this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024
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1249
Custom ROMs have had just about enough of being Android's second-class citizens (www.androidauthority.com)
submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
252 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

TL;DR

  • Efforts like Graphene OS face increasing pressure from apps that refuse to run on non-standard Android.
  • The custom ROM project characterizes Google’s approach to device attestation as incomplete and flawed.
  • Graphene OS is prepared to take legal action if Google won’t let it pass Play Integrity checks.
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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

I really hope they fix this. When support for my old OnePlus 6 stopped, I was going to install a custom ROM until I realized bank apps, and most security-centered apps, wouldn't work. So I ran with an out-if-date, possibly vulnerable OS for a year until (probably) corrosion from liquid exposure finally did the phone in.

Really bad thing to incentivize.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

What gets me is the "this phone cant be trusted" message on boot. Implying OEM roms are trustworthy, but nothing i choose or create could possibly be.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

the only reason I've wanted to be rooted in recent years is when I didn't have hotspot on my plan and the most complete way around that was with root.

I think I would like a degoogled Lineage/Graphene OS though

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Wtf, plans locking down device features. That's mindblowing.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Why is stuff like that included not included in every plan by default? As a European, I can't even imagine paying extra for that. If I want to hotspot my data, my operator can kiss my ass and simply allow it, I'm paying for the data anyway.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

for this case it was a plan that's pretty discounted and also unlimited without hard throttle. they don't want people using it on computers or game consoles probably

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

As [email protected] said: @NetworkOperator: Kiss my ass. I pay your for service. You wanna restrict me, I switch my damn plan. If I use it on my phone streaming 4K stuff from my home server or watch 1GB of data over hot spot on my phone is not their business.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

In less free countries the provider also provides the handset and locks it all down.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Really the only thing holding me back from switching to GrapheneOS is that some of my apps fail CTS.

If a proper pathway is defined for custom ROMs I'd switch in a heartbeat.

Hoping this initiative leads to a reasonable outcome.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I love running a custom ROM, but I'm concerned RCS is going to become a deal break for me :(

I love that text messaging will finally not be complete shit between iOS and Android, but RCS is such a shitty locked down protocol.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

but I'm concerned RCS is going to become a deal break for me

For what it's worth, I have RCS working with GrapheneOS. I don't think I did anything special, but it did take awhile. I did see stuff on their forum about others having a bigger issue with it, though.

And of course, I prefer Signal, where possible.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Interesting. Do you have Google services installed? I use MicroG, which afaik has no RCS support.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Do you have Google services installed? I use MicroG...

Yes, I have Google Plays Services, Google Services Framework, and the Google Play Store installed, which are all sandboxed. MicroG isn't supported by GrapheneOS.

https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Oh interesting, I didn't know that's how GrapheneOS handles Google services. I'd love to have working NFC pay and RCS, so I'm going to have to take a look at it. Thanks for sharing!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I'd love to have working NFC pay

NFC works. NFC payment is dependent on the app as some block those that fail Play Integrity / Google certification. Google Wallet / Pay does not work for payment because Google blocks it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I'm aware, I assumed being able to install sandboxed Google services would allow Google Wallet to pass, unlike on CalyxOS, but I might be wrong.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Even just being rooted on the stock Pixel rom is a fight. It's a constant cat and mouse game to pass basic and device integrity, but as of recently a lot of us have been able to pass strong integrity as well which has been nice.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Even just being rooted on the stock Pixel rom is a fight.

That, I can see being more of an issue than an unmodified, trusted 3rd party OS. If I remember right, rooting makes the device fail Verified Boot:

It establishes a full chain of trust, starting from a hardware-protected root of trust to the bootloader, to the boot partition and other verified partitions including system, vendor, and optionally oem partitions.

https://source.android.com/docs/security/features/verifiedboot

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Fair point. At least with stock rooted as I said there's ways around it and I can pass all play integrity checks and such.

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