6 ms·

, the de-Googled Android fork

108 points by indidea 7y ago

petecox 7y ago
> the/e/ name will be abandonned for something else quite soon. Good to know; a word that's more easily duckduckgoable may help with branding.
- netsharc 7y ago
  Wanted to comment on the name too.. slash-e-slash???
  - throwawat45637 7y ago
    Obviously a reference to 4chan's ecchi board
- jfax 7y ago
  It's a very funny and perhaps unfortunate from the perspective of 4chan users.
- thiht 7y ago
  > duckduckgoable Not a thing. Duckable might be better?
throwaway9d0291 7y ago
Are these de-Googlification changes going to be upstreamed into LineageOS?
- lern_too_spel 7y ago
  Is this forked from LineageOS or directly from AOSP?
  - joecool1029 7y ago
    It's forked from LineageOS.
CivBase 7y ago
> We are also announcing this week an “/e/ easy installer” that will make the flashing process much more easier, by pluging the smartphone to a PC and launching a dedicated application that will make most of the job. Why do phones require device-specific builds and ROM flashing just to install a different OS? Why isn't there a phone out there with a normal boot loader that allows me to install whatever OS I want like I can on a PC? I have a perfectly good phone, but I know I'm going to have to buy a new one eventually just because the manufacturer will stop supporting the hardware. Meanwhile, I have decades-old PCs that are running just fine. Privacy is important. Removing Google from the picture is great. But I don't see this, LineageOS, or anything else taking off until we have a more accessible solution for installing mobile operating systems. An application that streamlines the flashing process is nice, but I don't think that's enough.
- doublerabbit 7y ago
  >Why do phones require device-specific builds and ROM flashing just to install a different OS? Capitalism. And reasons that Google/Apple want you locked to their operating system, their hardware. Prove me wrong.
  - doublerabbit 7y ago
    Downvoted with no reasoning. Nice
    - nekopa 7y ago
      Maybe because your comment didn't mention anything specific to prove wrong. Just saying Capitalism and Reasons doesn't mean anything. Could I just say "Communism" and thereby prove you wrong?
      - doublerabbit 7y ago
        > And reasons that Google/Apple want you locked to their operating system, their hardware. Well, do they not? Locking you to their product, forcing you to use their product for their own gain. Apple won't even let you repair your phone unless you go via their own dealers. You could call communism, but there isn't any communism element to it. It's all capitalism to answer OP's question to "Why can't I install any operating system" because you can, there is nothing stopping you apart from the companies that control the product.
ghgr 7y ago
Direct link (since it's not easy to find in the article): https://e.foundation/ https://e.foundation/
jmakov 7y ago
Um... so how are they making money if we are not the product?
- timbit42 7y ago
  itsfoss
BuildTheRobots 7y ago
An ungoogled mobile operating system: fantastic! > ensure that you have an /e/ account (for /e/ online services such as mail, drive, calendar…). You can register for a free /e/ acount here right - and I should trust E over Google why? https://doc.e.foundation/devices/ https://doc.e.foundation/devices/
- mqus 7y ago
  According to the article you can selfhost... But I don't know if thats possible right now.
_bxg1 7y ago
> we replace with a software layout called microG that can still receive push notifications and have geolocation data for apps (using Mozilla geolocation service) It's good that they set up microG for you; that's one of the hurdles with using Lineage this way. I'm very curious about their Maps app. That was one of the very biggest problems when I tried to use Google-free Android a couple years ago. The open-source options at the time were bad. If they've made a decent alternative, that would truly be a game-changer. One other random thought: the name "/e/" is terrible. Hard to search for, hard to meaningfully verbalize, hard to interpret.
- pergadad 7y ago
  Some osm apps have good navigation, but they don't have the same data, e.g. on traffic. 'Here' isn't bad. And in doubt there's always Google maps by browser.
  - _bxg1 7y ago
    OSMAnd was what I used, and it was horrendous. The actual data was okay (I didn't expect it to be on-par), but the user experience was just really bad. Barely usable. Haven't heard of "Here". I did end up using Google Maps in the browser sometimes, although it felt like a compromise (and obviously didn't have a stellar user-experience itself).
- lucideer 7y ago
  > the name "/e/" is terrible. Hard to search for, hard to meaningfully verbalize, hard to interpret. I think I read somewhere that this is a deliberately-obscure temporary codename pre-proper-branding, during initial unstable development. That said, they've used it a lot in their branding, so I'm not sure...
  - lucideer 7y ago
    Update: From their FAQ page[0]: > Why this weird, inconvenient /e/ name? > ... > It’s the current project codename, we will probably introduce a new and more convenient name for our mobile ROM in few months. https://e.foundation/get-support/#faq https://e.foundation/get-support/#faq
ggm 7y ago
Binary blobs dont have trackers and snoops? Phones have FPGA and need binary blobs. Certified RF segments for regulatory permitted operation in the mobile telephony world. What about the TPM and keystore?
imnothere__ 7y ago
As other user replied and to extend it, /e/ is a rebranded LineageOS with microG integrated plus some small commits. Also, it uses a Nextcloud fork which isn't even open source as a replacement for Google cloud service, and same as another reply, why trust /e/ over Google? As that it's mostly stolen work in some sorts(Earn money with OSS devs effort? Seriously what a disgrace.), instead, please support LineageOS for microG[1] [1] https://lineage.microg.org/ https://lineage.microg.org/
- im3w1l 7y ago
  Last time I checked all phones with lineageos support were made by Google, China or were like 5 years old. For this reason I never got it.
terrycody 7y ago
I guess I read about another similar story posted on HN several months ago? Or its the same company?
- DonCopal 7y ago
  Maybe you're thinking about Volla Phone. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/volla/volla-phone-designed-with-simplicity-and-security-in-mind/description https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/volla/volla-phone-desig...

108 points by indidea 7y ago

> the/e/ name will be abandonned for something else quite soon. Good to know; a word that's more easily duckduckgoable may help with branding.

netsharc 7y ago
Wanted to comment on the name too.. slash-e-slash???
- throwawat45637 7y ago
  Obviously a reference to 4chan's ecchi board
jfax 7y ago
It's a very funny and perhaps unfortunate from the perspective of 4chan users.
thiht 7y ago
> duckduckgoable Not a thing. Duckable might be better?

throwaway9d0291 7y ago

Are these de-Googlification changes going to be upstreamed into LineageOS?

lern_too_spel 7y ago
Is this forked from LineageOS or directly from AOSP?
- joecool1029 7y ago
  It's forked from LineageOS.

CivBase 7y ago

> We are also announcing this week an “/e/ easy installer” that will make the flashing process much more easier, by pluging the smartphone to a PC and launching a dedicated application that will make most of the job. Why do phones require device-specific builds and ROM flashing just to install a different OS? Why isn't there a phone out there with a normal boot loader that allows me to install whatever OS I want like I can on a PC? I have a perfectly good phone, but I know I'm going to have to buy a new one eventually just because the manufacturer will stop supporting the hardware. Meanwhile, I have decades-old PCs that are running just fine. Privacy is important. Removing Google from the picture is great. But I don't see this, LineageOS, or anything else taking off until we have a more accessible solution for installing mobile operating systems. An application that streamlines the flashing process is nice, but I don't think that's enough.

doublerabbit 7y ago
>Why do phones require device-specific builds and ROM flashing just to install a different OS? Capitalism. And reasons that Google/Apple want you locked to their operating system, their hardware. Prove me wrong.
- doublerabbit 7y ago
  Downvoted with no reasoning. Nice
  - nekopa 7y ago
    Maybe because your comment didn't mention anything specific to prove wrong. Just saying Capitalism and Reasons doesn't mean anything. Could I just say "Communism" and thereby prove you wrong?
    - doublerabbit 7y ago
      > And reasons that Google/Apple want you locked to their operating system, their hardware. Well, do they not? Locking you to their product, forcing you to use their product for their own gain. Apple won't even let you repair your phone unless you go via their own dealers. You could call communism, but there isn't any communism element to it. It's all capitalism to answer OP's question to "Why can't I install any operating system" because you can, there is nothing stopping you apart from the companies that control the product.

ghgr 7y ago

Direct link (since it's not easy to find in the article): https://e.foundation/ https://e.foundation/

jmakov 7y ago

Um... so how are they making money if we are not the product?

timbit42 7y ago
itsfoss

BuildTheRobots 7y ago

An ungoogled mobile operating system: fantastic! > ensure that you have an /e/ account (for /e/ online services such as mail, drive, calendar…). You can register for a free /e/ acount here right - and I should trust E over Google why? https://doc.e.foundation/devices/ https://doc.e.foundation/devices/

mqus 7y ago
According to the article you can selfhost... But I don't know if thats possible right now.

_bxg1 7y ago

> we replace with a software layout called microG that can still receive push notifications and have geolocation data for apps (using Mozilla geolocation service) It's good that they set up microG for you; that's one of the hurdles with using Lineage this way. I'm very curious about their Maps app. That was one of the very biggest problems when I tried to use Google-free Android a couple years ago. The open-source options at the time were bad. If they've made a decent alternative, that would truly be a game-changer. One other random thought: the name "/e/" is terrible. Hard to search for, hard to meaningfully verbalize, hard to interpret.

pergadad 7y ago
Some osm apps have good navigation, but they don't have the same data, e.g. on traffic. 'Here' isn't bad. And in doubt there's always Google maps by browser.
- _bxg1 7y ago
  OSMAnd was what I used, and it was horrendous. The actual data was okay (I didn't expect it to be on-par), but the user experience was just really bad. Barely usable. Haven't heard of "Here". I did end up using Google Maps in the browser sometimes, although it felt like a compromise (and obviously didn't have a stellar user-experience itself).
lucideer 7y ago
> the name "/e/" is terrible. Hard to search for, hard to meaningfully verbalize, hard to interpret. I think I read somewhere that this is a deliberately-obscure temporary codename pre-proper-branding, during initial unstable development. That said, they've used it a lot in their branding, so I'm not sure...
- lucideer 7y ago
  Update: From their FAQ page[0]: > Why this weird, inconvenient /e/ name? > ... > It’s the current project codename, we will probably introduce a new and more convenient name for our mobile ROM in few months. https://e.foundation/get-support/#faq https://e.foundation/get-support/#faq

ggm 7y ago

Binary blobs dont have trackers and snoops? Phones have FPGA and need binary blobs. Certified RF segments for regulatory permitted operation in the mobile telephony world. What about the TPM and keystore?

imnothere__ 7y ago

As other user replied and to extend it, /e/ is a rebranded LineageOS with microG integrated plus some small commits. Also, it uses a Nextcloud fork which isn't even open source as a replacement for Google cloud service, and same as another reply, why trust /e/ over Google? As that it's mostly stolen work in some sorts(Earn money with OSS devs effort? Seriously what a disgrace.), instead, please support LineageOS for microG[1] [1] https://lineage.microg.org/ https://lineage.microg.org/

im3w1l 7y ago
Last time I checked all phones with lineageos support were made by Google, China or were like 5 years old. For this reason I never got it.

terrycody 7y ago

I guess I read about another similar story posted on HN several months ago? Or its the same company?

DonCopal 7y ago
Maybe you're thinking about Volla Phone. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/volla/volla-phone-designed-with-simplicity-and-security-in-mind/description https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/volla/volla-phone-desig...