Android
The new home of /r/Android on Lemmy and the Fediverse!
Android news, reviews, tips, and discussions about rooting, tutorials, and apps.
πUniversal Link: [email protected]
π‘Content Philosophy:
Content which benefits the community (news, rumours, and discussions) is generally allowed and is valued over content which benefits only the individual (technical questions, help buying/selling, rants, self-promotion, etc.) which will be removed if it's in violation of the rules.
Support, technical, or app related questions belong in: [email protected]
For fresh communities, lemmy apps, and instance updates: [email protected]
π¬Matrix Chat
π°Our communities below
Rules
-
Stay on topic: All posts should be related to the Android OS or ecosystem.
-
No support questions, recommendation requests, rants, or bug reports: Posts must benefit the community rather than the individual. Please post to [email protected].
-
Describe images/videos, no memes: Please include a text description when sharing images or videos. Post memes to [email protected].
-
No self-promotion spam: Active community members can post their apps if they answer any questions in the comments. Please do not post links to your own website, YouTube, blog content, or communities.
-
No reposts or rehosted content: Share only the original source of an article, unless it's not available in English or requires logging in (like Twitter). Avoid reposting the same topic from other sources.
-
No editorializing titles: You can add the author or website's name if helpful, but keep article titles unchanged.
-
No piracy or unverified APKs: Do not share links or direct people to pirated content or unverified APKs, which may contain malicious code.
-
No unauthorized polls, bots, or giveaways: Do not create polls, use bots, or organize giveaways without first contacting mods for approval.
-
No offensive or low-effort content: Don't post offensive or unhelpful content. Keep it civil and friendly!
-
No affiliate links: Posting affiliate links is not allowed.
Quick Links
Our Communities
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
Lemmy App List
Chat and More
view the rest of the comments
These companies learned their lesson with the open BIOS of pc's preventing them from really controlling DRM.
Android, not having a standardized BIOS, really gives them the opportunity to provide devices they can fully control.
If you can't unlock boot, you can't root, so you can't fully control the device.
That's the long-term goal: get people used to devices they don't actually control.
Lots of people already don't know the massive difference between using a full desktop app and a limited mobile app, many actually prefer the mobile because it's simpler! (I admit I do too, for certain use cases and maybe day-to-day use, but not for all use).
And then all the people who argue against having root access on your own device. π€¦ββοΈ
There are good arguments for much of what Google does to improve Android security, it's just very frustrating to know their real agenda is to lock us out.
Fortunately, businesses will always need MDM (Mobile Device Management), which will require root access in some fashion, and there are already Open Source/low cost/free versions of MDM out there, and plenty of smart devs always working on root, like Magisk by topjohnwu and the new KernelSU by tiann (which gets root at the kernel level!)
It really sucks how fucking stupid people have gotten. The complacency and supporting of companies stripping away access to things you're selling out big money on? It's like ownership pricing for a rental experience.
Then when nobody can repair the stuff but the OEM's they'll be shocked at the cost and blame the people who used to repair the items for not doing enough to push back or something stupid.
I frustratingly have to agree.
I've been a privacy advocate for 20+ years, and people kept calling me paranoid. I may be, but (as my hillbilly uncle would say), "ya gotta look at who's ox is gettin' gored" (kind of a redneck version of no such thing as a free lunch).
No one does something without an angle (that is businesses, and many people too).
I post about rooting and people reply with "you don't need root, it's a security risk". Right, because all the Linux and windows boxes I've touched over the years, with root access, are insecure π€¦ββοΈ.
This is my phone. Not Google's, nor anyone else's.
Too many people are content viewing anything as complex as a toaster as magic. They just want the results.
"that's a security risk"
My reasonse is always along the lines of "Yeah and? It's a pocket-sized PC with PC-like specs being sold at PC-like prices. I'd like my workhorse to be functional. I can monitor my device as best I can, and vet the things I install."
Yep.
I keep telling them that security isn't one thing, it's layers.
There are many unrooted phones that have had malware installed courtesy of the Play store... I've never had any, and none of my pc's since about 1990 have never had a virus.
For as long as Magisk has been going, that's been my root strategy. I'm new to hearing about KernelSU though. Any advantages?
I'm not the best person to ask, but I think the difference is where each obtains root perms.
Magisk gets root by modifying the boot image, while KernelSU modifies the Linux Kernel. I think being in the kernel it'll be harder to detect and it'll be more stable, protected from system updates.
Plus the kernel is more constant across devices, it really doesn't change much from what I understand. My boot image is different per version of Android, but I think the kernel doesn't change.
Most Android updates take place in what I'd call the Android Subsystem, since it's really a shell on top of Linux.
That's what I've been able to glean so far, but I'm no developer.