[Q] privacy aware "google free" rom for GT-I9195? - Galaxy S 4 Mini Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello,
I'm going to take the jump to a custom rom on my s4 mini. Yet I've tried to enforce my privacy on a non-rooted samsung android 4.2.2 with NoRoot Firewall, SRT: AppGuard and F-Droid apps.
From my own search OmniROM would be the one I'd like to go for but it is not available to the s4 mini. Next one wold be Replicant that is neither available to the s4mini. CyanogenMod + freecyngn would help with the proprietary parts, something I'm also looking for (as some custom roms use e.g. Nova launcher) but doesn't get rid off googles own call back/tracking/identification services in use (I don't/won't use).
Thanks for your help in advance!

I am curious, what do you use for email? your own email server?

chemicalrage said:
I am curious, what do you use for email? your own email server?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a German email provider via pop3, encrypted with PFS and DANE/DNSSEC, ip-stripping, anonymous payment, no sale/trade of data, their Linux-server encrypted with dm-crypt/LUKS, internal connections encryted with SSH and TLS, harddrives (mails on it) encrypted therefor too, etc.

No_Signal said:
a German email provider via pop3, encrypted with PFS and DANE/DNSSEC, ip-stripping, anonymous payment, no sale/trade of data, their Linux-server encrypted with dm-crypt/LUKS, internal connections encryted with SSH and TLS, harddrives (mails on it) encrypted therefor too, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
woah...that's crazy. What OS do you run on your PC/Laptop? Did you check out http://prism-break.org/en/ ?

I don't want to go into this too much as it might become rather a positional discussion/debate on principles.
In no way I'm speaking for everyone here, don't mean to offend anyone and if it helps read it as my personal opinion:
Most likely Germans (Europeans) have another view on privacy due to their history and experience and are sensible to it.
[censoring myself and cutting it down to] a hypothesis what for Americans is their right of freedom of speech, is for Germans right of privacy which threatened.
Back to topic please

If I understand correctly, any ROM that doesn't have gapps built in (which is most/all bigger releases) will do what you want. Just don't install gapps manually

No_Signal said:
Hello,
I'm going to take the jump to a custom rom on my s4 mini. Yet I've tried to enforce my privacy on a non-rooted samsung android 4.2.2 with NoRoot Firewall, SRT: AppGuard and F-Droid apps.
From my own search OmniROM would be the one I'd like to go for but it is not available to the s4 mini. Next one wold be Replicant that is neither available to the s4mini. CyanogenMod + freecyngn would help with the proprietary parts, something I'm also looking for (as some custom roms use e.g. Nova launcher) but doesn't get rid off googles own call back/tracking/identification services in use (I don't/won't use).
Thanks for your help in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would be interested if you find something. So far I did not have luck, so running a patchwork of privacy extenions
- cyanogenmod
- freecyngn
- xprivacy
- afwall+
I am as far as possible away from any google apps, but even every other app is pretty much gathering data they won't need to function.
Funny side effect is extended battery life, since a lot of the syncing and data usage is cut out.
You might also look into compiling and doing some changes to cyanogenmod yourself, as getting strong ciphers otherwise is pretty hard.
Regards
Chris

sysKin said:
If I understand correctly, any ROM that doesn't have gapps built in (which is most/all bigger releases) will do what you want. Just don't install gapps manually
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, that's not correct - even without gapps your android mobile will phone home to google. There are still parts of the system that are open source and communicate with Google (eg. AGPS and captive portal check). These are just some examples.
Though CyanogenMod always claimed to be open-source, there were only few versions that had an open userspace (Some drivers and firmware have always been proprietary, but it's not CMs fault).
The first CM version I ever installed on a device was CM7 and it contains koush's proprietary ROM Manager app. CyanogenMod 9 seemed to have no proprietary parts, but since CM10 they included Google Analytics Client library (libGoogleAnalyticsV2.jar) within cmstats in the settings app (so it's not even possible to disable it). In CyanogenMod 10.1 CMAccount was included. It relies heavily on Google's Cloud Messaging service and includes the proprietary Google Play Services Client library (google-play-services.jar).
There are some people here at xda (including myself) that installed CyanogenMod because it does not ship GAPPS and is a fully (except vendor files) open-source and free rom. Since i noticed it's not, i started building CM without these closed-source stuff, but it's a pity to do so. That's when the idea of freecyngn started.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[TOOL/SCRIPT] freecyngn - Removing proprietary userspace parts from CM10+

Being completely anonymously in this world never was an option for me because it simply takes too much energy.
However, since I already have all applications I need there's really no sense left in using gapps right now, they annoy me.
I can't contribute much for the current problem of privacy but want to throw in some hope for the future (availible from 2015):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galile...on)#Political_implications_of_Galileo_project

phz. said:
Being completely anonymously in this world never was an option for me because it simply takes too much energy.
However, since I already have all applications I need there's really no sense left in using gapps right now, they annoy me.
I can't contribute much for the current problem of privacy but want to throw in some hope for the future (availible from 2015):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galile...on)#Political_implications_of_Galileo_project
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Galileo Project might become one part of the puzzle.
Something I'm looking forward to is Liberate your Android device.

Related

A good reason not to upgrade to the new Market in Froyo

Market filters:
When a user searches or browses in Android Market, the results are filtered, and some applications might not be visible. For example, if an application requires a trackball (as specified in the manifest file), then Android Market will not show the app on any device that does not have a trackball.
The manifest file and the device's hardware and features are only part of how applications are filtered — filtering also depends on the country and carrier, the presence or absence of a SIM card, and other factors.
Changes to the Android Market filters are independent of changes to the Android platform itself. This document will be updated periodically to reflect any changes that occur.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone have any idea what the market filters are checking against?
That's not really a good reason to do anything, let alone not using 2.2
dik23 said:
That's not really a good reason to do anything, let alone not using 2.2
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Click to collapse
Not being able to get apps? Did you read the link? Doubtful. Uh sure. Have fun with vanilla 2.2 and 0.0 apps.
I'm sorry, did you read your own link? If you had scrolled down, it shows several examples of what can be filtered. The filters are implemented by the application developer themselves, and if they don't, they still show up in the market.
Besides, filtering by the application has been in Android since 2.0. Any application that deems a device incapable of running it (for example, a lack of a light sensor) can stop itself from running.
some kind of filter (the ones I've heard of so far are incompatible screen resolution, unverified builds, and protected apps) is already being applied to 2.1 in the AOSP build. I couldnt see Yelp, the Android Community and TMZ apps for whatever reason
cashless said:
Not being able to get apps? Did you read the link? Doubtful. Uh sure. Have fun with vanilla 2.2 and 0.0 apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah, how suspicious. French people couldn't possibly prefer apps in French and people with that new Dell pad thing probably still want SMS and contact apps.
Yeah
so you are saying not upgrade to 2.2 because marketplace will filter apps for our phone, but stick with 2.1 because it doesn't?
well genius, why don't you go and install http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.yelp.android on your phone and let us know how that 'no filtering' works out for you.
When I was running my Vougue we ran into this problem as well, its not a big deal at all. from what I remember it was checking about the build.prob and screen size that is setup in your startup. what I used to do was set my phone to my the specs for the G1, then install the apps after adjusting the density to fit everything on screen and then reboot using factory startup. it worked pretty well for most of the apps since many only blocked off whatever border the developer had.
heres the problem though but with the pace we are going it wont come up for a while, once we decide we have a rom stable enough to flash we lost the abilty to change the settings since WM is copletely gone and no haret was used. I switched over to the Touch Pro and we had the exact same problem which was solved in the EXACT way but we were not flashed still(TP2 still has a LOOOONG way to go sad to say), kept the touch pro 2 for only a few weeks before they replaced my Sprint Line TP with a Touch pro 2 due to all the TP1 problems and i'm still saddened by the slow progress. I am a developer myself and even an avid budsmoker and was still able to help out. now Refer has done a great job but from my understanding he is just doing most changes to the Android Filesystem, theirs a couple other guys working on the kernels which would be were all the hardware problems are going to be fixed from. no matter what build we use something in the kernel is either not right, or we dont have the driver in place for Android itself and since we have few Hardware level developers working on these things it seems to be low progress.

CM9 permissions revocation?

Are there any plans for porting the applications permissions revocation system to Cyanogen Mod 9?
I have read that the original developer was planning to port it in January, however no further news have been released. Judging from the comments of several Cyanogen Mod developers it seems this feature is not high priority for the team, however my question is: will you ever approve it?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
bump... any news about this feature?
Nobody else is interested in this feature apart from me??
Diggin this up Yes me too.
Why the hell did Google not already fix it?
I think this is not considered a design flaw neither by Google nor by Cyanogenmod team. Google may have interest in pleasing developers, who make money out of data mining, Cyanogemnod may just be too popular and just need to comply with higher regulations in order to survive.
Probably the best choice would be installing Fdroid: http://f-droid.org and start using Open Source applications.
I have an old Desire with CM7 and i can set permission per application if i remember. I'm surprised that this feature was remove from CM9 ?
I try LBE, but it's slow the phone and can easily crash.
There is PDroid privacy protection on the market, but it's only for 2.3 and you need to patch the phone.
What i miss is the same SMS/MMS/Phone privacy app built in MIUI. For now, i take extra care when installing new app, double check permission and i use Droid Wall and AdFree to prevent unwanted network access and ads.
Since you put more and more of your life in the phone, i think that a built in permission management and security is needed.
Give the enhancement request a star on Cyanogenmod tracker
utonto said:
I think this is not considered a design flaw neither by Google nor by Cyanogenmod team. Google may have interest in pleasing developers, who make money out of data mining, Cyanogemnod may just be too popular and just need to comply with higher regulations in order to survive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's been a lot of speculations and ambiguous mambo jambo on this that can't be taken seriously. If a developer want's to implement this, there's nobody in the power of stopping it. See feature request in Cyanogenmod issue tracker: code.google.com/p/cyanogenmod/issues/detail?id=6615 and give it a star.
spidermoon said:
I have an old Desire with CM7 and i can set permission per application if i remember. I'm surprised that this feature was remove from CM9 ?
I try LBE, but it's slow the phone and can easily crash.
There is PDroid privacy protection on the market, but it's only for 2.3 and you need to patch the phone.
What i miss is the same SMS/MMS/Phone privacy app built in MIUI. For now, i take extra care when installing new app, double check permission and i use Droid Wall and AdFree to prevent unwanted network access and ads.
Since you put more and more of your life in the phone, i think that a built in permission management and security is needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was never removed, just not ported forward/redone for ICS/JB. Give it a star at code.google.com/p/cyanogenmod/issues/detail?id=6615

Well, now that CM is dead. Where do I go for updated ROMs with the features I liked?

I have been trying some of the other roms here for the Nexus 5x. resurrection, pixel rom, pure nexus. I have figured out that there are only four things I REALLY need in a ROM. all the rest is fluff. Im sure everyone has their own list.
1. Ability to run rooted firewall so my device isnt open to the world and whatever app devs think they want to know about me.
2. Dark theme for longer battery life and easy eye strain.
3. Some version of Privacy Guard so that some random calculator app isnt sending my list of contacts to some app developer in China.
4. A blocklist that is integrated into the dialer and messenger like CM so i can just touch a number or text and say block.
SO I am using the last CM13 nightly before they went to 14.1. I tried the last CM14.1 and trying to get dark mode to work even with Substratum and several different skins gave me really random results, like it looked good but couldnt see keyboard input in Messaging, or one of the roms didnt even have a messaging app so I tried an old AOSP one floating around on Play and it was terrible (and no block option). I would love to update my phone to Nougat but really feel like I'm stuck back here for a bit. If any of you know some Nougat roms i could try for my 5X that address the features above, please let me know.
Thanks!
I reccomend you AICP. It's preety similar to CyanogenMod but with more customizations.
How is OmniROM these days?
AICP
Akopps said:
How is OmniROM these days?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they are working on it but its based on AOSP and as such there doesnt seem to be privacy guard. plus the default dialer doesnt work so you have to uninstall it and use the Google dialer which i really dont want to do for privacy reasons.
@fedesandor
thanks for the AICP recommend. it looks like Nexus 5x development has stalled but ill keep an eye on that rom. their download site doesnt come up for me so ill keep checking. it looks like ill have to wait for a Lineage release or a CM derivative Nougat rom.
thanks for your suggestions.
dcarrco said:
2. Dark theme for longer battery life and easy eye strain.
3. Some version of Privacy Guard so that some random calculator app isnt sending my list of contacts to some app developer in China.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. Nexus 5X has IPS LCD, so there shouldn't be any impact on battery life. Only OLED displays can absolutely shut down the pixels, which in fact reduces energy consumption.
3. Isn't that native in Marshmallow and up? I mean app permissions.
I use Resurrection Remix, has all the CM features plus some others really useful
About the privacy guard thing, since MM it is built in native on the system right?
dcarrco said:
they are working on it but its based on AOSP and as such there doesnt seem to be privacy guard. plus the default dialer doesnt work so you have to uninstall it and use the Google dialer which i really dont want to do for privacy reasons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the "OT" but what are the concerns about using google dialer? I use to install it always and remove aosp dialer because it is updated in google play with good features
Pure Nexus is the way to go with this device.
Didn't try CM14 or AICP /Resurrection, which base on it, but the old PrivacyGuard was definitely more comfortable&useful than Nougat-AppSettings. But be honest: all those switches gave you a feeling to manage anything and made no smarmy app safe.
DarkTheme doesn't give longer battery-life, as said before.
AOSP-dialer allows to define blocked numbers.
I recommend AOSP: PureNexus or Slim, without GApps and with clean 3rd party apps.
rp158 said:
...clean 3rd party apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
e.g. Amazon App Store?
@neth15, I use this one
@Javi22 i have tried resurrection remix and had some trouble with the dark theme, but maybe i have been deluded about saving battery with dark themes anyway. but i have gotten used to having a more subtle phone screen so that bright stuff hurts my eyes.
@neth15 regardless of the technology, more light = more power doesnt it? isnt that just math? ill do some searches on the different type of display tech. maybe i am thinking old math.
@rp158 the permissions that are cooked into nougat dont seem as comprehensive, plus those are the ones that google stuck in there. i think they call it the fox guarding the henhouse. i appreciated privacy guard because it was added by CM (maybe a derivative of earlier google stuff) and seemed to pop up more often then the inbuilt permissions. the reason i even want a non-stock rom is so i dont have every google app telling google what sms i get, what numbers i dial, and where i go. i know it may be a futile gesture at this point, but i still feel a little stubborn about it.
and the blocklist thing is ridiculous. i tried AICP and i could manually enter a number to block but couldnt figure out how to block from the call log or add the BLOCKED contact i have stuck some 75 numbers under. it could be user error, but the old CM integrated blocklist was sweet. i have had a serious stalker for six weeks now and i have to block three or four numbers a day.
i wanted to try the latest PureNexus last night but even after following directions to the letter multiple times (wipe,flash,reboot) i couldnt get past the "android is starting" screen so i guess i have something to try today.
dcarrco said:
@neth15 regardless of the technology, more light = more power doesnt it? isnt that just math? ill do some searches on the different type of display tech. maybe i am thinking old math.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AFAIK no. Displays combine red, green and blue subpixels to create other colors. So if the screen is supposed to be black, subpixels still shine, but at different rates and ratios. Maybe not that hard, but I guess the difference is minimal to none. Correct me if I'm wrong.
BTW I'm using PureNexus + Substratum + ModernUI, pretty sick
Right now I reinstalled to the latest version with no problems. Just flash newest factory image, newest TWRP, PureNexus, GApps and SuperSU in this order. Works just fine.
EDIT: And yes, I'm using OpenGapps.
I'm using DirtyUnicorns 7.1.1, great rom
@neth15 i just got purenexus to install by using the dynamic gapps instead of opengapps. which opengapps did you use? i tried to use open_gapps-arm64-7.1-pico-20161215.zip and that didnt seem to work. what are you using for a themeable SMS app? i tried to use AOSP messaging and it doesnt theme, and the xda themeable one from the Substraum Domination thread crashes repeatedly. https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/themes/theme-domination-theme-layers-t3265238. anyway ill keep working on it.
@dcarrco I use nano, on their site they say it contains basics to make GP work + some things, that are not available in GP (face recognition in Smart Lock I guess, but I'm not sure, thinking just by looking at install log).
I use SMS in Facebook Messenger, so sorry, idk What about Google's Messenger?
ZLevente said:
I'm using DirtyUnicorns 7.1.1, great rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah? i used dirty unicorns for a while back when i had a galaxy s3... a long time ago
ill check it out. getting stuck on themed messenger and good blacklist now...
i just tried CM14.1 and the blacklist there is almost useless. i guess ill have to wait until the features i liked are returned to a later version and stick with CM/lineage
or spend some time finding a good quality Call/SMS blocklist/blacklist manager that works well and integrates to my ROM well. i dont really understand why there isnt more energy going into these features. yeah sure, circle menus and cool animations are interesting, but having to deny 10 calls a day from marketers seems like a much larger waste of time. i hear daily from co-workers how may marketing calls the get, what a drag it is, how much time and energy slowly accrues dealing with that. iphone people cant even figure out a way to silence that stuff. at least in android we had something. now with nougat the pay apps like extreme call blocker dont integrate to SMS and the best fatures (like hanging up on the person instead of sending them to VM) dont even work. arggh. well. frustrating.
ok. i looked at Google Dialer and Google Messenger. they both allow the kind of thing i want, to select a message or call and add that number to BlockList. the only piece still missing, for some reason, is the ability to block UNKNOWN and PRIVATE callers. CM used to do that. any idea if its coming back?
CM aint dead, it is rebranded
[ROM][Official] CyanogenMod/LineageOS 14.1 for Nexus 5X (bullhead)
@Android-Desire I have been reading all that but so far not much happening. I'm keeping my eye on it and have posted over there that I'd like them to keep the blacklist stuff. we shall all see.

Security-wise, what are my options?

Hey,
I'm 100% new to doing any sort of custom stuff with my Android devices, so please forgive my dumb questions.
I've known for a while now that my Nexus 7 was vulnerable since it stopped receiving security updates in August 2016, but I wasn't terribly concerned at the time since I use it so casually. With this recent WPA2 news, though, I'm kinda anxious.
Is there any way at all to make my device secure? Google doesn't give a **** so I know there's no chance in hell it gets an official patch, so I assume I have to go with a custom ROM, but I have no idea where to start.
If I went with a custom version, will I still be able to use the apps I own? Will I still be able to use stuff like Chrome and Drive as well? Also, if I'm using a custom ROM, is there actually any guarantee that it is actually secure? How do I ensure it receives security updates in an unofficial setting?
tl;dr version: Just hoping for a way to use my Android device mostly in the same way I already do, but with actual security updates going forward, since Google are a-holes.
Be aware that some apps will refuse to run on a rooted device. You also won't be able to use Google Pay.
You can mitigate the security issue somewhat by using a VPN service; all your communications will be encrypted, so a MITM attack should fail unless they can also decrypt your communications stream.
I use PrivateInternetAccess myself; one of their app's features is the ability to bypass VPN for selected apps, so for example I can run Pokemon Go (which won't run on VPN) and avoid running video streams through VPN (I don't really care if they can see me watching Hill Street Blues on Hulu and I'd rather avoid the performance hit). YMMV and I'd recommend doing your own research, and VPN isn't a magic bullet. But it makes the WPA2 problem less urgent without a lot of work and without having to root your device.
Mind you, I'm saying all this while perusing the forums to discover what custom ROMs are available for my Nexus 7, as I'm considering rooting it.
---------- Post added at 07:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 PM ----------
To address a different part of your question, aside from the "some things won't run rooted" issue I already mentioned, the rest of your apps should run fine. You'll want to install some version of Open GApps to get Google functionality. That's probably covered in the instructions for the custom ROM.
Two favorites are LineageOS, which has a lot of neat features added, and AOSP, which is the bare Google Android experience with neither bells nor whistles.
Keep in mind that if you don't like what you get, you can always change. So if LineageOS isn't for you, you can try AOSP, or something else if you find it. I'm assuming that somebody has the base ROM available; it should even be possible to put the stock ROM back and unroot the device. Know that I'm speaking from inexperience, sorta... I haven't done this with a Nexus yet, but I've done it lots of times with a Galaxy S4. So I'm not really an authority but I figured I could get you started in the right direction, at least. Just remember to back up everything on your device before you start.
Really, really be sure you back up before you start.
I'm having this conundrum as well. I currently use MM on my Nexus 7 2013 due to better idle time and more reliable WiFi. It seems like there is no way to fix this vulnerability without moving to Nougat.
Lineage OS is a good rom to start with. It receives security updates OTA, and it doesn't come with root binaries, so most apps should work.
anzianzi said:
Lineage OS is a good rom to start with. It receives security updates OTA, and it doesn't come with root binaries, so most apps should work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1

CalyxOS has been released

CalyxOs has been released. This is great news for us.
Download and install instructions: https://calyxos.org/news/2021/01/26/pixel5-pixel4a5g-support/
Features: https://calyxos.org/features/
Do not forget to join our Telegram channel to stay up to date:
Telegram: Contact @pixel4a5gupdates
t.me
Let's use this thread for a Calyx discussion.
Screenies
radogost said:
Screenies
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Esim support?
Happy days!! This is the reason for getting the 4a 5g.
Is it already daily driver ready?
FooYoungHi said:
Happy days!! This is the reason for getting the 4a 5g.
Is it already daily driver ready?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got it running and no issues with the ROM itself, I like it alot, but the whole playstore and getting aurora to work made me give up, I was not able to get my preferred playstore apps.
shannoncole05 said:
I got it running and no issues with the ROM itself, I like it alot, but the whole playstore and getting aurora to work made me give up, I was not able to get my preferred playstore apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Solution: Uninstall Aurora and reinstall it from F-Droid.
Before I dive in, 2 questions:
- I'm still runnin the december update, do I need to update to the januari update before I can flash Calyx?
- Is there a way to backup my current install?
Edit: I bit the bullet anyways, first updating to the Januari update, painless process, btw. I decided that I didn't care about a backup.
First impressions: Very nice looking and I saw pretty quickly that within CalyxOS you can back stuff up outside of the bootloader.
Had the 'Aurora store' bug, fixed after reinstalling it.
Gonna love exploring the OS in the coming days.
I have one question about a launcher: I have the paid version of Nova Launcher, and I'm logged into Aurora anonymously, so I can't DL paid apps. Does anyone have an alternative to Nova Launcher? I absolutely love this app (the gestures etc. are a dream) so preferably a FOSS alternative with close to the same functionality would be awesome. I have been able to migrate to FOSS/free apps for all of my paid ones, but I still can't find anything better as a launcher.
Edit2: Might have been nice for them to put a warning before flashing that it will completely wipe your phone.. I made a few last minute backups on the internal storage before flashing. Everything is lost now. Luckily I back stuff up often, but I still lost stuff, so a warning from them might've been nice.
Edit3: I now can't log into my google account (for retrieving my whatsapp backup Fixed by using another phone and copying the local backup to my Pixel) because it can't connect to the server... know error apparently, but I can't find a fix for it.
Why oh, why, do I always decide to try this stuff on a sunday evening when I should go to bed...
FooYoungHi said:
Before I dive in, 2 questions:
- I'm still runnin the december update, do I need to update to the januari update before I can flash Calyx?
- Is there a way to backup my current install?
Edit: I bit the bullet anyways, first updating to the Januari update, painless process, btw. I decided that I didn't care about a backup.
First impressions: Very nice looking and I saw pretty quickly that within CalyxOS you can back stuff up outside of the bootloader.
Had the 'Aurora store' bug, fixed after reinstalling it.
Gonna love exploring the OS in the coming days.
I have one question about a launcher: I have the paid version of Nova Launcher, and I'm logged into Aurora anonymously, so I can't DL paid apps. Does anyone have an alternative to Nova Launcher? I absolutely love this app (the gestures etc. are a dream) so preferably a FOSS alternative with close to the same functionality would be awesome. I have been able to migrate to FOSS/free apps for all of my paid ones, but I still can't find anything better as a launcher.
Edit2: Might have been nice for them to put a warning before flashing that it will completely wipe your phone.. I made a few last minute backups on the internal storage before flashing. Everything is lost now. Luckily I back stuff up often, but I still lost stuff, so a warning from them might've been nice.
Edit3: I now can't log into my google account (for retrieving my whatsapp backup Fixed by using another phone and copying the local backup to my Pixel) because it can't connect to the server... know error apparently, but I can't find a fix for it.
Why oh, why, do I always decide to try this stuff on a sunday evening when I should go to bed...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Lawnchair Launcher and sideload
https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/deletescape/lawnchair/lawnchair-2-1-2627-ci-q-merge-release/
shannoncole05 said:
Try Lawnchair Launcher and sideload
https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/deletescape/lawnchair/lawnchair-2-1-2627-ci-q-merge-release/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll give that one a shot.
I ran into something I didn't see for years on a smartphone: ADS!! Since root is impossible and not recommended, adaway won't work.. Any other solutions?
FooYoungHi said:
Thanks, I'll give that one a shot.
I ran into something I didn't see for years on a smartphone: ADS!! Since root is impossible and not recommended, adaway won't work.. Any other solutions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for ADs try Blokada: https://blokada.org/
or the new Adaway, also with rootles mode VPN: https://github.com/AdAway/AdAway
Just got the februari update.. the most painless update I've ever had on a smartphone. Really digging CalyxOS.
About the adblockers; I already run a 'normal' VPN, so VPN based ablocking won't work, right?
Some other random questions:
Any suggestions for (preferably FOSS) keyboards? I currently use love swiftkey, but I refuse to sign up to download skins, can't seem to restore my backup, and I don't trust Microsoft. I can't seem to find a lot of open source ones.
I also have some shared calendars from google that I unfortunately need to use, but I don't want to sign in to google on my phone. Any tips to get this to work? I can import regular google calendars into my nextcloud, but not the shared ones.
FooYoungHi said:
Just got the februari update.. the most painless update I've ever had on a smartphone. Really digging CalyxOS.
About the adblockers; I already run a 'normal' VPN, so VPN based ablocking won't work, right?
Some other random questions:
Any suggestions for (preferably FOSS) keyboards? I currently use love swiftkey, but I refuse to sign up to download skins, can't seem to restore my backup, and I don't trust Microsoft. I can't seem to find a lot of open source ones.
I also have some shared calendars from google that I unfortunately need to use, but I don't want to sign in to google on my phone. Any tips to get this to work? I can import regular google calendars into my nextcloud, but not the shared ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About the adblockers with VPN - you can utilize "Secure DNS" option in Android. I highly recommend NextDNS or BlahDNS for no-logging, adblocking DNS service.
As for the keyboards, there are AnysoftKeyboard (has swipe), OpenBoard and FlorisBoard. I am using Anysoftkeyboard and I am pretty happy. I'm beta testing it, and new version should be out soon. Also, Calyx has a firewall feature that allows you to block internet access for any app you want. Just go to the Settings -> Apps and then Data Usage and you can block Swiftkey from there. Calyx Team is currently working on a better UI for firewall, should be out in the following months.
radogost said:
About the adblockers with VPN - you can utilize "Secure DNS" option in Android. I highly recommend NextDNS or BlahDNS for no-logging, adblocking DNS service.
As for the keyboards, there are AnysoftKeyboard (has swipe), OpenBoard and FlorisBoard. I am using Anysoftkeyboard and I am pretty happy. I'm beta testing it, and new version should be out soon. Also, Calyx has a firewall feature that allows you to block internet access for any app you want. Just go to the Settings -> Apps and then Data Usage and you can block Swiftkey from there. Calyx Team is currently working on a better UI for firewall, should be out in the following months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm liking Anysoftkeyboard so far. I only wish you could remove the smilie and voice buttons, that would make the spacebar a bit wider.
Will the scureDNS stuff work nicely with a VPN, since they use their own ones, AFAIK. I got it to work, just wondering if it doen't mess with the security of the VPN.
FooYoungHi said:
I'm liking Anysoftkeyboard so far. I only wish you could remove the smilie and voice buttons, that would make the spacebar a bit wider.
Will the scureDNS stuff work nicely with a VPN, since they use their own ones, AFAIK. I got it to work, just wondering if it doen't mess with the security of the VPN.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can delete the smiley button. Look in "bottom" layouts, and pick minimal or classic
FooYoungHi said:
Any suggestions for (preferably FOSS) keyboards? I currently use love swiftkey, but I refuse to sign up to download skins, can't seem to restore my backup, and I don't trust Microsoft. I can't seem to find a lot of open source ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love using Anysoft Keyboard
I just tried calyxos first time it today myself for 8 hours today. It ha sbeen very nice so far, although most of that 8 hours went in to setting everything up.
Soemthing I hate is that the google camera apk from aurora store is super old.. Ibut that is not calyxos fault.. Probably not that the small arrow to lower the keyboard is ont he left side and doesnt seem to be adjustable either..?
Will have to look around for some safe place to download a more recent gcam or I guess use some port.. Too bad I heard the ports are always buggy and bad and since I got a true pixel for the first time ever I was looking forward to run it with the best possible camera software.
cHECKjAM said:
Will have to look around for some safe place to download a more recent gcam or I guess use some port.. Too bad I heard the ports are always buggy and bad and since I got a true pixel for the first time ever I was looking forward to run it with the best possible camera software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using GCam 7.3.018 by Urnyx05 since few weeks and it is all good... If I remember well, I got it here https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/dev-urnyx05/
I don't know if the version 8 does the job on this device, I did not try but am interested to hear back if you try
Edit: check this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/gcam-camera-px-for-google-pixel-1-2-3-3a-4.3875663/post-84514901
ichino_o said:
I am using GCam 7.3.018 by Urnyx05 since few weeks and it is all good... If I remember well, I got it here https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/dev-urnyx05/
I don't know if the version 8 does the job on this device, I did not try but am interested to hear back if you try
Edit: check this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/gcam-camera-px-for-google-pixel-1-2-3-3a-4.3875663/post-84514901
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went ahead and installed the latest official Google camera software from apkmirror. I didnt want to go through the rabbithole of finding what port is the least broken, while also getting the latest and greatest update wise..
Altough now that I've used it for a few days im suspecting I don't have HDR. I cant find any options with HDR anywhere in the app, so maybe something wrong as I heard that if you run googles own gcam on custom roms (I guess calyxos as well?) You loose HDR?
Also its quite annoying that you have to use Google photos to o preview the pictures and I don't want to use that.
cHECKjAM said:
I didnt want to go through the rabbithole of finding what port is the least broken, while also getting the latest and greatest update wise..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can just say that downloading the version 8.1 linked in the thread I referred to in my previous post should make you happy... I just tried it and all seems to be working without any hassle. And it does not look like leading you to a rabbithole.
cHECKjAM said:
Altough now that I've used it for a few days im suspecting I don't have HDR. I cant find any options with HDR anywhere in the app, so maybe something wrong as I heard that if you run googles own gcam on custom roms (I guess calyxos as well?) You loose HDR?
Also its quite annoying that you have to use Google photos to o preview the pictures and I don't want to use that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess that is why people are porting the app. I have working HDR (at least the option is here and can be switched, how to make sure that hdr is ok btw?) and I can check the photos with the alternative gallery apps, or at least with the default gallery. There is an option in GCam to allow using gallery other that Google Photo.
May I ask why Google photo is a problem? Looks like you can block all privacy-concerning behaviors...
Then, more generally, I am running CalyxOS with default microG settings on this device since two weeks and everything is just perfect. All is working perfectly and the battery consumtion is really good.
Great job! Perfect ROM for me on this device.
ichino_o said:
I can just say that downloading the version 8.1 linked in the thread I referred to in my previous post should make you happy... I just tried it and all seems to be working without any hassle. And it does not look like leading you to a rabbithole.
I guess that is why people are porting the app. I have working HDR (at least the option is here and can be switched, how to make sure that hdr is ok btw?) and I can check the photos with the alternative gallery apps, or at least with the default gallery. There is an option in GCam to allow using gallery other that Google Photo.
May I ask why Google photo is a problem? Looks like you can block all privacy-concerning behaviors...
Then, more generally, I am running CalyxOS with default microG settings on this device since two weeks and everything is just perfect. All is working perfectly and the battery consumtion is really good.
Great job! Perfect ROM for me on this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exciting! I just went ahead and downloaded the gcam mod you linked to, latest version.
I was already quite happy with the camera just moving from a xiaomi Mi 8 with lineage - using the f-droid open camera only.. Totally worthless experience imo..
At first glance there is definetly more options here including HDR. However the third party picture viewer is still not optional..
Honestly you are right I could use google photos and just remove internet access but I would rather not.. But if Im forced I guess I must.. Did you do anything special to get third party gallerys to work?
About the calyxos on pixel 4a 5g .. I absolutely LOOOOVE it man.. It is lightyears ahead of lineage experience that Ive had past 2 years. Love it!

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