/e/ for FP3 (Google free OS)

Discuss The Products
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/e/ was earlier known as “project eelo”. It started in January 2018 so it’s not that new.
There was a kickstarter project to start the funding.

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Progress update: https://community.e.foundation/t/fairphone-3-fp3-support-on-e/6438/111?u=ingo_fp_angel

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Work in Progress:

  • Camera
  • Sensors
  • GPS
  • Fingerprint <<<< Just for this point I’m really interested to have a feedback, I’m always thinking the fingerprint reader is faulty but that could be also only a software problem. So I guess if they could let it work really correctly they could advise Fairphone on the matter.
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For me, Gael and the /e/-project seems very serious to me. I use /e/ and am happy with it. Gael is someone with experience, also an entrepreneur, so he makes things happen professionally, he is not a little programmer with 2 friends hacking in the living room…

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BTW, if you count the people in the team at https://e.foundation/about-e/ you end up slightly above 40. Ok, it also has “regular contributors and occasional contributors”, i.e. not employees (how many of the 40+ are actually employees would be nice to know).

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It looks like they are pretty close to a beta release. Really good work, can’t wait to order my FP3 when it will be officially supported.

https://e.foundation/leaving-apple-google-giving-back-to-fight-covid-19-e-os-on-fairphone3-latest-updates-other-fresh-news/

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hmm… i will put it on my watch list. However - a lot of things are unclear to me in this /e/ thing. Its Android in Core, Any android Apps can be used (but jet they don’t mention HOW EXACTLY you get them there). Sideload is no Option for me. Better things to to with my spare time then side load every single app.
If it ends up by installing open Gapps in the end, then i can also just leaf it…
Also how exactly you can install it is not jet clear, lets see how difficult/Easy it will be. And: will you have (ore able to get) Root access?

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They have their own app store (with apps from fdroid and clearapk as far as I know), so no sideloading necessary. If you need paid apps from Googles Play Store you’d end up with Gapps, of course, but that’s the case for all alternative OSes.
At the moment the installation is basically the same as for LineageOS. An installer is in beta as far as I know but I haven’t tested that yet. Or you buy a refurbished phone from them and get /e/ preinstalled.
And yes, it’s possible to have root on /e/

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I wouldn’t agree on that point. You can download and install paid apps using Aurora store (and using a Google account in this case). So no need for Open Gapps. It’s just that some paid apps don’t work together with “only” microG (included in /e/ system).

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Thanks for clearing that up.
It’s different (Aurora + actual Google account vs. full Gapps) but same (applies to any alternative OSes).

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I may not have followed all the threads here but I’m wondering: Once available, isn’t installing /e/ OS a one-way street for you? I mean, there’s no officially approved method from Fairphone to reinstall the original OS, is there? How do you restore the original Android then in case of issues or whatever?

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Yet.
“We are working towards making available: a flashable image for download and manual flash”

Replacing Fairphone OS with /e/ is not officially approved by Fairphone in the first place, so the lack of an approved method to go back is not a real problem from a logical standpoint.

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Update on the beta testing program: the beta test will start today.

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Beta testing is still going on. Current plan is to finish by end of next week.

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Apparently it was pretty successful, no open issues and the installer is available!

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Apparently Fairphone and /e/ are now even officially partnering:

Original post in /e/ forum

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Sounds great!
Congratulation to the /e/-Team and many thanks to all testers.
I read instructions carefully but did not find an answer for the following question which is mandatory for me:
Can I go back to the original stock Fairphone Software if I face problems or do not like /e/ ?

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Not with an official stock install package by Fairphone for the time being, but if nothing keeps you from installing /e/ (you’ll have to unlock the bootloader), nothing will keep you from going back to stock either via TWRP …

… or via script/fastboot …

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Wow, this is awesome news!! :star_struck: :tada:

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What about lineage OS 17.1 now?

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