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Do you use a device with open source Android firmware? What device, which distro and what do you do with it? I have a Samsung tablet with LineageOS and apps from F-Droid. Other than displaying dire warnings about the unlocked bootloader every time it cold boots, It's great for a "recliner system": email, Web browsing, E-book reader and MP3 player. What do you have, what do you use it for, and how well does it work for you?

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[-] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 19 points 1 year ago

Android isn't firmware. It's OS. Firmware is embedded on things like the camera, wifi chip, etc. I don't know of any that have FOSS firmware. I hope I'm wrong.

[-] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

Unrelated, but oh my fucking god, I just realised that "firmware" is not a separate etymological category compared to "software" and "hardware", it's literally "firm" as in between "soft" and "hard".

I am a professional firmware developer.

[-] RegalPotoo@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

It's ok, we all need a wetware update every so often

[-] stifle867@programming.dev 16 points 1 year ago

I don't believe any Samsung device has fully open source firmware. I assume you mean software seeing as you mention LineageOS?

[-] multicolorKnight@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Yes, of course. I'm not aware of any fully open source tablet that actually works - I got a PineTab2, but it's more like a mini laptop, and the onboard WiFi does not work, which is too bad.

[-] davoid@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

How do you like the PineTab2?

[-] multicolorKnight@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Disappointed. The killer is the lack of a working driver for the onboard WiFi. They say this is a priority, but no checkin on the github page for months. It works tethered to a phone, or with a USB network adapter, but that's not good for my use case. Touch integration in Linux is not really there, and the snap on keyboard is kind of thin and floppy. That said, I have a Quartz board that is excellent. The pine guys have excellent technology, but maybe their manufacturing vendors are better at circuit boards than finished products.

[-] davoid@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

Thx for the reply. I've been waiting years for Pine to become a good option for end-users. I would really like them to be!

[-] Pantherina@feddit.de 11 points 1 year ago

I dont think there is any phone with open source Firmware. Even Laptops with Coreboot contain blobs most often.

[-] krimsonbun@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago

The pinephone might, not sure

[-] nfsu2@feddit.cl 5 points 1 year ago

I had a Xiaomi with Lineage OS for MicroG I would nust use it to communicate and organize my schedule while tying to make the cleanes interface. Ive been trying to get Carbon OS in my hand but I do not have any device that supports it.

[-] kttnpunk@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I really really want to say yes to this. Fuck Google play, Google play does nothing for me as a user. It's actively a nuisance, even. The cpu/storage drain alone is unacceptable. And it's like, fuck, I wouldn't be as angry about them gathering/selling my personal data if they cut me in on that but decency is nonexistent in big tech, not even in short supply.

[-] sun_is_ra@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 year ago

also samsung fabket performance is much better without all the bloatware. Same with my xiaomi phone. OS type is lineageos

[-] Im_old@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I have the same tablet and OS (and apps, but I use aurora store as well). I am not happy that the fingerprint sensor doesn't work, but other than that is great.

I use it as reader, media player, some school apps of my kids.

I've used it (with a Bluetooth keyboard) as remote desktop client.

Sometimes web browsing but not really much.

[-] zilla@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Got the fairphone 5 and installed e/os on the device. It's degoogled.

I use it as a.daily driver. E/os has some bugs but overall it works great. I am really happy with the phone and the system.

Im also using only open source apps on the device.

I use Evolution X which is not completely open source since it comes with Gapps pre installed.

[-] Knusper@feddit.de 1 points 1 year ago

I use a SHIFT6mq with GApps-less LineageOS and only apps from F-Droid.

And I do lots of things with it. Media consumption, email, web browsing, music, social media, RSS, messaging, note keeping, shopping list, navigation tool (map & public transport), ticket wallet, 2FA etc..

I don't care to use proprietary services, so not having access to the respective apps is not a problem for me.

Really, I'd want it to be even more open. Android has some real limitations to it, like no way to just quickly script something, and just generally, it disallows apps from doing lots of useful things, because it assumes apps to be malware.

[-] Kimikelku@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Im currently using a Samsung galaxy s10+ with lineageOS, since the support ended in the beggining of this year. Works prettty good, but with some downsides, no voLTE, one of the front facing cameras doesnt display image, was working in stock. The heart bit sensor doesnt work either. But this issues arent a dealbreaker, so its a nice experience overall.

[-] multicolorKnight@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I really liked /e/Lineage on the phone, but no VoLTE means it's not a phone in my case.

[-] Osiris@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Pixel 7 with Calyx OS. This is probably my all time favorite setup for a phone. Most of my apps are foss except a few (banking apps, discord, lyft, and Instagram)

[-] Pantherina@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago

Firmware is foss?????

[-] Cyberbatman -2 points 1 year ago

PlayStore if you want to have it. Not everyone wants to have Google sniffing on your background just like Graphene with their "playservices"... Which is indeed Google with just a few options off. But people will never be able to get it pass their heads. Op is asking about open source... Not Google source

this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2023
36 points (95.0% liked)

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