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A fediverse post by Dataline (@[email protected]). It has an screenshot of a discord message saying “have you guys seen how people are unlocking xiaomi bootloaders now step 1: ask store to downgrade firmware step 2: before they relock the bootloader run away with your device.”. The screenshot has two imgur links showing this happening.
the links: https://imgur.com/P4n0pcI https://imgur.com/8UWg5hv
you could buy a used Google pixel, they’re the only brand that lets you unlock the bootloader and lock it again after installing a custom ROM.
edit: forgot to mention, the only user modifiable bootloader that also offers good security by not ignoring all the Android security updates or refusing to use a secure element for verified boot.
Fairphone does this as well. Happily running CalyxOS on my Fairphone 4 with a locked bootloader :)
Can you tell me about your experiences with calyxos? I own a fp4 as well and I’m thinking about installing a custom ROM on it. I am still undecided whether calyx or e/os.
Calyx has been my daily os for about 4 years now.
Banking works, I don’t have a car so can’t talk about auto. Pay also doesn’t work, but I have cash and a card so whatevs. I have a few pieces of google software which are fully blocked from the network using the built in firewall (proprietary camera SW just makes better pics).
Updating and running this has been a breeze. More intrusive software reqd for work etc are installed in the “work profile” side of things, where apps don’t run at all unless I allow it. Pausing all apps in that space is as simple as tapping a button in the pulldown menu.
I believe graphene may be more protected against nation-state actors, but if you’re worried about privacy and want control over your data without losing features, CalyxOS actually rocks.
I think this is a good summary. Android Auto should work as of a few updates ago as well. IIRC it can be ran sandboxed, without modifying the ROM which was the way of doing it before it was supported.
Lwhat do you wanna know? I like calyx a lot
I mean things like ease of use and installation, the use of banking apps, etc. Have you noticed any problems in everyday use? Things like that.
I am not anything close to an IT-person, my experience in IT reduces on me using Ubuntu. Did the installation on FP5 myself and it was very easy. Just followed the install instructions. Everyday use: it feels really clean and the only thing that really changed for me: Google services aren’t the standard. I can still use them. Aurora store is the Appstore. No problems yet.
My banking app works. You can ask a person that has a fp4 to install your app and test if it works but I didn’t have any problems with mine. I just trusted, haha.
What I learned: apps in f-droid store are mostly absolutely banger!
Edit: wero, and “TK-App” are the only apps i tried to use which don’t work
I was going to save up to buy a Pixel for that reason, but now that Goog has decided to to close source Android* I am looking at other options. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes a completely closed ecosystem like iOS.
Edit: They aren’t closing the source code actually, just switching to private development.
What are you talking about, close source android?
Are you talking about no longer including the pixel-specific device configuration files in AOSP?
Well, it looks like I was a victim of a clickbait article. The one I read said that Google was going to make Android closed source, but it looks like the truth is that they are switching to private development, but will still release the source code once complete.
Still not great, but better than what I was thinking. I hadn’t seen the corrected articles, so I apologize for spreading incorrect information.
Your grasp of it is not wrong though. Source available != FOSS.
I don’t disagree with that, but according to that article it’s under an Apache 2.0 license. That’s an Open Source license correct?
AOSP isn’t dead, is it?
Not at this point, no. And further, if Google decides to close up the way that Apple has with most of their formerly open source projects, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end either, it could be forked, like how Illuminos is the continuation of Open Solaris after Oracle shut down the official project
They’re sadly not available in my country.
Motorola also does this