Link: https://keepandroidopen.org/

Background

Rooting disables OEM updates and makes your device unofficial, so you will probably still be able to sideload apps. Depending on how this shitstorm turns out though, and if there will ever be a need for it, I would love to help people root their smartphones.

Another idea is to collaborate on a wiki that aggregates and documents all rootable versus non rootable smartphones and the methods that work.

Rooting services

We could setup a chatroom on Signal or any other platform that enables voice and/or video chat. People would also be able to send their smartphones to another person that roots it. Or like street vendors, setup a pipe chair and table and do it on scene at festivals and other gatherings.

The wiki

I could host something fresh from my desktop or create a community on some fedi instance. The wiki would aggregate preexisting information but also be open for continuous updates by the community.

Edit: thank you @ChanchoManco@lemmy.zip for posting the repo Bootloader Unlock: Wall of Shame

Question

What does the community think of such an idea? I'm just spitballing here, trying to add something to the opposition.

Some phones are straightforwardly rootable, some want you to download a suspicious binary from a file sharing site, and some are difficult. Maybe the best thing is post instructions for as many phones as possible.

That's right! At the very least, maybe one could open a "repo" or a wiki that collects documents all rootable Android phones and which rooting method works and to what extent. As a long term project, of course.

People crying over Google copying Apple once again. What else? :D

Thanks for your input

Honestly if you're going to use Android just use GrapheneOS

Do commercial apps work on such an installation? I have seen them get worse, checking for non-rooted, non-developer-mode-enabled, Google Play Store enabled, etc.

What phones are running Graphene?

google pixels, and I think they'll extend its compatibility to motorola

I don't really want to give Google money because of this. They've been doing what a lot of corporations do, use open source as a cheat for good will and then change the license.

tough luck, it's what we have.

or stuff it all inside play services, which is proprietary.

Security is relative to your threat model. Also, this is a degoogle community, not a security community.

a repository of files would be very usedul as opposed to dead links to mediafire, xda, and in closed telegram chats. smaller stuff like root binaries and exploits?

Geez, everytime this point! Don't you guys have a second hand market? My daily driver is a Pixel 6a with GOS and all apps but one (for which I have a substitute anyway) work perfectly.

Yeah! Some of those communities require registration and the general climate can be quite hostile towards tech illiterate people. I'd love to see a forum and a wiki that's inviting to all.

They do, and very well (unless you want to open an account in N26, though Revolut works great).

Yes they do

I'd love to root my OnePlus 13R...

That's what XDA is for. There's a lot less activity than there was 5-7 years ago but you can still find useful info there.

That's also a google phone.

I've been rooting my phones since Lollipop and I've never had a problem.

I'll be honest, I also just don't like Pixel devices. I've had 3 of them and every single one of them had terrible battery life. The Pixel 6 was one of those. I didn't have that problem with any of my OnePlus or Samsung phones.

the second hand market still supports google by driving up the value of the pixel and, personally, i've NEVER had any luck buying a used phone.

There's already this list: Unlock wall of shame

have you also considered buying something like a fairphone with /e/OS on it

Thanks! I added it to my post! :)

Great initiative btw.

How is this going to impact GoS users?

I don't trust Google but also don't trust Motorola.

If you ask me, as long as you install GOS before sideloading is disabled, you will be fine, since your not going to need system updates from Google anyway. Your device will already have been made "unofficial" and unsupported in the eyes of Google, since you unlocked the bootloader in order to install GOS in the first place. And relocking it after GOS installation doesn't change that fact.

The bigger problem will be increased monopoly for Google. Amazingly talented developers won't be able to contribute to Android anymore because they don't want to dox themselves.

I would love to read a wiki about degoogling phones. I am confused about rooting, changing the bootloader, custom ROMs, libre OS ontop of Android, etc.

That is actually more interesting to me. Even a phone that could run some form of linux on it.

Take one thing at a time and give it time. There is a lot to learn, depending on what level of understanding you want to achieve. How about starting here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooting_(Android)

Rooting: making yourself the true owner of your device from a software perspective. You already paid a butload of money to buy the physical device, but the manufacturer doesn't allow you to install and/or remove apps (packages), customize or otherwise tweak the phone to the extent that the underlying operating system would allow.

Unlocking the bootloader: to remove the restrictions that otherwise prevents you from altering (tweaking or replacing entirely) the operating system as implemented by the manufacturer.

Custom "ROM": I don't really have an answer for you here, since I don't understand - and haven't yet looked up - why people call it that. Anyway, people use it to mean "custom operating system", such as Graphene OS or Lineage OS.

Edit: "custom ROM", as I suspected, is a colloquial term and not technically accurate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custom_ROM

Am I allowed to say, I'm rooting for you?

For what its worth I'm interested. XDA has a lot of info, but its either dated or assumes you know a whole lot, which makes the whole process arduous. Especially considering that the consequences of doing it wrong are significant.

The other problem is trusting custom ROM providers. If they are known/ have rep three is some trust. But I dont know anyone in that space

This surprises me. I had 2, both "a" versions, so budget, and second hand and I had to literally have the first falling in my hand-wash for it to finally die.