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Google has made it much harder for GrapheneOS & CalyxOS to update to Android 16 (lemmy.ca)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk
12 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Crossposted from https://slrpnk.net/post/23183334

GrapheneOS statement on Mastodon: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/114661914197695338

Calyx made an official statement on this development here: https://calyxos.org/news/2025/06/11/android-16-plans/

Concerning stuff. Hopefully a workaround or solution is found at some point, but if not, I'm already thinking of how to manage without them.

I can't see myself going back to a standard Android phone, so I suppose worse case scenario, I'd have to settle with LineageOS, or potentially abandon Android altogether and see if I can manage with discrete separate devices to fulfill the same needs, such as:

  • a pocketable mini-Linux PC like a MNT Pocket Reform, which has the ability to use cellular networks. Should be able to text, browse web, and maybe GPS? Alternatively, perhaps the Mecha Comet?
  • Small pocket-able dumb camera
  • MP3 player
  • Dumb-phone kept in a faraday bag when not in use?

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[โ€“] 16 points 1 year ago

I would absolutely support pre-funding a GrapheneOS phone

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    [โ€“] 16 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    The silver lining to all this -

    Devs & users will start turning their attention to linux phones:

    https://furilabs.com/shop/flx1/

    https://sailfishos.org/

    https://www.ubuntu-touch.io/

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  • [โ€“] 9 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    Please! If I could just get a solid Linux phone with a decent up-to-date browser, that would be 99% of my use covered.

    Edit: Now that I look at it, perhaps it's time for me to cough up, buy a FP5, and ubuntu that sucker.

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  • [โ€“] 4 points 1 year ago

    i was well on my way to Ubuntufying my FP4, and then realised there was no simple, update-proof method to encrypt /home. ๐Ÿ˜ญ As I lose things a lot, and don't want to half-ass or possibly miss something about encryption, that's a dealbreaker for me.

    So next attempt, PostmarketOS! After a detour back to Android to reliably update the startup splash.

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    • [โ€“] [S] 14 points 1 year ago

    We need to seek full independence from Google by switching to Postmarket OS!

    !linuxphones@lemmy.ca

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    [โ€“] 12 points 1 year ago

    According to Calyx, the issue is that AOSP does not support any phones out of the box anymore, even though AOSP 15 supported Pixel phones out of the box. Graphene speculates that this may be a proactive measure preparing for an Android/Pixel split in a future Google antitrust break up.

    It's not the death of Calyx and Graphene, but it is a symptom of the dire state of AOSP. OSes like Sailfish, Purism, and PostmarketOS need to see better support and provide viable alternatives to proprietary OSes like Android and iOS.

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    [โ€“] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    I like the approach of getting away from smartphones and going with multiple dumb devices.

    Anki, Qobuz, and Threema are the potential barriers. I guess I can technically use Anki on a laptop, same with Qobuz (since I don't listen to music while travelling anyway). And Threema I don't actually have any friends on and I basically just use it to transfer files between devices.

    So I guess all things together I wouldn't even need a cellular-capable laptop ... if not for banking. As a countermeasure against card-skimming I only transfer money onto my card when I'm about to use it.

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  • [โ€“] [S] 0 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Having a dumb phone is also good for traveling in case they want to violate your right to privacy through security. The powertrippers will see nothing.

    Also consider checking out Ubuntu Touch as it has waydroid which can be used for android apps. Linux phones can be considered dumb phones as the oses have less features.

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  • [โ€“] 0 points 1 year ago

    With regards to Ubuntu Touch. https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/114662076331894612

    GrapheneOS is a Linux distribution. The desktop Linux software stack has far worse privacy and security. It isn't a viable starting point for us. The Linux kernel is also by far the most problematic portion of the overall system from a security perspective. A fully monolithic kernel is a terrible architecture for security. A vulnerability in any part of it gives full control over the whole thing. It's also entirely written in C with major resistance to many systemic security improvements.

    GrapheneOS sure is critical of a lot of entities. Recently Firefox, and in the main thread Fairphone. TBH I don't think they're wrong on any of these fronts. Firefox is broadly a mess in terms of organization, Senior Linux Kernel Devs have opposed Rust for reasons so bad even Linus called them out, and the Fairphone I don't know enough about either way.

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