5 ms·

What's wrong with Android? Isn't it fully open-source? I thought you could compile your own version and flash it onto a bootloader-unlocked phone

• saghm 7y ago
  A lot of people aren't fond of how much functionally is tied to Google Play Services, which is not open source
• rapnie 7y ago
  In reality not fully open source: > Android's source code does not contain the device drivers, often proprietary, that are needed for certain hardware components. As a result, most Android devices, including Google's own, ship with a combination of free and open source and proprietary software, with the software required for accessing Google services falling into the latter category. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#AOSP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#AOS...
  • bduerst 7y ago
    I don't think anyone expects the Android OS to be a collection of entirely open source device drivers. Those proprietary drivers are specific to the myriad of hardware that the OEMs are running the OS on. You can still run Android on any hardware you have the drivers for, or emulate it in a virtual machine.
    • rapnie 7y ago
      I agree. I was mostly refering to the last part of the quote where it mentions 'accessing Google services'.
      • _0ffh 7y ago
        Well, naturally, this is the cash cow part of Android. Google wouldn't want to make it easy to write an open replacement.
• breakingcups 7y ago
  Google has systematically moved a lot of apps from AOSP to closed source Play Store equivalents. The AOSP apps are still available, but aren't maintained by Google anymore.
  • commoner 7y ago
    Ars Technica published a detailed story on this in 2018: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/07/googles-iron-grip-on-android-controlling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/07/googles-iron-grip-on...