Hi everyone,
IMEI recovery:
https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?topic=36735.0I spent well over 20 hours during the last days perfecting my setup, so I will share it with you step-by-step. I look forward to your feedback.
Starting point: fresh V19 Cosmo. DO NOT insert a SIM card or connect to Wi-Fi yet.
Create a V25 root SD (+ Gemian install if you wish).
At any point in time, if the Google Play Store updates itself, then start over. =)
- Boot your Cosmo without the SD card
- Enable developer mode: Settings > About phone > Tap build number a few times.
- Disable automatic updates at System > Developer options > Automatic system updates. From now on, do all the possible to avoid any automatic update.
- Connect to Wi-Fi.
- Do a wireless updates at System > Advanced > Wireless update
- Boot from the SD card.
- Install V25 root and, if you want, also install Linux. If you leave Linux for later, you will have troubles (but there are ways around it).
- Boot into Android root.
- Install Firefox.
- Launch magisk from the home screen. Let it update itself then update the companion app.
- Install microG using Magisk
- Install f-droid via apk from Firefox.
- Install the f-droid extension via Magisk.
- Install termux via f-droid.
- Install the Aurora Store via apk.
- At this point, disable all permissions for all Google apps, delete all cached data, then disable the applications themselves.
- Disable Google Device Registration in microG, grant all the required permissions. Push services won't work, but my personal e-mail server will accept pools, so does Telegram FOSS and Signal. Skype won't send notifications, but I can live with that.
- Install the unifiednlp providers of your preference. Configure them via "Location modules" in microG. Make sure they are configured and have the proper permissions set. Some of them will just crash if not configured properly. Check the appendix later on for details.
- Fine-tune permissions for every application you install from now on.
- I use DAVx5 and my own personal e-mail and nextcloud servers to sync my data, contacts and calendar over.
Appendix 1 - Proper tuning for privacy:
- Keep Bluetooth off and don't have your phone auto-joining Wi-Fi networks, as it will keep broadcasting your list of favourite networks, and this can be used for tracking.
- Google Device Registration: even without ever signing into a Google account, if you enable push notifications, cross-checking the data between the applications can give your game away and be used for identification and cross-app tracking.
Appendix 2 - Booting from the SD slot later on:
- After installing and configuring everything I've mentioned above, I suddenly started getting "Red State" every time I tried to boot from the SD slot. To be able to install Linux later on, I had to boot into Normal mode, and then reboot. This way, I managed to get to boot from the SD slot again and get Linux up and running.
Appendix 3 - Blank IMEI at the end of everything:
- I couldn't get my data connection to work from Linux and, after a lot of troubleshooting, I gave up and rebooted into Android. To my surprise, both IMEIs were now blank. Very upset at the prospect of having to start everything over and re-flash using the process described here:
https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?topic=36336.msg298321#msg298321, I decided to try to re-configure the IMEIs on the fly. It worked! Please follow the procedure described here:
https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?topic=36735.0Appendix 4 - Location services:
I have downloaded Apple Wi-Fi, GSMNetworkLocationProvider, Mozilla Location Service, Radiocells.org and WiFi Location Service. I use the two last ones (I do most of my activities on foot, so I'm slowly cataloging the APs around), and Mozilla or Apple in case of urgent need.
Appendix 5 - My installed apps:
F-Droid:
org.adaway,51100,5.11.0
org.microg.nlp.backend.apple,20043,1.2.3
com.aurora.store,38,4.0.7
com.kgurgul.cpuinfo,40500,4.5.0
at.bitfire.davdroid,401000005,4.1-ose
org.fdroid.fdroid,1013051,1.13.1
org.fdroid.fdroid.privileged,2120,0.2.12
de.kaffeemitkoffein.feinstaubwidget,32,0.76
de.nulide.findmydevice,14,0.2.3
org.woheller69.gpscockpit,140,1.4
com.mendhak.gpslogger,119,119
org.gfd.gsmlocation,14,0.0.1.4
io.github.ismywebsiteup,11,0.1.1
com.android.launcher3,28,9
com.topjohnwu.magisk,23000,23.0
net.osmand.plus,409,4.0.9
org.microg.nlp.backend.ichnaea,20033,1.4.0
org.schabi.newpipe,981,0.21.15
com.nextcloud.client,30180190,3.18.1
com.termux.nix,66027,0.66_v0.2.7_nix
org.microg.nlp.backend.nominatim,20042,1.2.2
com.secuso.privacyFriendlyCodeScanner,21,3.2.0
org.openbmap.unifiedNlp,21,0.2.9
com.simplemobiletools.calendar.pro,212,6.17.0
com.maxistar.textpad,31,1.19.1
com.google.android.stardroid,1541,1.10.1 - RC1
org.tasks,111301,11.13
org.telegram.messenger,25269,8.4.2
com.termux,117,0.117
com.termux.api,51,0.50.1
com.google.android.gms,212658044,0.2.22.212658
org.videolan.vlc,13040207,3.4.2
org.fitchfamily.android.wifi_backend,42,1.1.13
org.wikipedia,50390,r/2.7.50390-r-2021-12-23
net.fabiszewski.ulogger,306,3.6
Aurora Store:
Brave
ebay
firefox
paypal
signal
skype
Your help required:
1. I come from the iOS world. How can I get the notifications set in an effective way? I get, for example, Telegram FOSS notifications fine on the CODI, but I can't even see whom they are coming from. I'd like to be able to filter what needs my attention on the CODI, and this is why I got this display.
2. Anyone who could explain me the whole thing of LEDison intercepting notifications from other applications? I don't seem to be able to get it to work.
3. What's the best backup strategy? I'd hate to have to re-do this whole setup.
4. Anything better than AdAway? Feedback on other applications I may consider?
Thanks for all the documents around. I've probably read this whole forum during the last 2 months. Here is my small contribution back, and I hope it helps someone.
