Android with or without Google: Free Android! What alternatives do we have?
Every day, it is a trend to use free, open and secure software and platforms, that is, that offer measures and privacy and computer security guarantees. Since the public, the consumer and the citizen, are always looking for alternatives to everything used. AND «Android» as «Sistema Operativo», is in the eye of controversy, for its close relationship with «Google».
«Google», One technology giant of the group of «GAFAM», has made of«Android» a kind of platform to promote itself and its services, which are often impregnated with bad experiences in terms of policies or security and privacy flaws it means. Which has done, that free alternatives based on «Android» o «Linux»proper, or others, for the benefit of all.
Some of the alternatives that have come onto the market, both in the past and today, are alternatives that have been or are partial or total.
That is, they range from simply not allowing critical applications and services to full capacity «Google» until the elimination and total restriction of the same, even reaching the use of a totally new Operating System based on the «AOSP (Android Open Source Project)» or one from scratch, as in the recent case of «Harmony OS» de «Huawei».
Free alternatives to full Android from Google
Main courses
AOSP (Android Open Source Project)
«Android Open Source Project (AOSP)» Es the base or nucleus of«Sistema Operativo de código abierto» for mobile devices primarily driven by «Google». However, with «AOSP», «Google» provides the general public with all the information and source code necessary to create custom variants of the «Sistema Operativo Android».
In addition, «AOSP» It provides the necessary elements to be able to carry it to the necessary mobile devices and support the accessories created for the platform «Android», ensuring that the devices meet the compatibility requirements maintained by the entire ecosystem. The objective of «AOSP» is to avoid any central point of failure where one industry player can restrict or control the innovations of any other player.
/ e / (EAug)
«/e/» or eelo or e-google as it is sometimes known, actually a complete mobile ecosystem. An Operating System focused on the applications and online services essential for a better and more satisfactory user experience. In addition, it has its own online services, such as a search engine, email, storage, and other online tools, which create a unique, more effective privacy environment.
The organization supporting this project, «e-Foundation», has made public its «Sistema Operativo» based «Android», so that it is available for evaluation by all. In addition, its own applications are also based on «código abierto», and also supports the execution of any application«Android» existing.
LineageOS
«LineageOS»is a free and open source Operating System for mobile smart devices, laptops, and even computers, which is based on «Android». It was born as a successor to the old project of «ROM» custom known as «CyanogenMod».
It was officially released on December 24, 2016, with the source code available at «GitHub», and like the versions of «Android», it has specific versions for a single model. From its launch to this day, «LineageOS» has«ROMs» available for more than 185 phone models, with millions of active installations, and a huge user community.
postmarketOS
«PostmarketOS» It's a«Sistema Operativo»Linux adapted for phones and other mobile devices. Developed in «Software Libre» sustainable, focused on privacy and security, and true to the model of traditional Linux distributions, with their respective separation of privileges.
For now, «PostmarketOS» It is being developed by a small group made up of developers, hackers, and hobbyists with the common goal of giving mobile phones a life cycle of ten years. Using a simple and sustainable architecture borrowed from typical Linux distributions, instead of using «Android» I «AOSP». The project is in an early stage and is not useful for most people at this time.
PureOS
«PureOS» It's a«Sistema Operativo»totally free, ethical and open source that is not based on«Android» and that little by little has become known due to its use in the mobile field due to its use on the striking phones of the brand «Librem» made by the Company «Purism». However, «PureOS» It is multiplatform, that is, it works on mobile, portable and desktop devices, it can also be installed on USB memory devices.
It has been developed in such a way as to offer the user an opportunity to regain control and protection of their private information, of their digital life through a «Sistema Operativo» based entirely on «Software Libre y de Código Abierto». Because of that, «PureOS» comes with the best free and free software in terms of security and privacy to be able to surf the web safely, without being tracked by advertisers or sellers. In addition, it allows you to easily encrypt all the OS and data, with your own passwords. encryption.
Repeat
«Replicant» it is also a «Sistema Operativo» based «Android», totally free and supported by many device models, characterized by emphasizing in the freedom, privacy and security of its users.
«Replicant» It is a totally free system, but it usually comes integrated with proprietary components, such as boot chargers, firmwares and the modem software, in some cases. However, the same, on certain devices can also be able to run, for example, bootloaders based on «Software Libre».
Other important Android alternatives
«Firefox OS»
«Maemo»«Mer»«Openmoko»«Paranoic Android»«Plasma Mobile»«Sailfish OS»«Tizen»«Ubuntu Touch»«WebOS»
Conclusion
As we have seen, over time and today, there have been many unsuccessful and interesting, or important and successful attempts to implement a«Android» much freer from «Google» or totally free of «Google». Being one of the most current experiences or campaigns that of the «Fundación del Software Libre de Europa»Called Free your Android!, which we invite you to know.
And yes, at some point you have managed to use one or more of the ones mentioned here, leave us your comment about your experience, and if you just want to give your opinion, also leave us your comment for the debate and enrichment of all on the subject.
These Android-based Operating Systems is an alternative, but in my view, a proper Kernel Operating System for Cellphones would be unique and instead of Google they can use Duckduckgo or Yandex or another existing alternative, sooner or later there will be some changes that everything will be replaced and until suddenly a proper UNIX System for PC and Telephone
Of course, some of those mentioned are based on AOSP, others on Linux and we'll see what Harmony OS actually brings us. Greetings, Juan and thank you for your comment.
In addition to intensive tracking, there is a very serious problem with mobile devices: obsolescence.
In the past I used CM / LineageOS and removing the installation and booting problems I was more than happy with the performance. Now my old terminal is no longer supported and the new one never had it. Luckily, at the moment I am still receiving updates from the manufacturer after two years.
I leave you an interesting campaign from the FSFe:
fsfe.org/campaigns/android/liberate.es.html
Excellent comment. Add the campaign link Free your Android! at the end of the article.
@admins, you have a problem with the dates of articles and comments, an article from yesterday appears as "1 minute ago" as soon as it appears as "16 hours ago" or with a date of another day. It is disconcerting.
A sasludo.
Me, I'm just a copywriter. I could not tell you the cause but I have also noticed it. Thank you for your observation on this matter!
The question we must ask ourselves is….
How many would buy a phone without WhatsApp? Nobody, even if Telegram or another is 100 times better.
If a telephone is used to communicate and you cannot communicate with your mother, send the photo of the cat to your friend in Greenland or things like that, really what you have is not a telephone, it is an agenda for «geeks».
From the list, the only really usable one is LinageOS. I have it installed on my MI A1 and it works smoothly. But of course, with the services of the great G.
If I installed it without them, which is possible (I have the basics), it would be an agenda with calls.
Unfortunately, Android is from Google and it has everything very tied up.
Greetings, Zicoxy3. Thank you for your comment and the presentation of your point of view in this regard.
I agree that LinageOS is the most complete since you can install Gapps but whatsapp can be installed and with aurora keep google applications up to date without google play.
Sailfish seems to move forward but nothing is visible, but the google store works inside.
Ubuntu touch, perhaps the greatest promise due to its solid base and the specific phones available.
It depends on each one, but privacy and freedom have a price, nothing will be easy but renouncing the mundane will make us progress.
Greetings, Richard. Excellent comment and contribution.