I think it’s not a hidden Google Service, because OsmAnd stores the voice prompts in its own data directory. However it might be a Google library that is part of the OsmAnd build. Google has created a whole bunch of libraries that developers can use in their applications - and not all of them “phone home” to Google for data mining reasons. You can download, update or delete voice prompts via the “Manage Map Files” menu where you find a section "Voice prompts (TTS-synthesized, prefer).
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and not all of them “phone home” to Google for data mining reasons
Well, I can’t believe that. I’ve keeping a close eye on Google’s technologies for a long period of time (read: years before moving out of their services) and even their open source ones call home on one way or another (note: even a single connection to one of their servers IS a home call).
I’m just being cautious; maybe you’re right. I’ll investigate further this matter (I’ve never been a fan of talking/beeing talk by a machine…)
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Well if OSMand had any Google Library included that called home, all of F-Droids alarm bells would ring and - if at all - the app would only be available plastered with anti-feature-alerts. The only anti-feature OSMand has is that it contains non-free elements (artwork and layouts).
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I guess the FDroid version is not the Google Play version (why is the FDroid version called with a virgulilla at the end, if there are no differences?). You can trust the FDroid version, of course (could we call it then OsmAnd~ to distinguish them?)
Android apps have a system of flavours to build different products from the same codebase. It is common to have a normal flavour (with proprietary dependencies) and a fdroid/libre flavour (without any non-free).
An example is Twidere (build.gradle), whose GPlay version uses Google Services but whose FDroid version is fully libre.
I have no time right now to investigate the OsmAnd build.gradle, but it does have flavours, including one called free (as in freedom or as in free beer?):
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I have a kind of important addition to my previous post here. Soon after setting up my Google Free FP2 as described above, I started experiencing battery drains (the bad ones: 50% in 3 hours), overheating of the CPU unit and random reboots.
After quite an extensive search, involving plenty CPU monitor and wakelock detector apps, I finally figured out my problems were all due to aCalDav. Since I deleted the app, I’ve been able to use my battery for >30h again, instead of just 6. Quite the improvement. 
Right now, I’m using the CalendarSync app:
http://ntbab.dyndns.org/apache2-default/seite/index.html
It’s paid, but the developer provides a link to the .apk file for a 2-week free trial and if you pay €6 via bank transfer or PayPal (thus avoiding Google Play and the likes), you get a license code. Pretty awesome.
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DAVdroid does the job for me free and battery friendly.
There are two German email providers I know of that only charge a sixth of what you pay per month and have a clearly better reputation than United Internet (GMX, Web.de).
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I fully agree. DAVdroid works excellent on my system.
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stupid question: how did you log in to your google account (I do need STAVA too !!) ??
I have just install FPopenOS, so i m really google free right now !
Indeed, but I didn’t mean to do unnecessary advertising. 
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I usually get the “no unneccessary advertising”-thing, but in a topic where people help each other out configuring their Google-free life, I think actually mentioning the providers might be helpful.
I’m pretty sure DAVdroid would work just as well for me.
However, after getting rid of aCalDav, I ran into someone appraising CalendarSync first, and when using the trial I was so happy I didn’t look any further. Figured the developer had earned a 6 euro one-time payment.
Your remark on GMX’s reputation made me wonder though. What about it? Not being a German it’s easy to miss these things. Anyways, what you said made me realize the app I’m using isn’t made by GMX at all. I had never heard of it and figured the developers mail address ending at @GMX.de would mean that it’d be the company she works at. Turns out it’s just a free e-mail provider. Makes sense.
T’was a long time ago and I do not have the FP2 any more. I think it’s Settings - Accounts - Google. Log in with your Google username and pwd and before you do anything else, untick all the boxes otherwise it will start syncing everything automatically. Hope that helps. F.
GMX and Web.de chose the marketing brand “E-Mail made in Germany”, which in particular means nothing while pretending to be extraordinarily secure. I refuse to call this behaviour customer oriented. Not to mention De-Mail, the German approach to secure (not) and trusted (not) legal electronic mail.
Most email providers, just as United Internet, in truth are advertising companies which don’t give a damn about their users’ security, rather profit from tracking and snooping them, collecting their personal data etc. Cynically you could say you get what you pay for.
Therefore I chose to actually pay my email provider of choice for being just a trustworthy email provider.
On the other hand I don’t understand why I should need a separate app just for dealing with just one provider while making use of an open standard (email). There are far better generic apps out there (K-9 Mail, for example).
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Hi
I can install Etar and the Offline Calendar on my FP2 OpenOS. But when I want to create an event by tapping on a day or hour, a page opens saying “charging” and nothing else happens. Any idea what that means ?
Thanks à lot
@StephanK, thanks for the explanation about web.de and GMX.
That’s why I use K9 with a paid and very trustworthy e-mail provider as well. (Dutch provider XS4ALL was derived from a hacker collective almost 25 years ago. If anyone cares about privacy and security, it’s them.)
Murks, what does the screen look like? Is it an Etar-screen, or the FP charging screen?
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Hi
I think it’s an ETAR screen, the menu is still available. I don’t even know what is being charged. After all, I didn’t wait for hours … 
Does it mean the application is trying to establish a network connection ? I thought its meant to be “standalone” ?
I am curious, if it’s not overreaching on my part, what components do you use microG for ? I have explored it for Ingress (got me banned lol) but apart from this, LocationProviders and apps which require GMF (which I usually just doesn’t install) I wouldn’t use it. Most of the apps I see on GPlay are on Aptoide, too.
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Location (Mozilla backend), Maps API v2 (OpenStreetMap) and Push Notifications (yes, I know, metadata…)
I also use BlankStore for update my (ugh) non-free apps. Most of them are transport apps (Transportr doesn’t have support for Madrid metro nor train) and communication tools (hate their GCM dependency, ¬¬). Everything else is free on my phone (I prefer mobile websites to proprietary apps).
Aptoide apps could depend of GMS too. It just depends on the developer.
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Aptoide apps could depend of GMS too. It just depends on the developer.
Most GMF dependent apps I use from Aptoide (like slack) whine about the lack of GMF but work anyway 
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Yes, I know. The “GMS are needed” popup is very annoying for me (specially for Slack) and I prefer knowing when someone mentions me (or @here or @all) on Slack too, 
Anyway, I needed the Maps API v2, so… But I would be nice to have an option to filter which apps can request a token for GCM (I don’t know why my bus app requires this, honestly)
PD: Should any moderator move this conversation to other microG-related thread? I feel it doesn’t belong to this thread anymore.
Edit: Thank you, @Stefan
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