
Eelo: A Google-less Android alternative emerges - indidea
http://www.zdnet.com/article/eelo-a-google-less-android-alternative-emerges/?ref
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Shywim
I like competition, but regarding "Google-less Android alternative" why
everyone want to do his own project when this is a niche market with few
developers who want to use their time to do this, and even less in the long
run?

Why do people don't join their effort to put up something better, faster,
safer?

~~~
remir
Same reason you now have 200+ Linux distributions: people have opinions and
disagreements plus free software means everybody can fork a project and do
their own thing.

Meanwhile, Windows is still king of the desktop and Android is king of mobile
for years to come.

~~~
squiggleblaz
Windows lost that crown years ago. Nowadays many people are using Macs. And
most are using Android or iOS for a lot of the same things we used to use
Windows for.

Anyway, the last sentence is irrelevant. I honestly don't mind whether you're
using Windows or Mac or whatever. Why must it be phrased as a competition? I
can use the system most suitable to me and my goals, and you can use the
system most suitable for you and yours.

Can you imagine someone saying "There's so many different kinds of bread
because people have opinions and disagreement, plus traditional recipes and
market freedom means everyone can start their own bakery and do their own
thing. Meanwhile, rice is still king of the staples."

My choice to eat bread and run Linux is independent of your choice to eat rice
and run Windows.

~~~
pjmlp
> Windows lost that crown years ago. Nowadays many people are using Macs.

Only rich people in North America and Western Europe, there are many other
countries out there, where average salaries hardly reach 500 euros per month.

Mac market share is insignificant outside North America and Western Europe.

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nkkollaw
Google software is in my opinion the best on the market in every aspect, and I
would hate to stop using their Chrome, Inbox, Photos, Maps, and Keep apps.

I'm also not sure if the way Google looks like they're using information is
that much worse than all the stuff people deliberately publish on Facebook.

I don't feel spied, and one is free to stop sending info at any time (unlike
let's say in China or North Korea, where they have an actual problem).

Google makes my life about 1000 times easier, if the trade-off is that they
use some of that info to for showing relevant ads that I block on every device
(including in-app ads with AdGuard), it's fine for me right now.

~~~
ivcha
"I don't feel spied" \-- good for you! The point is, it's great that you're in
love with Google and you don't mind being spied upon, however, there are a lot
of other people who cannot wait for something like this and indeed care about
privacy of their information.

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kodablah
Where can I see the source (or at least the Eelo-specific build scripts for
AOSP or any other source details)? I see "in the public interest" and see "we
already have first results", but I struggle to find links to the details of
what work has been done. Help?

> And as a community project, eelo will welcome contributors.

Sure...oh, "will"...well, can I at least watch?

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dgrove
How quickly HN forgets. There are tons of Google-less Android builds. You can
even run AOSP (Android Open Source Project) without Googles' binaries. When I
want to use something without Google, I use CopperheadOS
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16030391](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16030391)

~~~
meneame2
From the article:

> Unless you are a geek, LineageOS is not realistically usable if you don't
> want Google inside

Why? LineageOS plus F-Droid with Firefox, OsmAnd~ and Conversations is
surprisingly usable.

I agree it could get a bit more polish. But if Eelo is going to be a big
effort, maybe he should try to go for a full Linux distro like Jolla sans the
closed components. With stuff like Anbox (Android containers) it should be
moderately easy to bootstrap an ecosystem.

~~~
pjmlp
By random dude on the street? I doubt it.

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dh-g
Feels like we have enough Google-less Androids. I would rather a faster more
minimal Android.

~~~
zeotroph
Or an android which can properly box apps, i.e. "Yes you can have access to my
phonebook (because if I refuse you won't run at all..) but the container you
are running in just gives you dummy entries", or not allowing internet access
for certain apps.

This is all possible on desktop linux, having that possibility on a rooted
Android would make me switch back.

~~~
dublinben
You've been able to do that with Xposed and Xprivacy for a while now. You can
spoof just about any information that an app requests.

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mLuby
Anyone else get a chill seeing that name? #KSP

