Would you care to elaborate? (Maybe in that thread, so this one would not get derailed.)
I have used a couple of comparisons between OSs, one of which I linked in that thread.
I fail to understand how it would be ineffective if I change the captive portal / connectivity checks as well as the default DNS (not “private DNS”) to ones other OSs use that are described as superior to LineageOS.
Like I said, I am not very knowledgeable about the deeper settings other OSs have tweaked, which is why I have asked about them. As you can see, common comparison tables don’t mention any more points either.
And how would people lose their files? Because they mess up these commands? They only modify network settings, so they can always back up anything on the phone’s storage. Maybe if they mess up the pull/push commands, in case that somehow causes bootloops or force-close loops.
That is also why I mentioned scripts, which could back up the stock settings as well.
Anyway, in every case in which Calyx is not available, be it a specific phone or otherwise, I think these settings are a viable approximation, if using at least LOS without GApps that is.
Any more advantages of other systems like Calyx, iodé or /e/ I just don’t know yet, if there are any. I’d love to know, though.
Update: CalyxOS releases are available again. However, releases are still paused and the CalyxOS project explicitly recommends against migrating right now.
That’s if /e/os is still being maintained which it probably won’t, and neither will iodeos or lineageos. Let’s face it. Custom ROMs are a dying breed and extinction is inevitable. This isn’t much different from Chromium forks but at least those aren’t in danger of being shut down by Google although Google once tried to DRM the internet through WEI before they scrapped it, and that’s exactly what they’re doing with Google Play Integrity.
Yeah, it looks to me that is the case. Though I still think it won’t completely disappear, there will always be people making it for, at least for themselves. I mean, SailfishOS and ubuntu touch are still releasing new version. But usability of all those devices compared to requirements and trends of modern mobile space is going down day by day.
Most likely in a few years we’ll all be debating over whether or not to use iOS or Stock Android, and the latter will be even more restricted than before, possibly to where Google Play Services can’t be mitigated at all and apps can only be installed through the Google Play Store, but this is a worst-case scenario and possibly an inevitable one.
This will probably carry over to desktops too. I can’t see anyone recommending Linux distros in the future when Android desktop becomes viable for most use cases. If anything, we could be told “Don’t use Linux! It’s a security nightmare!”. I know Linux market share has increased a lot, but that’s only because of Steam OS and people ditching desktops entirely. I don’t think Linux is really growing in popularity and I think it could actually be dying despite the increase in market share. Do people even use desktops anymore? Why bother when phones are way more secure and convenient?
I use the internet on my PC 99% of the time and my phone 1%. I only use my phone when I absolutely have to do something important on it. I don’t just browse for fun on my phone, except maybe occasionally in bed if I can’t sleep. On my computer, I have a 32" 4K as my main monitor and a second 27" one set up vertically. A 1000€ chair is a bit more comfortable than sitting on the couch with a phone in hand.
But the point is, when Android/GrapheneOS desktop becomes stable and viable, there won’t be any reason to recommend Linux anymore. Most people don’t care about software freedom since they aren’t programmers, and a lot of the telemetry on Windows, macOS, and Android could be disabled and third-party tools could be used to ensure it or make the process easier. There’s no general use case where Linux would be the superior choice without considering privacy and security.
General browser-based work: Any mainstream OS can do this, and security-wise, GrapheneOS > Android and iOS > macOS > Windows > Linux.
Microsoft Office: Still not supported on Linux and likely never will be, and LibreOffice probably decades behind.
Media production: Same as above. Adobe doesn’t support Linux and likely never will, people won’t switch to alternatives that do, and the alternatives are probably decades behind anyways.
Gaming: Windows supports most games natively and even today macOS still has better native support than Linux. Linux users would have to use WINE or Proton but games don’t always run and WINE/Proton could run viruses and malware.
Programming: Windows can do anything Linux can do now thanks to WSL and macOS will eventually support running Linux in macOS.
I would hate to see Linux removed entirely from PG, and I do not want to use Windows or macOS, but what the future holds, is less privacy-conscious people using Linux and desktops in general. People will still use Linux for other things, but it’ll never be mainstream and will likely fall further and further behind in security. If it’s not already a security nightmare, then it will be.
Not sure what you’re talking about here. MacOS has lost substantial native support with their transition away from 32-bit libraries. Furthermore, the M-series chips still have a long way to go before native games get developed for them.
Also, can’t the same be said about running anything on Windows? Proton and wine is just a compatibility layer. Using Proton to run Steam games is just as safe as running Steam games on Windows.
Niche usage cases always exist. Qubes, Whonix, and Tails all have usage cases that cannot be replicated on Windows or MacOS.
I would love to see future anonymity-oriented projects be based on our recommended distros (i.e. Fedora instead of Debian); however, I don’t see a viable future where Windows and MacOS can be recommended to people that need anonymity. There is a reasonable trade-off where improper app sandboxing can be supplanted with other features like VM compartmentalization or an amnesiac system.
With the amount of work needed to make mainstream OSes more private, I highly doubt that Linux will ever NOT be recommended in the future. We are Privacy Guides, not Security Guides for a reason.
macOS still natively supports thousands of more games than Linux (24,000+ vs 18,000+ on Steam as of now). On GOG, the situation is even worse because GOG Galaxy only supports Windows and macOS, not Linux.
It’s probably less safe using Proton than Windows because Linux is less secure than Windows.
It is amazing how wildly offtopic this thread has gotten and no one is seriously asking wtf happened at Calyx.
I proposed that a government asked them for their signing keys.
Graphene proposed that Merrill is upset or whatever and holding the keys hostage:
Calyx should publish information on why Nicolas Merrill was previously demoted and what’s happening with the signing keys and other infrastructure he controls. CalyxOS users deserve to know whether he’s refusing to hand over keys, domains, IPs, ASN, etc. and if Calyx considers the keys compromised.
Putting aside how unprofessional the GrapheneOS account is deciding to act in that linked thread for whatever reason, I think the main reason for the lack of discussion is just that not many folks around here were using CalyxOS in the first place.
I’ve gotten a good number of people to switch away from CalyxOS who I’ve spoken to 1-on-1 about my thoughts on the whole situation, but I feel like here on this forum there just isn’t much to say
Anything beyond what Calyx has shared is also pure speculation, which we’re generally pretty avoidant of here, and that’s a good thing. If we find out something crazy about Calyx I’m sure it will get plenty of coverage, and in the meantime everyone already knows to either not be using it in the first place or to switch off ASAP.
