Is /e/os/ the best option if you don't have a phone that can support GrapheneOS
from Adderbox76@lemmy.ca to privacy@lemmy.ca on 11 Oct 17:45
https://lemmy.ca/post/53205549

I’m tired of collecting phones, and frankly I’m a little money strapped and kind of want to coast by on older phones for a while. But I’m wanting to de-google as much as possible.

Of the last few phones I’ve had, all are working well. Most have been able to be kept relatively up to date with LineageOS, and a couple have /e/os/ versions available for them (one official, one community)

I’m using /e/os/ on my Essential phone (though not daily driver) to get a feel for the software and the Murena app/account. I’m willing to give up my game emulator to put it on the newer phone if I like it (though it would suck to lose my FFVII and Chrono Trigger playthroughs)

Ideally my Edge 2023 would have a build. But I’m not going to expect a chipset used by only two phones total to garner that much development focus (and rightly so)

Anyone have more long term experience with /e/os/ and Graphene and tell me what Graphene has stronger?

Thanks

#privacy

threaded - newest

hellfire103@lemmy.ca on 11 Oct 17:53 next collapse

Well, yes and no.

/e/ is more de-Googled than LineageOS, and it also replaces some GApps with its own ecosystem (whereas LineageOS just gets rid of them). I would say that this makes it slightly more private.

However, /e/ also takes a lot longer to apply updates from upstream Android. LineageOS and GrapheneOS both take a few days up to a few weeks to do this; whereas /e/ sometimes takes months.

In the past, I would have recommended DivestOS and Calyx OS, but sadly DivestOS is unmaintained and Calyx OS have temporarily stopped releasing or updating their OS.

Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe on 11 Oct 23:26 collapse

How is /e/ more de-googled than an OS with zero Google services?

I thought /e/ shipped with MicroG, while I know Lineage doesn’t - you have to add it if you want it (I’m running Lineage).

hellfire103@lemmy.ca on 12 Oct 13:11 collapse

LineageOS still uses Google for things like captive portal detection and DNS (at least, out-of-the-box). /e/ replaces these with their own services.

pasdechance@jlai.lu on 11 Oct 18:55 next collapse

Hi. I too have found myself asking questions like this when I had phones that had custom ROMs.

tell me what Graphene has stronger?

When I looked into this, I found that Graphene is hardened and is more secure while other ROMs spec into the privacy aspect only.

I still keep my list even though my current device/chipset is not supported by these ROMs.

Alternative/Custom ROMS

In no particular order, these ROMs usually change the UX/UI and maybe add some security enhancements.

Privacy|Hardened ROMS

Security-wise, LineageOS is a start but (correct me if I am wrong) you need to unlock the bootloader, which is not great. These ROMs purport heightened privacy or “hardened” security.

  • iodéOS: “deGoogled” LineageOS fork, uses lots of blacklists for ad- and tracker-blocking. Sells pre-installed devices.

  • /e/OS: A “deGoogled” Android experience. Uses microG, no telemetry sent to Google, modified NTP and DNS servers, modified GPS service. Uses the “App Lounge” which combines the Aurora Store with F-Droid and PWAs. Has a tracker blocker. Requires you to have an @murena.io account for some functionalities.

  • GrapheneOS: Private, secure, hardened… has a long list of features. Updates are fast, exploitations are quickly mitigated, non-profit. But, Pixel-only.

  • CalyxOS: PAUSED

  • DivestOS

nymnympseudonym@piefed.social on 11 Oct 20:29 collapse

IMO best bet is to wait 2-3 months for Calyx to resume

GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world on 11 Oct 19:08 next collapse

Absolutely not.

Back when DivestOS was operational, they maintained a database of bugs, flaws, and security holes that the E Foundation and Murena refused to patch.

  • MicroG isn’t a secure front-end, it still phones home to Google.
  • Their native IP scrambler is just an old fork of TOR
  • Their webview (the core of every phone’s ability to run a web application from Lemmy to Fruit Ninja) doesn’t have hardened measures to prevent interference.
  • The bootloader stays unlocked. This means that the most essential feature for your safety, the metaphorical lock on the front door of your house, is left broken and loose.

Hell no, do not use /e/os. Use Lineage. Use Grapheme. Use Linux Mobile. Use literally anything else.

mistermodal@lemmy.ml on 12 Oct 00:00 next collapse

Damn, go look up PostmarketOS on the Graphene forums. Really disappointing.

Despite Graphene’s clear limits, they claim to have a backup plan, and I like the way they communixate clearly.

onlinepersona@programming.dev on 12 Oct 07:37 collapse

The bootloader stays unlocked. This means that the most essential feature for your safety, the metaphorical lock on the front door of your house, is left broken and loose.

Your information is out of date. For example, the Fairphone’s bootloader can be relocked and you can buy Fairphones with eOS pre-installed (and of course locked).

To find more phones that support relocking with eOS, filter this list by “verified boot”.

monnier@lemmy.ca on 12 Oct 13:39 collapse

Can someone point me at technical info about the risks of having an unlocked bootloader? From where I stand, the risks seem completely irrelevant (to take advantage of an unlocked bootloader, the attacker would need to have full access to your OS already). AFAIK, locking of bootloaders was never designed to protect the user, but only to let cell-phone providers restrict what phone users can do.

onlinepersona@programming.dev on 13 Oct 16:57 collapse

This article explains it quite well.

An unlocked bootloader let’s any attacker change the the thing that boots your OS and the OS itself. They might not have access to your data (every modern cellphone encrypts those partitions), but replacing the OS is practically game over. It allows tracking the password (or PIN) you enter and sending it to any server once internet access is gained.

RelativityRanger@lemmy.ca on 12 Oct 07:51 collapse

postmarketos.org