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Comment by snazz | Hacker News Reader

If your Android phone is compatible[0], you might enjoy the result from installing LineageOS on it. If you wish, you can continue to use the Google Play Services package (which is where Google does all the tracking, and is also the only way to get the Play Store). I chose not to and use F-Droid and directly downloaded APKs, which saves me from running any proprietary code that I haven’t vetted carefully.

It also solves the planned obsolescence issue, because my Galaxy S4 is screaming-fast on a version of Android from three years after its last manufacturer update.

[0]: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/

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It is worth noting that adb also allows the user to remove unwanted software in the event his/her device can't be rooted, which is the case of one of my tablet which resisted any attempts so far. I'm not going to get a new one because it sits on a bench 24/7 and is needed for that abomination called Whatsapp some people is forcing me to use, and beyond that it has zero value to me, but the level of crapware preinstalled made it next to unusable, so I welcomed the day I discovered that adb remove can be used also on unrooted devices to delete vendor installed "system" crapware or other unneded stuff. Just search for "adb uninstall"

Thanks for that comment. I still have a Galaxy 4 and last week I pulled it out of the drawer and charged it. I looked at LieageOS but was concerned about the time spent installing it. Also, my Galaxy 4 no longer has a SIM card; do you know what the LineageOS experience would be like WiFi only?

It works fine without cellular. In the hands of someone who can install Linux, it shouldn’t take more than an hour (if you have a not-dialup internet connection).

First, apt install adb heimdall-flash. These are the basic tools for interacting with Samsung phones and Android devices in general from a Linux machine.

From there, follow the instructions I linked below, which basically amounts to getting root and unlocking the boot loader using Heimdall, then flashing TWRP, which is a recovery program, then flashing LineageOS from within TWRP. It’s not hard, but be sure to follow the right set of instructions, because the files for the Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint phones are not compatible.

Assuming you have the Verizon model: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/jfltevzw/install

Thank you for these instructions! I am going to try later this afternoon after some family stuff.

There is an active community of developers, who are keeping the Galaxy S4 alive by creating optimised versions of LineageOS. It might be easier to consult the guides and resources at XDA. If you feel it is a task you want to undertake - assuming the bootloader is not locked, decide which version you want to install based on the model you own i.e. i9505 or another variant and once you flash custom recovery (TWRP), it a fairly easy process.

You should expect to face some issues initially and will have to go through the forums/comments to trouble-shoot broken features etc., especially if you are picking the latest ROM.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4

LineageOS has a tendancy to disable or break piles of vital security features very carefully architected by Google security researchers like verified boot. Google also maintains a release process designed to help mitigate supply chain attacks. LineageOS also deviates from AOSP sources enough that it often creates significant time delays before new security patches can be backported if they get backported at all.

Sadly stock Google phones also violate your privacy and the privacy of those around you. Stock Android is not a great solution either.

We can have it both ways! Check out https://github.com/hashbang/os

I haven't really checked out LineageOS before. Just briefly browsing their site gives me a bit of skepticism. It doesn't seem to be very professional. For example, their about page, and one of their most recent blog posts.

I'm definitely looking for an OS to move to from Android. I suspect Librem will have its own flaws, but they inspire more confidence in me than my first impressions of LineageOS from their website.

https://www.lineageos.org/about/ https://www.lineageos.org/An-April-Apology/

They made a mistake with that joke, but it was an outlier. I used Lineage (and Cyanogenmod, its predecessor) for six and a half years straight and never had any reason to doubt its quality. The long-term security updates alone make it one of the best options for keeping your Android device solid.

LineageOS is pretty nice, but it's a bandaid and they dropped a huge amount of older devices from support when they left the CM brand. Hopefully postmarketOS will become more usable in the future, and we'll be able to use that on existing hardware, perhaps in combination with something like Halium when needed to make the proprietary driver blobs usable with a custom, non-AOSP userspace.

The devices they can maintain are constrained by manpower and what they have on hand for testing, but they keep some really old devices going based on popularity. I'm pretty sure the Galaxy S3 still gets the latest. I know the OnePlus One does.

For a non-Apple laptop I am also really liking the Xiaomi Mi Air with Linux.

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