3 ms·

MiniageOS: "Dumbphone" Version of LineageOS

50 points by ashenke 1mo ago

a96 1mo ago
> Create a stripped-down "dumbphone" version of LineageOS for your Google Pixel without giving up the camera quality and touchscreen of a smartphone. Dumb interface for smartphones, unrelated to dumbphones. Not that it was likely to be anything else. Pretty neat.
- iAMkenough 1mo ago
  What in your mind makes a dumbphone a dumbphone? I see many for sale with cameras and touchscreens, even app support.
  - dwedge 1mo ago
    Do you mean the ones running KaiOS? I'm not sure I'd count those as dumbphones they're only dumb because they have limited apps due to popularity (WhatsApp was there but left) and they often have the nokia style design (some with t7). In my opinion a dumb phone is one that might support internet but can't do anything with it except potentially hotspot
    - iAMkenough 1mo ago
      I’m not sure. From the few articles I’ve now read today, I see there’s a LightOS and WiseOS too.
4thguy 1mo ago
As I read down the readme, I kept saying to myself "ok, that's reasonable," right up until I saw the 300GB free space requirement to build the image. Is that really what is needed to build an image for a phone or is this a one-off?
- nrclark 1mo ago
  Yes, that's normal for an Android build. Maybe even on the lightweight side as far as build requirements. I agree that it's an absurd about of space.
- realusername 1mo ago
  Android build system is a heavy Rube Goldberg machine, it's amazing it even works at all
  - kasabali 1mo ago
    Android is a heavy Rube Goldberg machine, it's amazing it even works at all.
- em3rgent0rdr 1mo ago
  Compiled android once ~10 years ago, remember it taking at least half a day. Really helped me appreciate how many things go into it.
  - hulitu 1mo ago
    > how many things go into it. maybe how much bloat.
- yjftsjthsd-h 1mo ago
  My understanding is that yes Android build requirements are... significant. Given that a gentoo system can self-host in like <10% of that space, I am somewhat mystified how it got here, but yes that's "normal".
  - nosioptar 1mo ago
    My x220i w/ i3-2310m and 8gb ddr3 can compile gentoo from a stage 1. Android's build system must be hopelessly fucked to require the specs it does.
- trollbridge 1mo ago
LoganDark 1mo ago
> What will not work when using a phone running this build? > RCS messaging > (The points above apply to any phone with an unlocked bootloader, including ones running official LineageOS builds) RCS really depends on attestation now? What the fuck?
- cspeterson 1mo ago
  Unsure about details, but it must at least not require Google Play attestation because Graphene supports it now
- GreenVulpine 1mo ago
  RCS also goes through Google servers. I don't see much point in using it.
  - Nux 1mo ago
    You can run your own afaik, but most MNOs prefer to outsource (big surprise here).
chasil 1mo ago
First of all, did you disable the calculator? This app is an amazing feat of intellect, and should be retained due to its fundamental worth of ingenuity. https://medium.com/@jnebos/the-humble-android-calculator-4f139e8b1699 https://medium.com/@jnebos/the-humble-android-calculator-4f1... Second, the kernel itself presents attack surfaces. It is important to accept updates, when they are offered.
tomashubelbauer 1mo ago
I thought this was going to be an OS for actual dumbphones. Had me hoping I would have a reason to dig out my childhood Sony Ericsson W810.
- ifh-hn 1mo ago
  Same here.
dwedge 1mo ago
This is an interesting concept but I think the dumbphone aspect will make people expect something different. It seems like it's more a static digital minimalism setup that you cannot easily undo. I saw someone doing similar by setting up MDM for their iPhone so you couldn't install anything without sending updates from a laptop. I prefer the MiniageOS method if it's quick enough to refresh when needed. When you say banking isn't supported, I have a couple of banking apps that work on my two phones (AOSP and Graphene), would those still work? There are also a lot of apps that kind of rely on a browser being available even if not accessible (Uber is one but that doesn't work without Google play so whatever, but WiFi captive portals are another). Is there support for that?
codethief 1mo ago
If you're already using a Pixel, why base your custom, very much stripped down version of Android on LineageOS as opposed to GrapheneOS? From a security perspective, that's insanity. (I would actually love to see a GrapheneOS-based version of this!)
cocoa19 1mo ago
For people already owning an iPhone, you can make it a dumb phone if you own a mac. Turn on iPhone supervised mode (requires factory reset), then create and load a profile with Apple Configurator on macOS. You can disable installing apps, just certain apps, or just block certain websites. If you want to ban TikTok and Reddit but not give up your banking app, you can do it. You want no browser, you got it.

50 points by ashenke 1mo ago

a96 1mo ago

> Create a stripped-down "dumbphone" version of LineageOS for your Google Pixel without giving up the camera quality and touchscreen of a smartphone. Dumb interface for smartphones, unrelated to dumbphones. Not that it was likely to be anything else. Pretty neat.

iAMkenough 1mo ago
What in your mind makes a dumbphone a dumbphone? I see many for sale with cameras and touchscreens, even app support.
- dwedge 1mo ago
  Do you mean the ones running KaiOS? I'm not sure I'd count those as dumbphones they're only dumb because they have limited apps due to popularity (WhatsApp was there but left) and they often have the nokia style design (some with t7). In my opinion a dumb phone is one that might support internet but can't do anything with it except potentially hotspot
  - iAMkenough 1mo ago
    I’m not sure. From the few articles I’ve now read today, I see there’s a LightOS and WiseOS too.

4thguy 1mo ago

As I read down the readme, I kept saying to myself "ok, that's reasonable," right up until I saw the 300GB free space requirement to build the image. Is that really what is needed to build an image for a phone or is this a one-off?

nrclark 1mo ago
Yes, that's normal for an Android build. Maybe even on the lightweight side as far as build requirements. I agree that it's an absurd about of space.
realusername 1mo ago
Android build system is a heavy Rube Goldberg machine, it's amazing it even works at all
- kasabali 1mo ago
  Android is a heavy Rube Goldberg machine, it's amazing it even works at all.
em3rgent0rdr 1mo ago
Compiled android once ~10 years ago, remember it taking at least half a day. Really helped me appreciate how many things go into it.
- hulitu 1mo ago
  > how many things go into it. maybe how much bloat.
yjftsjthsd-h 1mo ago
My understanding is that yes Android build requirements are... significant. Given that a gentoo system can self-host in like <10% of that space, I am somewhat mystified how it got here, but yes that's "normal".
- nosioptar 1mo ago
  My x220i w/ i3-2310m and 8gb ddr3 can compile gentoo from a stage 1. Android's build system must be hopelessly fucked to require the specs it does.
trollbridge 1mo ago

LoganDark 1mo ago

> What will not work when using a phone running this build? > RCS messaging > (The points above apply to any phone with an unlocked bootloader, including ones running official LineageOS builds) RCS really depends on attestation now? What the fuck?

cspeterson 1mo ago
Unsure about details, but it must at least not require Google Play attestation because Graphene supports it now
GreenVulpine 1mo ago
RCS also goes through Google servers. I don't see much point in using it.
- Nux 1mo ago
  You can run your own afaik, but most MNOs prefer to outsource (big surprise here).

chasil 1mo ago

First of all, did you disable the calculator? This app is an amazing feat of intellect, and should be retained due to its fundamental worth of ingenuity. https://medium.com/@jnebos/the-humble-android-calculator-4f139e8b1699 https://medium.com/@jnebos/the-humble-android-calculator-4f1... Second, the kernel itself presents attack surfaces. It is important to accept updates, when they are offered.

tomashubelbauer 1mo ago

I thought this was going to be an OS for actual dumbphones. Had me hoping I would have a reason to dig out my childhood Sony Ericsson W810.

ifh-hn 1mo ago
Same here.

dwedge 1mo ago

This is an interesting concept but I think the dumbphone aspect will make people expect something different. It seems like it's more a static digital minimalism setup that you cannot easily undo. I saw someone doing similar by setting up MDM for their iPhone so you couldn't install anything without sending updates from a laptop. I prefer the MiniageOS method if it's quick enough to refresh when needed. When you say banking isn't supported, I have a couple of banking apps that work on my two phones (AOSP and Graphene), would those still work? There are also a lot of apps that kind of rely on a browser being available even if not accessible (Uber is one but that doesn't work without Google play so whatever, but WiFi captive portals are another). Is there support for that?

codethief 1mo ago

If you're already using a Pixel, why base your custom, very much stripped down version of Android on LineageOS as opposed to GrapheneOS? From a security perspective, that's insanity. (I would actually love to see a GrapheneOS-based version of this!)

cocoa19 1mo ago

For people already owning an iPhone, you can make it a dumb phone if you own a mac. Turn on iPhone supervised mode (requires factory reset), then create and load a profile with Apple Configurator on macOS. You can disable installing apps, just certain apps, or just block certain websites. If you want to ban TikTok and Reddit but not give up your banking app, you can do it. You want no browser, you got it.