AOSP isn't dead, but Google just landed a huge blow to custom ROM developers
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TL;DR
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Google has made it harder to build custom Android ROMs for Pixel phones by omitting their device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release.
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The company says this is because it’s shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called “Cuttlefish” to be more neutral.
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While Google insists AOSP isn’t going away, developers must now reverse-engineer changes, making the process for supporting Pixel devices more difficult.
Unrelated: The top bar in this article indicating the article position is so fucking stupid. Guess what the scroll bar on the right hand side is for?
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Yeah, just that this has shit to do with the stated reasons. Google hasn't been an open source ally for quite some time now
Yup, the entire culture of Google has nearly changed. It used to be coder- and innovation-driven, and open-source was a natural thing to support. Make more money by growing the pie, creating markets with new tech.
Now it seems it's middle managers and MBAs calling the shots, and their strategy is generic business zero-sum mindset - lock down, restrict, extract. They still see the PR value in open-source, but that's it.
Just becoming 1990s Microsoft or 1980s IBM.
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TL;DR
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Google has made it harder to build custom Android ROMs for Pixel phones by omitting their device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release.
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The company says this is because it’s shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called “Cuttlefish” to be more neutral.
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While Google insists AOSP isn’t going away, developers must now reverse-engineer changes, making the process for supporting Pixel devices more difficult.
Oneplus gang, how we feelin?
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I don't have any actual research, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Pixel itself doesn't really make money at all. One of those "get people hardcore into the Google ecosystem to get their money/data" things.
The absolutely criminal dark patterns that they pull on people via Google photos auto backup is insane.
Just in my own orbit 2 of my friends wives, my parents, and my in-laws all wound up paying Google because they thought they had to or lose all their photos. We helped most of them disconnect the autobackup (that they didn't even know was activated) and move it to offline safely. But that was the most downright evil shit Google has ever done and literally a fire in me for manipulating the elderly and less tech savvy so blatantly.
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This would be sad if Pixel phones were worth buying, instead of being far inferior to midrange Motorola devices in battery life and performance while costing well over twice as much.
You must be ignoring the Motorola bloat that makes it's performance beyond subpar somehow
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The absolutely criminal dark patterns that they pull on people via Google photos auto backup is insane.
Just in my own orbit 2 of my friends wives, my parents, and my in-laws all wound up paying Google because they thought they had to or lose all their photos. We helped most of them disconnect the autobackup (that they didn't even know was activated) and move it to offline safely. But that was the most downright evil shit Google has ever done and literally a fire in me for manipulating the elderly and less tech savvy so blatantly.
devil's avocado: this move has saved many people's cherished photos from disappearing by having them auto save. before Google photos I'd run into cases (I used to do home IT support) where people had years of family photos disappear because they didn't back them up properly. Having to communicate what happened was never fun.
is Google photos perfect? No, but it's a great solution for people who don't want to manage their data.
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Oneplus gang, how we feelin?
Idk man.
I love my OP12. But we're switching carriers to a Verizon MVNO which "won't work" with my OP12, so I bought a Pixel 8 Pro on sale last week and need to switch over.
I'm starting to wonder if that "it won't work" is bullshit tho...I've got a Verizon SIM in slot 2 and it works fine. Maybe I'd be missing out on 5G speeds? I got 5 bars on my tmo sim and my vz sim...but my Tmo got 1.1Gbps down, and my Vz sim only got 70Mbps.
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Google is doing a good job of discouraging some of us from buying Pixel phones. But they don't care because the number of people installing Graphene etc. is relatively very low.
Yeah but what now ? I mean the Linux mobile ecosystem isn't exactly mature nor widespread
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TL;DR
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Google has made it harder to build custom Android ROMs for Pixel phones by omitting their device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release.
-
The company says this is because it’s shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called “Cuttlefish” to be more neutral.
-
While Google insists AOSP isn’t going away, developers must now reverse-engineer changes, making the process for supporting Pixel devices more difficult.
What about the OS part of AOSP?
Don't the ROM makers already fork AOSP to begin with? -
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TL;DR
-
Google has made it harder to build custom Android ROMs for Pixel phones by omitting their device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release.
-
The company says this is because it’s shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called “Cuttlefish” to be more neutral.
-
While Google insists AOSP isn’t going away, developers must now reverse-engineer changes, making the process for supporting Pixel devices more difficult.
This is not good, this is why I don't like permissive licenses.
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TL;DR
-
Google has made it harder to build custom Android ROMs for Pixel phones by omitting their device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release.
-
The company says this is because it’s shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called “Cuttlefish” to be more neutral.
-
While Google insists AOSP isn’t going away, developers must now reverse-engineer changes, making the process for supporting Pixel devices more difficult.
Now more than ever we need more work on PostmarketOS, Mobian, Gnome Mobile etc...
Bummer that it's still so hard to find a somewhat modern, affordable phone that is Linux compatible
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You must be ignoring the Motorola bloat that makes it's performance beyond subpar somehow
I have never had a Motorola smartphone... But Canta is a thing
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Now more than ever we need more work on PostmarketOS, Mobian, Gnome Mobile etc...
Bummer that it's still so hard to find a somewhat modern, affordable phone that is Linux compatible
Yeah, I'd totally buy a phone running one of those provided it does all the phone things properly: SMS/MMS, reliable calls, all day battery, etc. I don't need fancy apps, I just need a working phone.
If I can get that, I could probably donate some time porting apps.
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Oneplus gang, how we feelin?
as a panicked graphene enjoyer, does oneplus measure up as a decent alternative or no?
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Does this mean Graphene is dead? Probably the real reason they would do this is to kill Graphene.
It certainly feels like it is judging by the general moodshifts occuring.
But I'm a moron, what alternative exists for a secure phone of comparable functionality? It feels like ditching phones is the only option to some extent(for me). If stupid, isn't the phone the most vulnerable weakpoint open to attack? -
as a panicked graphene enjoyer, does oneplus measure up as a decent alternative or no?
I use a Oneplus 7 pro and my rom maintainer still updates and I still get a new version once every two months or so. If you want to omit gapps, you are more than free to do so. (Crdroid)
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Now more than ever we need more work on PostmarketOS, Mobian, Gnome Mobile etc...
Bummer that it's still so hard to find a somewhat modern, affordable phone that is Linux compatible
I know someone at a company that built and sold a Linux phone 19 years ago.
You're not upset you can't find a Linux phone: you're upset you can't find one anymore.
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I use a Oneplus 7 pro and my rom maintainer still updates and I still get a new version once every two months or so. If you want to omit gapps, you are more than free to do so. (Crdroid)
You are selling me mr. Fudge. I still need to do a lotta research but you are def sellin me here
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You are selling me mr. Fudge. I still need to do a lotta research but you are def sellin me here
The trap: He could stop builds for the OP7... tomorrow with zero warning.
That leads to my main takeaway for custom roms. Pick the phone with the most topics and replies on XDA. The more popular and liked, the more supported you'll be.
and never get attached to anything. Your phone miraculously has support, none are guaranteed it.
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Idk man.
I love my OP12. But we're switching carriers to a Verizon MVNO which "won't work" with my OP12, so I bought a Pixel 8 Pro on sale last week and need to switch over.
I'm starting to wonder if that "it won't work" is bullshit tho...I've got a Verizon SIM in slot 2 and it works fine. Maybe I'd be missing out on 5G speeds? I got 5 bars on my tmo sim and my vz sim...but my Tmo got 1.1Gbps down, and my Vz sim only got 70Mbps.
Verizon MVNO
Christ, why?
