Fairphone’s approach to root on the Fairphone 2

[paulakreuzer]

@keesj

What we currently are working on is a way for user (non developers) to be able to install this system(e.g. make it easy to switch). We also will provide easy install of SuperUser (or similar) on that operating system.

This is what I wanted to hear.
Personally I’m happy with that as I need root but not GAPPS.

@keesj

(your phone, yours to break)

This disturbs me a bit. Are you seriously saying you guys sold 60.000 broken phones since 2013??!!

Did anything bad ever happen to a FP1 user because of root???

@keesj

we are giving user choice and even the possibility to replace his FULL operating system and take real control over his/her phone, no “rooting” needed.

@keesj

(the phone does not need rooting and has a unlocked boot loader)

Well changing the OS is not what most users need root for. Or did you mean users don’t need to tweak the OS as they can simply install a custom OS? Well I don’t think many of us can build their own custom OS to match their individual needs. Root can do that and I think people can easily learn how to use root but won’t know what to do with an unlocked boot loader.

@keesj

is ApkTrack any good?

Yes I think so. It doesn’t update automatically but it notifies you for new updates and gives you multiple options for downloading the update.
Downside: If you are using F-Droid as your main App-Store AppTrack will notify you for updates not yet available on F-Droid. And often the updates are not available for good reasons. (Update added Advertisement, Proprietary Code or Spyware)

@Feli

I need Titanium Backup Pro and AdAway.I also need Google Apps.So what do I do?

Are openGAPPS an option for you?

@TobiasF

I would suggest you open a thread where users can write why they want to root their FP2

There is: What apps with root access do you use?

@TobiasF

and you tell those users an alternative what they can do without rooting to achieve the same goal.

I don’t think any of those Apps can be replaced by a App that doesn’t require root. (Unless Fairphone develops it themselves and provides it as a preinstalled system App, but they don’t have the resources for that.)

@ErikBuelinckx

the marketeers of Google have successfully brainwashed the fairphone team

I wouldn’t express it that crass but it certainly sounds a bit like @keesj is not using his own words but those of the Google Marketing Machine.

In conclusion I hope:

• That there are some people in the Fairphone Software Team that don’t consider root the enemy and therefore switching to the FP Open OS doesn’t mean less frequent update and less support.
• That not to many users cancel their orders or send back their phones, but look at the bigger picture! Software Freedom was never one of the main issues Fairphone wanted to address, but with the FP Open OS they are still providing it. The user is not free without root, that’s true, but he is also not free WITH GAPPS. If you need some of Google’s Services there are alternatives e.g. the openGAPPS.