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This worked great when I had an android (I replaced with an iPhone since I wanted easy privacy). Worked for most things, the maps and location part was most do

This worked great when I had an android (I replaced with an iPhone since I wanted easy privacy). Worked for most things, the maps and location part was most dodgy though. Uber was almost impossible to use and Grindr stopped working. Other than that, things like G/FCM worked perfectly.

Liquix 7y ago
Location is definitely the weakest link in the MicroG/Lineage ecosystem. Does anyone have any idea why this is? Are the open source location provider backends just not as robust as Google's?
- _underfl0w_ 7y ago
  It may just be a matter of data disparity - who really has more info to correlate multiple data points and triangulate you? Big G or one offline data provider? That said, I've actually (anecdotally, I guess) seen an improvement in the speed with which my device can locate me with LineageOS + microG. I've been using Unified NLP with the GSM location backend that you can find on F-Droid. Not sure how well this would work out if I, say, road tripped through an area without cell service - not sure if it uses ANY carrier's tower it can find (that your baseband supports) or just your carrier's towers. Waze finds me much faster on launch, though.
  - amaccuish 7y ago
    For me it's not so much a problem locating me but the map display. The map and pins would often not be in sync etc.
- commoner 7y ago
  Most MicroG users get their location data from Mozilla Location Services: https://location.services.mozilla.com/ https://location.services.mozilla.com/ https://github.com/microg/IchnaeaNlpBackend https://github.com/microg/IchnaeaNlpBackend If you want to improve the data quality in your area, you can use the Mozilla Stumbler: https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.mozilla.mozstumbler https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.mozilla.mozs... Firefox for Android also lets you opt in to help improve Mozilla Location Services whenever Firefox makes a location request. This is equivalent to using the Stumbler app (and you should check its battery/RAM usage to make sure this setting is acceptable for you): https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/improve-mozilla-location-services-turning-location https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/improve-mozilla-locatio...
paavoova 7y ago
> I wanted easy privacy > Uber [..] Grindr Can I just comment how contradictory this is? I understand "privacy" means different things to people, but when used like this it's diluted to an arbitrary buzzword. What I mean is: Grindr Shares Personal Information With Third-Parties: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16735956 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16735956 Uber pulls U-turn on controversial tracking of users after trip has ended: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/29/uber-u-turn-tracking-users-after-trip-ended-app-user-privacy-new-ceo https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/29/uber-u-tu... Uber has user route history, payment history, etc, and law enforcement is readily utilizing this data, e.g. in the recent Jussie Smollet fiasco, in cases. Even if you're not worried about that, Uber had a massive data breach, which they were investigated for and fined.
- amaccuish 7y ago
  The thing is, I wanted to use an open source OS that doesn't track me. I understand that to be able to use certain services on top I must accept closed source software and the privacy issues but that's a trade off I'm happy to make. My phone pinging some server every 5 minutes with my location and to download more ads doesn't benefit me however.
- mcv 7y ago
  A lot of people have problems with some privacy violations but not with others. Until recently, I trusted Google with my data but not Facebook, because I felt I knew how Google operated. Since then, Google has lost my trust, and now I'd like to restrict their access to my data.

Liquix 7y ago

Location is definitely the weakest link in the MicroG/Lineage ecosystem. Does anyone have any idea why this is? Are the open source location provider backends just not as robust as Google's?

_underfl0w_ 7y ago
It may just be a matter of data disparity - who really has more info to correlate multiple data points and triangulate you? Big G or one offline data provider? That said, I've actually (anecdotally, I guess) seen an improvement in the speed with which my device can locate me with LineageOS + microG. I've been using Unified NLP with the GSM location backend that you can find on F-Droid. Not sure how well this would work out if I, say, road tripped through an area without cell service - not sure if it uses ANY carrier's tower it can find (that your baseband supports) or just your carrier's towers. Waze finds me much faster on launch, though.
- amaccuish 7y ago
  For me it's not so much a problem locating me but the map display. The map and pins would often not be in sync etc.
commoner 7y ago
Most MicroG users get their location data from Mozilla Location Services: https://location.services.mozilla.com/ https://location.services.mozilla.com/ https://github.com/microg/IchnaeaNlpBackend https://github.com/microg/IchnaeaNlpBackend If you want to improve the data quality in your area, you can use the Mozilla Stumbler: https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.mozilla.mozstumbler https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.mozilla.mozs... Firefox for Android also lets you opt in to help improve Mozilla Location Services whenever Firefox makes a location request. This is equivalent to using the Stumbler app (and you should check its battery/RAM usage to make sure this setting is acceptable for you): https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/improve-mozilla-location-services-turning-location https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/improve-mozilla-locatio...

paavoova 7y ago

> I wanted easy privacy > Uber [..] Grindr Can I just comment how contradictory this is? I understand "privacy" means different things to people, but when used like this it's diluted to an arbitrary buzzword. What I mean is: Grindr Shares Personal Information With Third-Parties: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16735956 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16735956 Uber pulls U-turn on controversial tracking of users after trip has ended: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/29/uber-u-turn-tracking-users-after-trip-ended-app-user-privacy-new-ceo https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/29/uber-u-tu... Uber has user route history, payment history, etc, and law enforcement is readily utilizing this data, e.g. in the recent Jussie Smollet fiasco, in cases. Even if you're not worried about that, Uber had a massive data breach, which they were investigated for and fined.

amaccuish 7y ago
The thing is, I wanted to use an open source OS that doesn't track me. I understand that to be able to use certain services on top I must accept closed source software and the privacy issues but that's a trade off I'm happy to make. My phone pinging some server every 5 minutes with my location and to download more ads doesn't benefit me however.
mcv 7y ago
A lot of people have problems with some privacy violations but not with others. Until recently, I trusted Google with my data but not Facebook, because I felt I knew how Google operated. Since then, Google has lost my trust, and now I'd like to restrict their access to my data.