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Messages - jerome

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1
I also installed MarkD's download (after checking SHA256SUM). The OTA updater appears to also check some checksum.

The upgrade went without problems. After the update two new applications (keyboard apps, one is called "pinyin input", the other "indic keyboard") want access to my google account. I did not grant access.

Edit: Possibly, this is what caused the update revoke as no keyboard application should be granted vast permissions to use my google account.

2
Gemini PDA - Android / How likely is Android 8 really?
« on: October 12, 2018, 02:58:22 am »
Quote from: covex
it seems to aim for more than those 2y time frame that all the "top" smartphones live.

Unless they are from Apple. The latest iOS still supports the 5s, which is 5 years old.  

But: yes, you are right. Android phones seem to be supported for 2-3 years max and often a lot less. Lineage extends that a bit (I am still using a Samsung tablet which was orphaned by its manufacturer right after I bought it thanks to Lineage).

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I also belong to the people who would like lineage OS or, at the very least, a version of Android without google proprietary software. I understand it may not be what was promised, but I also think there is a sizeable amount of customers who want just that: a small device with a keyboard, capable of connecting to the Internet and without google proprietary libraries.

Let us just keep focussing on making that happen. I saw the announcement from Planet about further Android development. Could we please have what is needed for a developper to package a version of Lineage OS running on the Gemini?

4
Quote from: graynada
Quote
I bought the only small device on the market with a keyboard and I expected that device to support a google-free experience. It was specifically advertised with the capacity to install alternative OSes, which is what I am discussing here.
I assumed that the Google free experience would be expected outside of the Google supplied OS Android, ie in the Linux environment.

I simply want a small computer using Android Open Source Project (AOSP), without additions.

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Quote from: graynada
And you are simply ignoring the plain and simple fact that what you are removing here is not spyware.

I did not use that particular word in any of my post. You may be confusing me with the o.p.

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But you buy an Android phone thereby choosing to deal with Google?

I bought the only small device on the market with a keyboard and I expected that device to support a google-free experience. It was specifically advertised with the capacity to install alternative OSes, which is what I am discussing here.

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Thank you for further explaining exactly the exact point I was making. As persons of free will you and I then can choose if we are influenced by their customers. No harm done.

You are not quite honest here and ignoring the whole body of psychological studies on influence, but at least you don't continue with the argument that google does not sell your organs.

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It in no way bothers me that you want to remove all traces of Google products from your Android phone

Great to have this sorted out.

6
Quote from: graynada
No I don't work for Google and I am not defending Google as such, all I am trying to point out is that you are singling out Google and miss defining what they do.

We are not "singling out Google", it simply happens that Google is what we want to remove from the Gemini phone. If it were a Samsung phone, we would discuss Google and Samsung (who adds further non removable software to their phones).


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Virtually every large company you deal with collects data on you

I can refuse to deal with any particular company of my choice. Actually, I often do. I don't accept customer loyalty cards, often pay cash, etc...


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and uses it to try and improve service and/or ncrease sales. Ultimately Google isn't even trying to increase sales to you, because you get their product free.

Google business model is not to increase sales of their products to me but to increase the sale of their advertising products to their real customers.


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As I said before what actual harm are people suffering from Google's data gathering?

That is for us to judge and examples were given earlier in the thread, which you simply ignored.


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for me it is being shown a list of sheds for sale after I have just bought a shed, no different to Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Argos blah blah blah. They are not stealing money from my bank account, selling my house without my knowledge, harvesting my organs.

Indeed google is not harvesting your organs. Do you see what you have written here? Why do you go to such ridiculous comparisons in your eager to defend a multibillions dollars company?


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You may wish also to remember that without Google you wouldn't be having the opportunity to develop the custom ROMs, there would be no Android, and we would all most likely be stuck with iOS, a world I am glad I do not inhabit.

The opposite is true actually. There have been various efforts to develop alternative phone operating systems and they ultimately failed because Google leveraged their quasi monopoly.

7
Quote from: NCI
A proper LineageOS ROM would be fantastic,. I personally miss tons of little customization options here and there, which I learned to treat as something available by default using LineageOS/CM for years. \=

If I understood correctly, the available Lineage OS ROM misses proper drivers. Would it be possible to start from that ROM and paste in the drivers from the official ROM?

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Quote from: graynada
I you have agreed within the terms and conditions and the company is upfront about what it is doing then that is not spyware. It is when it is happening without your knowledge, and you seem extremely aware of everything Google are doing, that it is spyware.

Except that the proposal "accept to be spied upon or do not use a smartphone" can be understood as taking undue advantage of an inequality in bargaining power:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconscionability

I really wonder why there is always somebody on these threads to defend google, a multibillions rich company. Are you a google employee? All we want here is a technical discussion on how to design a particular custom rom for the device we all bought.

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I would like to thank NCI for that guide, which is just what I needed.

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Quote from: graynada
Then there is Google. By using a Google operating system you kind of expect Google to have to have some information about you. Imagine trying to buy something online and telling the shop they couldn't have you address or know what you wanted to buy, but you expected it to be delivered all the same. What Google wants to know about you is all contained in their terms and conditions which we agree to at set up. We can't expect to use their 'free' operating system without them having a business model that enables them to deliver that in some way. We can adjust, limit and prevent some stuff but some information has to be exchanged for the system to work. As we have agreed to this in my opioon this cannot be considered 'spyware'  as to me spyware is something outside of my control.

Android forks like lineage os make it possible to use an android device without google libraries, without a google account and without agreeing to their terms and conditions. I think that the O.P. had something similar in mind.

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Quote from: Jeffers
I imagine that a lot of Gemini users are holding out for the Sailfish 3 release at the moment.

What is so great about Sailfish? This is an honest question: I still have a jolla phone hanging around, so I tried sailfish when it was available. The OS is certainly nice, but privacy is as poor as on standard android.

Quote from: Jeffers
If you want a device without Googledroid, purism is making that phone, but it doesn't come with a nice keyboard.

People who do not want to be spied on by google usually install lineage OS without gapps on a supported phone. That does the job, but there is indeed no keyboard on recent phones.

As I already said, I expected the same from gemini, but it did not happen. Alternatively, I would be content if gemini would issue their standard distribution without google apps and libraries.

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Quote from: depscribe
And I believe the issue is not so much getting applications as eradicating the Google crap from Googledroid as it ships on Gemini. If there were a good and simple recipe for this, many of us would be glad to know about it. But there does not appear to be such a thing.

That is my main issue with the Gemini as well. In its present state, I won't really use it. I expected lineage OS to be available reasonably fast, but it seems it won't be. Is there anything that could be done to get things moving?


Quote from: depscribe
And even with other OSes on Gemini, Googledroid is all wound through it like a knot of worms.

I have some hopes with debian. We'll see.

Quote from: depscribe
I think it's a scam that PC pulled on us, but others' views might be more charitable.

I suppose that google has a firm grip on manufacturers to get them to install their complete suite of application on all their phones.

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Quote from: ArchiMark
However, need to learn how to use Android without needing Google and signing in to apps, etc. If there's a good place online to learn about doing this, please let me know.

I use lineage os on a tablet. Lineage os does not come with google apps (although you can install them), so there are no google and no google app store. I have also some experience with the same on a samsung phone.

I am not aware of a full guide, but basically what you need is f-droid: https://f-droid.org/en/ which is a repository of free software. You will find software for the most common needs:
-browser: firefox
-mail: k9 mail
-maps: osmand (or a new one called "Maps" which is even better), and also middleware to use wifi location if you want
-chats: conversations and riot
-calendars and contacts can sync via caldav and cardav
-etc...

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Quote from: Joern
Das Einzige, was ich bisher nicht hinbekommen habe, ist die Ansteuerung eines externen Monitors. Ich habe den Gemini noch nicht dazu bringen können, ein Videosignal auszugeben, weder per HDMI noch per VGA. Das muss aber irgendwie gehen.

Das geht nur mit dem USB-HDMI adapter von Gemini.

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Gemini PDA - French / Clavier suisse é et è
« on: June 12, 2018, 01:48:00 am »
Quote from: Maxence822
Merci Jerome! Si tu peux envoie un mail a hello@planetcom.co.uk pour les informer de ce probleme.

C'est déjà fait.

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