6 ms·

Google-free Android already exists, it's called Lineage OS So, What's the difference between this and LineageOS?

em-bee 7y ago
security and userfriendliness. as far as i can tell lineageOS is stock android as released by google with a few fixes for obvious problems and to make it work on several devices. lineageOS is also not entirely google free as far as i know. it only does not contain the non-free google apps, like the market, maps, etc..., but there still may be code to call home and what not. /e/ specially not only removes hidden google stuff but adds userfriendly tools and utilities and works on integrating them. (for example lineageOS does not come with f-droid or other trustworthy markets preinstalled)
- jakeogh 7y ago
  but there still may be code to call home and what not where?
  - Phenomenit 7y ago
    See u/geokons comment above.
blacksoil 7y ago
I'm guessing they wanna do a customer support and actually have things like bug fixes, OTA updates, etc? On the other hand, lineage is a little bit buggy here and there and the experience differs depending on the phones, which makes it more appropriate for hobbyist instead of non tech-savvy end-user
jammygit 7y ago
IIRC, it uses microG to emulate some Google services so that you can have push notifications without installing the play store. Otherwise, you have to go without for some things. Also IIRC, microG requires you to allow signature spoofing, which has always creeped me out a tiny bit. I don't understand android well enough to fully understand the possible risks of that. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.
- bitwize 7y ago
  It means a malicious app can pose as a legit app and pass the signature check. However, it's also necessary for the microG services to pose as the Google services.
  - baroffoos 7y ago
    When you use the microg lineage build does that only fake the check for microg or does it also allow any other app to?
    - afiori 7y ago
      MicroG claims that it is disabled during normal usage and should pose no security risk.
      - krageon 7y ago
        You can look at the patch that makes it possible, it's not just that they claim this is the case. It is the case.
        afiori 7y ago
        I agree, I was trying (usuccessfully) not to take a position in the microG - Lineage OS controversy.
        krageon 7y ago
        Fundamentally the controversy is about what users should be able to do, not whether or not the proposed patches do what they claim. Or if it is, that is a part of that particular discussion that I missed.
        afiori 7y ago
        I am not well versed in the topic, but as far as I understood Lineage OS has a strong policy not to circumvent security measures in Android. Liked from microG FAQ https://review.lineageos.org/c/LineageOS/android_frameworks_base/+/195284 https://review.lineageos.org/c/LineageOS/android_frameworks_... Apparently one of the given motivation from Lineage OS is that it can break API compatibility, I am definitely far away from my competence so I won't try to summarize more.
geokon 7y ago
One thing I noticed is that Lineage OS (and others) pings Google servers to check that the internet connection works. Which was hilarious to find out in China, where I'd connect to Wifi and it'd tell me I have no internet. You can disable this check through ADB and then go manually into Firefox and go to http://detectportal.firefox.com/ http://detectportal.firefox.com/ to open up wifi login portals. It's a bit of drag - but it works It's crazy to think Google knows when every Android user logs into a wifi.. I'm not sure how much info can be inferred from the ping - but still
- azurezyq 7y ago
  As the Firefox domain name you mentioned above, the purpose is to trigger Captive Portal login pages: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_portal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_portal Basically all browsers / OSes do the same thing to work with it.
- kekebo 7y ago
  You can also keep the check enabled but change the pinged URL via adb[0]. The check expects a HTTP 204 response which can be easily set up on a personal vps using apache or nginx. [0] https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/186993/captive-portal-parameters https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/186993/captive-p...
- paulcarroty 7y ago
  Lineage OS use Google DNS a lot of time. Only Android 9 has a feature to easily change DNS to avoid Google tracking.
ePierre 7y ago
The main difference is not in the OS itself, but in the services around. /e/ wants to provide a private set of services such as e-mail, files, etc.: https://e.foundation/e-solutions/ https://e.foundation/e-solutions/
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

security and userfriendliness. as far as i can tell lineageOS is stock android as released by google with a few fixes for obvious problems and to make it work on several devices. lineageOS is also not entirely google free as far as i know. it only does not contain the non-free google apps, like the market, maps, etc..., but there still may be code to call home and what not. /e/ specially not only removes hidden google stuff but adds userfriendly tools and utilities and works on integrating them. (for example lineageOS does not come with f-droid or other trustworthy markets preinstalled)

jakeogh 7y ago
but there still may be code to call home and what not where?
- Phenomenit 7y ago
  See u/geokons comment above.

blacksoil 7y ago

I'm guessing they wanna do a customer support and actually have things like bug fixes, OTA updates, etc? On the other hand, lineage is a little bit buggy here and there and the experience differs depending on the phones, which makes it more appropriate for hobbyist instead of non tech-savvy end-user

jammygit 7y ago

IIRC, it uses microG to emulate some Google services so that you can have push notifications without installing the play store. Otherwise, you have to go without for some things. Also IIRC, microG requires you to allow signature spoofing, which has always creeped me out a tiny bit. I don't understand android well enough to fully understand the possible risks of that. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

bitwize 7y ago
It means a malicious app can pose as a legit app and pass the signature check. However, it's also necessary for the microG services to pose as the Google services.
- baroffoos 7y ago
  When you use the microg lineage build does that only fake the check for microg or does it also allow any other app to?
  - afiori 7y ago
    MicroG claims that it is disabled during normal usage and should pose no security risk.
    - krageon 7y ago
      You can look at the patch that makes it possible, it's not just that they claim this is the case. It is the case.
      - afiori 7y ago
        I agree, I was trying (usuccessfully) not to take a position in the microG - Lineage OS controversy.
        krageon 7y ago
        Fundamentally the controversy is about what users should be able to do, not whether or not the proposed patches do what they claim. Or if it is, that is a part of that particular discussion that I missed.
        afiori 7y ago
        I am not well versed in the topic, but as far as I understood Lineage OS has a strong policy not to circumvent security measures in Android. Liked from microG FAQ https://review.lineageos.org/c/LineageOS/android_frameworks_base/+/195284 https://review.lineageos.org/c/LineageOS/android_frameworks_... Apparently one of the given motivation from Lineage OS is that it can break API compatibility, I am definitely far away from my competence so I won't try to summarize more.

geokon 7y ago

One thing I noticed is that Lineage OS (and others) pings Google servers to check that the internet connection works. Which was hilarious to find out in China, where I'd connect to Wifi and it'd tell me I have no internet. You can disable this check through ADB and then go manually into Firefox and go to http://detectportal.firefox.com/ http://detectportal.firefox.com/ to open up wifi login portals. It's a bit of drag - but it works It's crazy to think Google knows when every Android user logs into a wifi.. I'm not sure how much info can be inferred from the ping - but still

azurezyq 7y ago
As the Firefox domain name you mentioned above, the purpose is to trigger Captive Portal login pages: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_portal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_portal Basically all browsers / OSes do the same thing to work with it.
kekebo 7y ago
You can also keep the check enabled but change the pinged URL via adb[0]. The check expects a HTTP 204 response which can be easily set up on a personal vps using apache or nginx. [0] https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/186993/captive-portal-parameters https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/186993/captive-p...
paulcarroty 7y ago
Lineage OS use Google DNS a lot of time. Only Android 9 has a feature to easily change DNS to avoid Google tracking.

ePierre 7y ago

The main difference is not in the OS itself, but in the services around. /e/ wants to provide a private set of services such as e-mail, files, etc.: https://e.foundation/e-solutions/ https://e.foundation/e-solutions/

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]