for this. Anyone who has tried to compile a forked version of AOSP knows that Google makes it extremely hard to do so. Android being an open source OS i

Thanks for this. Anyone who has tried to compile a forked version of AOSP knows that Google makes it extremely hard to do so. Android being an open source OS is nowhere near as easy to install as a regular linux open source OS. I've been trying to get my own android / androidTV box working on popular hardware like rPi and other Amlogic, Allwinner, Mali based boards without much success. Even devices manufacturers have troubles with the same (talking about SBCs here). Android is open source only for name sake. Google's deliberate control over the entire Android ecosystem is undeniable.

ensiferum 8y ago
Android is only open in theory, closed in practice.
- r_singh 8y ago
  AOSP does not include proprietary apps like the Play Store, etc. In order for device manufacturers to get the Play Store on their phone, they have to give in to Google's demands to add the Google search box on the home screen of the phones. Apart from this, Qualcomm doesn't release open source drivers for GPUs etc, making it even harder to use pure AOSP on flagship devices.
  - gowld 8y ago
    Qualcomm blocked Google from using Proprietary Android on its devices! One of the Nexus phones couldn't upgrade the OS to the next version due to Qualcomm drivers.
  - ihsw2 8y ago
    > In order for device manufacturers to get the Play Store on their phone, they have to give in to Google's demands to add the Google search box on the home screen of the phones. What's wrong with this? The Play Store is subsidized by search revenue, it makes sense to tie them together.
sqdbps 8y ago
Tell that to Amazon and their Fire devices and to all the Android forks in China.
- r_singh 8y ago
  Android forks in China are not undermined by the lacking open driver support for Android. There's a bunch of SBC manufacturers (pine64, odroid, orangepi, etc) worldwide that have managed to compile AOSP for questionable hardware. However, it is noteworthy that almost none have been able to compile images for Android 7.1 and above that work without hiccups.
- JustSomeNobody 8y ago
  Are you saying that simply because a multi-billion dollar company with top engineering talent is able to compile a version of Android that this disprove the comment you're replying to?
vamc19 8y ago
I'm not buying your first point. Within a month of OEMs releasing the Kernel sources, you can find builds of AOSP over at XDA, Lineage OS and other forums. And with the project Trebble in P, we have builds within a week. I don't think it is hard or Google is making it hard to compile. As for your problems installing it on other boards, where are the drivers for them? Your classic desktop installation comes with drivers for almost every laptop/desktop board. Android doesn't because the vendors don't contribute. A snapdragon SoC requires a binary blob from Qualcomm. There is nothing you can do without it. It has nothing to do with AOSP being opensource or Google controlling it (Google controls other aspects, AKA the Play Services).
- r_singh 8y ago
  You’re right, those two projects are successful at compiling AOSP. Trying to get the xda builds and LinageOS working properly is subjectively speak—difficult and heavily device dependent. I’m not sure about x86 images, but arm are heavily device dependent. Would love be proved wrong. I’m looking for android images actively.

ensiferum 8y ago

Android is only open in theory, closed in practice.

r_singh 8y ago
AOSP does not include proprietary apps like the Play Store, etc. In order for device manufacturers to get the Play Store on their phone, they have to give in to Google's demands to add the Google search box on the home screen of the phones. Apart from this, Qualcomm doesn't release open source drivers for GPUs etc, making it even harder to use pure AOSP on flagship devices.
- gowld 8y ago
  Qualcomm blocked Google from using Proprietary Android on its devices! One of the Nexus phones couldn't upgrade the OS to the next version due to Qualcomm drivers.
- ihsw2 8y ago
  > In order for device manufacturers to get the Play Store on their phone, they have to give in to Google's demands to add the Google search box on the home screen of the phones. What's wrong with this? The Play Store is subsidized by search revenue, it makes sense to tie them together.

sqdbps 8y ago

Tell that to Amazon and their Fire devices and to all the Android forks in China.

r_singh 8y ago
Android forks in China are not undermined by the lacking open driver support for Android. There's a bunch of SBC manufacturers (pine64, odroid, orangepi, etc) worldwide that have managed to compile AOSP for questionable hardware. However, it is noteworthy that almost none have been able to compile images for Android 7.1 and above that work without hiccups.
JustSomeNobody 8y ago
Are you saying that simply because a multi-billion dollar company with top engineering talent is able to compile a version of Android that this disprove the comment you're replying to?

vamc19 8y ago

I'm not buying your first point. Within a month of OEMs releasing the Kernel sources, you can find builds of AOSP over at XDA, Lineage OS and other forums. And with the project Trebble in P, we have builds within a week. I don't think it is hard or Google is making it hard to compile. As for your problems installing it on other boards, where are the drivers for them? Your classic desktop installation comes with drivers for almost every laptop/desktop board. Android doesn't because the vendors don't contribute. A snapdragon SoC requires a binary blob from Qualcomm. There is nothing you can do without it. It has nothing to do with AOSP being opensource or Google controlling it (Google controls other aspects, AKA the Play Services).

r_singh 8y ago
You’re right, those two projects are successful at compiling AOSP. Trying to get the xda builds and LinageOS working properly is subjectively speak—difficult and heavily device dependent. I’m not sure about x86 images, but arm are heavily device dependent. Would love be proved wrong. I’m looking for android images actively.