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Instead of leaving Android entirely, one can use MicroG, which is a FOSS reimplementation of the Google Play Services client.

https://microg.org

https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore

Currently, the easiest way to use MicroG is through CalyxOS, a distribution of Android 10 that preinstalls MicroG instead of Google Play Services. It supports all Pixel devices and the Xiaomi Mi A2.

https://calyxos.org

https://gitlab.com/calyxos

Unlike most Android distributions, CalyxOS is designed to be used with a locked bootloader, which is more secure than an unlocked bootloader.



Agreed. I was looking at MicroG again given Lineage OS has updated to Android 10, unfortunately it seems there are a changes for Android 10 that's preventing microG from being being fully compatible (SafetyNet API).

Google's moves to lock down the platform further is also disgusting. They will be mandating a new App bundle format (AAB) instead of APK beginning in 2021. This will force more apps to run through Play Store, enabling more tracking & analytics. They will also require devs to give a copy of their signing key to Google for them to sign applications.

https://www.xda-developers.com/google-play-billing-v3-app-bu...


> They will also require devs to give a copy of their signing key to Google for them to sign applications.

What.


from the article...

>Mandatory Android App Bundles for Newly Published Apps in 2021

>The .aab file contains APK files for the base application and all supported architectures (ARM, ARM64, and x86), languages, and layout variants.

>This format requires giving a copy of your app’s signing key to Google so the Google Play Developer Console can generate a bundle with signed versions of each APK in the bundle; the correct APK for a particular device’s architecture, language, and layout are delivered via Google Play Dynamic Delivery....


Why require the key instead of a small db of signatures of all possible combinations? It seems Google wants the power to publish on your behalf arbitrary transformations of your software releases. That doesn't seem reasonable.




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