Comment on From F-Droid to emulators, here's who's hit hardest by Android's new verification rules
inari@piefed.zip 3 weeks ago
Ironically, this may be a catalyst for better Linux Phones
It took 6-10 years for Android to take shape.
On Linux, every app has full access to your browsing history, clipboard (passwords), photos with geo-tags, music, list of other installed apps, contacts. Unrestricted battery and network access – it’s a tracking paradise. And all it takes is one supply chain attack on npm install with typical 4000K dependency packages
Thats why flatpaks exist for those kind of apps and sandboxes are very much possible on linux (even if not widely used for normal programs)
Flatpack is only a piece of the puzzle. I remember in early Android version, an app could increas gyroscope query frequency (i.e. a racing game demanding precise phone tilt), then crash and the gyroscope would drain battery within hours. And again — this is only one example.
The ecosystem must grow — to this day, I cannot set Immich as my default gallery app on LineageOS. So I take a photo, and can’t immediatelly look at it. And Android is already mature. There must be a standard and secure way of exchanging calendar events, notes, photos. Developers must adopt this new ecosystem — it takes years.
The best option we have right now is to pressure Google to allow alternative to Play Services and also sponsor AOSP development outside of Google. There are numerous Linux distros, including commercial ones, I don’t see why we can’t have numerous Android flavors.
Honestly I would much rather long term have decent Linux for phones, as AOSP derived programs will always rely in some way on google code. I would prefer having one large FOSS Linux ecosystem
Linux phones have already been around for many years. Right now we’re very close to Linux phones that are usable on a daily basis. Not as close to decent Linux phones, of course, but with the right (not at all unrealistic) resources it could be completely within reach in a year or two.
Also, Flatpaks exist and work pretty much just like Android apps.
I made a full comment in this thread. The bottomline is
It all takes years.
Linux phones are around for enthusiasts since Nokia N900 (which was/is a masterpiece) — yet nothing is remotely close to a mainstream phone.
When I hear ‘mainstream phone’, in my mind I picture an iPhone or a Samsung. So yeah, Linux phones are definitely not achieving that this decade. Though personally I don’t think they necessarily need to, at all.
Point 4 is probably not happening any time soon, if ever, either. Rest is slowly being done and progressing, so I’m not seeing any major problems there.
I don’t think anyone realistically expects a Linux phone to compete with an iPhone in terms of ease of use, quality of life features or UI/UX. As far as I’ve seen, people just want a decent phone with basic functionalities like long battery life, good camera, easy to use and smooth UI, maps and navigation. All while being more private and secure, of course.
You cannot sideload on Linux, not unless you’re some sort of mutant freak who can reverse engineer C code.
“Side load” is just language used to mean installing software outside of the official approved vendor store. Linux lets you install software from wherever you want, you’re not locked into a vendor or manufacturer ecosystem. So in a sense all you do is “sideload,” it’s just normal non-corporate OSes call that “installation”
Indeed, it’s just called installing there
Yeah we can do that. What do you think side loading means? Changing the name of an install doesn’t make it different. Back in my day we called it installing a program. Things changed. Then we called it downloading an app. Things changed. Now if it’s not approved it’s called side loading? Blow it out your ass.
Its a program. Take the training wheels off of the Internet. I grew up when this was a cautionary tale. But up and deal with the consequences or get out.
I guess you are joking? And mean “side-loading” as in injecting custom code via LD_PRELOAD and not the strange definition phone makers use for describing ‘installing an app’.
How would reverse engineering c code be side loading? You can get .deb, .rpm etc and install them on your distro as long as it supports the format, regardless of who developed the app, and honestly even if it doesn’t support the format there are ways. You can even compile the source code of more Linux apps, at least the FOSS ones, with just a few commands. If anything it would be more realistic to say you can ONLY side load on Linux
Yeah the people who are against linux these days and claim its more difficult im real suspicious about.
Funny how they are just blatantly false fear mongering. Is it Slopya Nadellas alternate account? MICROSLOP! (Hopefully that scared them).
bilb@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Just in time for them to be practically outlawed, if my gut can be trusted. I hope not.
inari@piefed.zip 3 weeks ago
Dark times ahead…