GrapheneOS is finally ready to break free from Pixels, and it may never look back
GrapheneOS is finally ready to break free from Pixels, and it may never look back
Oh no, won't somebody think of Google's bottom line?!
That’s fantastic. Does this help with the issue of Google releasing AOSP security updates at a slower cadence? Maybe working directly with an OEM resolves this?
I don't really know how this works, but if they have the cooperation of an OEM they should have the same access to AOSP security updates the OEM has, and access to hardware drivers from a company that's not trying to thwart them. I can see how this would be preferable to a basically antagonistic relationship with Google, who are making things difficult because they want all Pixel phones to run their stock OS. The thing I wonder is what motivates the OEM to continue a cooperative relationship with Graphene OS.
That’s exactly my understanding/ thought process as well. I was wondering the same in terms of why an OEM would cooperate, and my first thought was the increase in hardware sales. I’m not sure how big the market is, but I know the security crowd will flock to them if they’re partnering with GOS when that market share would have previously been Googles. I’m not sure how big that market is or if the 'juice would be worth the squeeze'.
They're extremely talented in the security/mobile/os arena, why not contribute to one of the Linux mobile projects and kill two birds?
Because people want to use apps, which unfortunately don't exist on the Linux mobile projects. Banking apps are the biggest issue in fact. Obviously for a lot of other things, anyone can create alternatives.
And the whole issue of not being able to use most modern hardware with mainline Linux kernel because the drivers are closed source binary blobs. You have to use a device-specific kernels.
Everyone out here guessing small OEMs for an official Graphene launch when it's obviously Apple.
Not sure if serious
Only took like twenty years
I know it almost certainly isnt, but please god let it be Fairphone.
It will not be Fairphone but OnePlus
I thought Google's plans to kill AOSP effectively put a nail in Graphene's coffin?
Google has made it harder (it may kill AOSP in the long run but not yet) by delaying public release of source trees later than before. To counter that, they partnered with OEM, who in turn are partnered with Google, who are likely to get sources faster.
It does make sense it would be Nothing. I feel like the CEO reads the Youtube comments asking for GOS
Nothing isn't a "major OEM" but I think they'd be interested in it. Maybe they'll be next.
Nothing is a major OEM wdym.
It's America, it's going to be Samsung.
Nope , Motorola has snapdragon and you can unlock OEM
I hope so, I love samsung's hardware and having a secure OS option to get out from under their godawful UI / OS stuff would be amazing.
Yeah, I like folding phones. I use a Pixel 9 pro fold with grapheme currently, and I'd love for it to remain an option with Graphene in the future.
Yeah, GraphineOS with OneUI would be a hard sell
Samsung is the largest Android manufacturer by a wide margin, and make a bunch of their money using spyware. Seems unlikely they would give GOS the time of day.
While it would be amazing if Samsung did open their phones up for custom ROMs again, I highly doubt they are doing. Its going to be a much smaller OEM.
Can they please make it work for Samsungs? I made the mistake of getting an S23 and I didn't realize it was incompatible with all non-standard OSes.
Samsung phones blow e-fuses when you unlock their bootloaders, so there's no going back. I think this would prevent a proper GrapheneOS installation.
Perhaps Samsung could start shipping phones with GrapheneOS natively installed, but since the phone's owner would not have control of the OS, that would arguably not be GrapheneOS as we know it today. Or maybe Samsung could change their chain of trust implementation to be more like Google's, allowing the bootloader to be re-locked.
Wow. That is some grade A bullshit!
that reminds me, samsung has been advertising knox on their TVs now. samsung really likes permanently self damaging electronics
Samsung would never. Their customized OS is this nested egg of vendor lock-in, with your data at the center. They would rather harvest data from 99.5% of their customer base than see the 0.5% of us that actually like their equipment buy it and do anything other than sink into their ecosystem.
I have a pixel 8. I've wanted to degoogle myself for years. How risky is Graphene to install? Do I need to root it? Can I brick it? Are there things it does that Google doesn't? Apps that don't work for it?
If you use the web installer provided on GrapheneOS website, you can't fuck it up. Just make sure you use a chromium browser when you do it, for some reason it crashes on Firefox (but it didn't brick my phone, so don't worry)
No root needed, just follow the instructions on the website (read before doing it). You probably could brick it like anything else, but I didn't and I barely knew what I was doing (and like I said, it crashed on me when trying it via FF).
Neat things they do that Google doesn't (afaik):
Notable things that don't work:
Good on ya for sharing a helpful response
There are definitely some things that do not work with GrapheneOS, though most haven't affected me as I don't use them (like banking apps).
I still personally think it is worth it, but I can only speak for myself.
While they're at it, can they talk their oem into adding a headphone jack? Literally the main reason I don't already do Pixel + Graphene. (And yes I know one of the supported Pixel phones does have one, but it also happens to be the exact model that I have personally seen do the black screen of death, so no thanks).
my car set up that only gets used once or twice a month:
please, finally
AAAAAAAAAAA DON'T JINX IT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
We only use vector graphics from now on
BTW, I want some advice. I have a pixel 4a running CalyxOS & want to switch to Graphene (The pixel 4a ROM is under legacy support)
Is it safe to flash GOS directly or should I flash the stock first & THEN GOS ??
Any more additional advice is welcomed & thanks in advance
I'm staying with Calyx just because I don't want to run Google binaries. What's encouraging your switch?
very glad to hear this!
Glad to know privacy isn't budget friendly.
Unfortunately a lot of "budget" items are being subsidized by your personal information, and the smaller market for privacy-forward goods and services makes economies of scale harder.
Unless governments start passing robust privacy laws, it will just continue to get more and more expensive to live privately with modern conveniences.
The sad part is how little things actually cost to produce.
That's what I used to think before Google started pricing their devices on parity with Apple.
Yeah, it would be great if they would support a range of devices from whichever OEM this is, at different price points.
Biggest challenge GOS has is that most hardware vendors do not meet their fairly restrictive hardware security requirements, and those few that do don't typically allow bootloader unlocking. Pixel devices up until now have been unicorns in those regards.
They'd probably removed and whine that every other phone doesn't have the absolutetely vital security feature called thingamabobSecurityModule™ without which apparently every other security feature and even their ROM itself doesn't work anymore; as they always do.
Second hand pixels are not that expensive. Or the a series. Though it would be cool if it could run on a cheaper burner phone.