zlacker

Can you even use the Play store on AOSP? I was interested in trying it (I don't use Android currently) but from what I gathered it seemed like a bit of a fraud (on Google's part) because it was fundamentally gimped.

>>DidYaW+(OP)
At some point in the past you could. I used the Play Store with my Nexus One running cyanogenmodrom 15 years ago with no trouble. I haven't tried lately, but I'm planning to. Hopefully there aren't too many hoops to jump through to register an "unauthorized" device with Google.

>>DidYaW+(OP)
AOSP does not include GMS or the Play Store.

>it seemed like a bit of a fraud (on Google's part) because it was fundamentally gimped.

AOSP is designed to be customized by vendors before they ship a device with it. Development of AOSP goes towards the shared OS pieces that actually get used and not towards things which would just get swapped out. Which is why the stock user space has not had much investment.

>>DidYaW+(OP)
You can on ROMs like LineageOS. The Play Store is part of the Gapps package some users install during the installation of the system. Alternatively there is microG and the Aurora Store, so the play store itself isn't needed.

I assume that is the same situation on raw AOSP.

>>onli+g1
Some apps will delegate parts of itself to be downloaded from play store on demand. Meaning without play store, some apps literally won’t work because it will fail to launch the component needed to be downloaded from play store.

I’ve came across this in app when accessing some secure flows, like adding credit card numbers.

>>DidYaW+(OP)
In the same way that manufacturers can add the store ("vending") and supporting APKs to the AOSP base they're building upon

>>vachin+s3
This only means that microG hasn't implemented the on demand feature download API for dynamic features.

>>onli+g1
It’s been a while, but is LineageOS still going strong? I’ve been thinking of switching back to non-iPhones for a while

>>alfied+6e
I get the impression, yes. They still have a big list of supported devices, which means many maintainers, and they managed well to port their system to new android versions, even if a recent point release killed many devices. Have a look at https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/, or alternatively my ROM finder https://www.sustaphones.com/.

However, I personally switched to CalyxOS. I was a bit unhappy with LineageOS pushing users towards the Gapps, by blocking microG from working properly (they blocked signature spoofing, a problem during the pandemic) and by forbidding discussions about microG on their subreddit, together with forbidding to even talk about issues with VoLTE or anything that touches rooting the system. They course corrected only a little bit with the signature spoofing, but still project user hostility otherwise via those rules. CalyxOS gave me a more usable system out of the box, while having a bigger focus on security (locking the boot loader) and presenting the project nicer. Vastly less devices supported though, and if pixels go closed now the Calyx project would have to implement big changes, those were their main devices.

>>onli+bf
I really like the idea of LineageOS but got tired with fighting SafetyNet (or whatever the name is today) and playing cat and mouse game on a previous phone. I just can't have an everyday phone where 20 different things don't work. Too bad.

>>rs186+9k
I read that sometimes, but it hasn't been my experience. It maybe depends on local customs. In Germany for example, even banking apps usually work with custom roms, so does the train app and so does VoLTE - and that's all I need. For everything else there is F-Droid.

>>charci+11
I'm calling it a fraud in terms of Android's initial promise to be the great "open source" OS that would free us all from vendor and telco tyranny.

As we all know, it has done nothing of the sort.