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Which distribution would you recommend as a starting point? My assumption has not been that Google free Android doesn’t exist but that I’d need Google’s app st

by Lio 6y ago

Which distribution would you recommend as a starting point? My assumption has not been that Google free Android doesn’t exist but that I’d need Google’s app store to run the third party apps I need. Specifically things it's stuff for firmware updates on stuff like Shimano Di2 or other hardware devices. Are third parties now officially supporting other alternative app stores? (Sorry about the questions but this is quite interesting.) Personally I’m thinking of moving towards a non-android Linux based phone and keeping an older iPhone for these updates.

ryukafalz 6y ago
>Specifically things it's stuff for firmware updates on stuff like Shimano Di2 or other hardware devices. As someone who dabbles in alternative mobile OSes, it's always frustrating to me when more and more products require using Apple/Google services for basic functionality. I try to avoid buying devices like that whenever possible, because they just lock me into those ecosystems. The Amazon app store is an option, for things that are available there. It's not everything, but it feels like there's a decent selection there. That said, for those apps that are only found in the Play Store, there are third-party clients like Aurora Store: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/ (Warning: possibly against some part of the Play Store ToS and Google is notoriously opaque regarding enforcement. Use caution.) That, unlike e.g. the Play Store, should be installable normally as any other Android app even on compatibility layers like Anbox. This probably isn't super polished yet, but I know there's work being done on using Anbox for Linux phones and it seems to work: https://social.librem.one/@dos/105119691527269967 https://social.librem.one/@dos/105119691527269967 But yeah, personally I'm planning on 1) keeping an older phone around for the things that absolutely need it and 2) avoiding things that absolutely need it as much as possible.
Yetanfou 6y ago
I mostly use LineageOS (formerly Cyanogenmod) as a starting point, sometimes with a few customisations but often just straight off the 'net. As to app stores, I use F-Droid and Aurora Store (an alternative front end to the Play Store) for those few proprietary apps (mostly the Swedish BankID electronic ID app) I need to have access to. Aurora Store works with anonymous Google accounts, you do not need - and are advised not to use - a real Google account for this. I use MicroG (free software implementation of the Google Services Framework) on a few devices but mostly just do without it.

by Lio 6y ago

ryukafalz 6y ago

>Specifically things it's stuff for firmware updates on stuff like Shimano Di2 or other hardware devices. As someone who dabbles in alternative mobile OSes, it's always frustrating to me when more and more products require using Apple/Google services for basic functionality. I try to avoid buying devices like that whenever possible, because they just lock me into those ecosystems. The Amazon app store is an option, for things that are available there. It's not everything, but it feels like there's a decent selection there. That said, for those apps that are only found in the Play Store, there are third-party clients like Aurora Store: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/ (Warning: possibly against some part of the Play Store ToS and Google is notoriously opaque regarding enforcement. Use caution.) That, unlike e.g. the Play Store, should be installable normally as any other Android app even on compatibility layers like Anbox. This probably isn't super polished yet, but I know there's work being done on using Anbox for Linux phones and it seems to work: https://social.librem.one/@dos/105119691527269967 https://social.librem.one/@dos/105119691527269967 But yeah, personally I'm planning on 1) keeping an older phone around for the things that absolutely need it and 2) avoiding things that absolutely need it as much as possible.

Yetanfou 6y ago

I mostly use LineageOS (formerly Cyanogenmod) as a starting point, sometimes with a few customisations but often just straight off the 'net. As to app stores, I use F-Droid and Aurora Store (an alternative front end to the Play Store) for those few proprietary apps (mostly the Swedish BankID electronic ID app) I need to have access to. Aurora Store works with anonymous Google accounts, you do not need - and are advised not to use - a real Google account for this. I use MicroG (free software implementation of the Google Services Framework) on a few devices but mostly just do without it.