Living without Google 2.0 - A Google free FP2

I think your are looking for https://microg.org, an open and free replace for Google Mobile Services.
It provides free alternatives for maps and network location: replaces GMaps with OpenStreetMap and Google network location with the provider you want (I use Mozilla’s).
Plus, and optionally, it can connect to Google servers for GCM push notifications and Google device register. Note that this features can leak information to Google.
Of course, it removes the irritating “Google Services are needed”-kind of messages, :wink:

Just download the APKs (GsmCore, GsfProxy and FakeStore/BlankStore are the minimum) from the official site (there’s a F-Droid dedicated repo, too), install the below Xposed Modules and reboot:

Edit: I wrote a post explaining Google Mobile Services and how they are putting AOSP in a cage. There you have:

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@ Johannes
Thanks a lot for the advice, but this is not what I want. For me it is not an option to install a google free Android (I love so much that fairphone made it possible for dummies like me!) and then put google back on because I can not live without some of it. I rather live without some apps as they can live without me if they are married with google :wink:

@ Roboe
Yeah, this sounds exactly like what I am looking for. I will definitely dive into that. But it will take time, I am slow… I will keep you updated about my progress. Thanks a lot.
It is awesome how people fight so hard for this little bit of privacy. I mean, you install one package and everythings works smooth. But just to avoid this one piece of software, which is used by one company to monopolize and supervise everything the costumers do, you have to make big efforts and loose quite some convienience. But the people do not give up! They always find ways to get where they want. It is like hundreds of Don Quixotes, and I like it. Damn, I sound like a pop song. Should stop here…

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@ Robo
a few questions to begin with.
Do I need the Xposed module “XposedGmsCoreUnifiedNIp” if I already use Unifiednlp from F-droid? If yes, why?
Do I need to install “GsfProxy” if I do not use google cloud services and need their push notifications? Is this what you called “optionally”? If yes, why?

Thanks in advance!

https://forum.fairphone.com/t/what-it-means-to-be-without-google/17174/7?u=spielmops

Sorry for the late move. Here is where we already discussed a lot about this topic and in the first post there is a guide on how to do it. It’s a wiki so feel free to add stuff that is missing.

No. Since 16.05 FP Open OS supports Unified NLP. You only need to install it and some backends from F-Droid and set it up.

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can you suggest any good Unified NLP backend from F-Droid?

I like them all.
You should have at least one offline and one online backend for wifi and cell data each.

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As an update. I have installed microG on the phone and it seems to work ok. No google play service messages any more. Yeah. GPS works ok, even though I will put some more effort in trying to get a quicker GPS fix.
BUT the app “outdooractive” (similar to “alpenvereinaktiv)”, which is the one I would like to use and which kept crashing and gave the message “The usage of the map is only possible with google play services”, is still crashing. This time without the google service message.
I have not installed “GsfProxy”, because I do not think that push notifications are necessary for this map app. Can that be the problem?
I have installed GsmCore, BlankStore and FakeGApps. I have not installed XposedGmsCoreUnifiedNIp, because UnifiedNlp is supported by FPOS16.06 and I have installed the app from F-droid together with different backends (and it works well).
I have given the outdooractive app all permits it wants with Xprivacy (to make sure that there is no conflict here).
Does anyone have an idea, why the app still crashes?

Android permissions are granted on app installation. Maybe your app needs some Google custom permission which hasn’t requested yet? Try reinstalling the “outdooractive” app.

Other possible case is that the app requests the location to the fused provider, which is not working and it’s a known error on the FP Open OS. The fused provider is the technical name of the mixed GPS location + network location (high precission location). This is the problem causing PlayStore (with OpenGApps) or transport apps like CityMapper to crash.

Personal thought: only greatly designed, wide compatibility, bug avoiding developed apps which specificly check for the absence of the fused provider work at the moment. And no, it’s not a common practice.

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I have re-installed outdooractive, so no permit problems.

Therefore the fused provider seems like a good (and unsatisfying…) explanation. This is supported by the fact, that the app works ok until I click “map”. As soon as it tries to open the map (or wants the location I guess) it crashes.
Too bad there is no alternative yet, but maybe soon. I hope so.
Anyway, at least because of your help I have a few useless messages less. That’s an advancement!

And yes, it is not a widely used app, so the chances it is not programmed to the highest standards is quite likely. I will write them an email and ask for it. Will let you know, if I get an answer.

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Hope FP team fixes that on the next version. It’s pretty annoying, :frowning:

Writing directly to the developers is a good idea. I’ll do it myself too. Good luck! :wink:

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7 posts were merged into an existing topic: GPS doesn´t work on FP Open OS

I just moved to FPOOS and I am using Raccoon to get some apps from Google Play.

I have problems with paid apps, like Titanium Backup Pro. This apps unlock the free app but it needs Google Play Services. So I can download the free app and the unlocker, but I can’t unlock the app.
Do you know any way to do it (without installing GAPPS of course)? Titanium is just an example, I have several apps like that.

You can donate via paypal to get a key for the pro version

Once your donation is sent, PayPal notifies me and I send your license ASAP. Keep an eye on your spam folder. Thank you !

Actually I already buy the unlocker via Google Play a long time ago, so I don’t really want to pay a second time.
I email the support of Titanium, but my question here was more general, I have several other apps like this.

I run fp open os on my fp2 and I’m trying to install xposed through the instructions above. I downloaded the zipfile, went into recovery mode and installed it, with a message signaling success. When I rebooted the phone, I got a message that read something like “Invalid download: Bad signature”. I’m pretty sure that I disabled the signaturecheck. So as a beginner to all of this, my questions are:

Is there a way to check if the download was succesful?
Can repeating the installation process do any harm?
Can proceeding with the installation of xposed do any harm?

Any suggestion would be helpful!

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Have you installed the correct version !! of Xposed? It must be the version for Lollipop!

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xposed-v86-sdk22-arm.zip

I assumed that the xposed-downloader either automatically finds out which version that you have or that it doesn’t matter for the initial zip-file, since the instructions didn’t mention it. I can’t find anything about the version in the setting of xposed-downloader either

It is the right file. You installed it with the recovery and got “successfully installed” so I assume, it is installed. From TWRP as recovery I know that the message comes from TWRP and you get back to the recovery. The message after reboot has another reason. Is there any hint, whatever send this message?

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Nope, it appeared as a tiny black box with rounded corner upon unlocking the phone, before fading. I can’t reproduce it by rebooting it again. I have encountered similar messages earlier (also when unlocking phone), but then they were talking about ‘socker errors’ or something like that