Questions about moving to Lineage OS on FP2

Hi,

I have a n FP2 and am currently on latest version of FP OpenOS:
Fairphone Open 19.11.2 19.11.2/sibon-24df0be9

I am thinking of trying out Lineage OS and wanted to know if there are any major differences in the 2 OSs, if F-Droid is still available etc. I don’t use FB, the only ‘social’ apps I have are Twitter, WhatsApp, BandCamp and Mixcloud.

I do use the camera, want a secure & private SMS tool (using Silence at present), PocketMaps and some other sound recording apps.

I am a fairly basic user so will I have access to the similar set of apps? I am assuming yes as they are built for Android so my questions really are:

  1. does Lineage have and support all the same (roughly) apps I currently have?
  2. it seems Lineage is more up to date than FP OS, is that the case and does it really matter?

There is this topic but it isn’t that detailed:

Thanks folks

S

My assumption also is that Lineage is as Google free as an Android OS can be?

Again, seems to be so but want to be 100% certain!

https://wiki.lineageos.org/gapps.html

Yes.
Your assumption is correct … it’s Android. Just install F-Droid and your usual Apps and you’re good to go … as long as your Apps work on newer Android versions.

Yes.

Depends on your priorities.

The current LineageOS 16.0 is Android 9.0.
The upcoming LineageOS 17.0 is Android 10.0.
While I always insist that a version number alone is not an improvement in itself, LineageOS certainly feels more up-to-date. While it would be debatable whether every change in a new Android version is for the better, LineageOS is helped in this regard by Fairphone’s (understandable) troubles with Android 7. To improve on that seems a low hurdle to clear if you disregard Google’s Android certification, like LineageOS does.

Regarding updates …

Fairphone’s updates don’t come that often anymore, but they are beta-tested before release.
LineageOS updates come more often, but the releases are automatic nightly builds you install at your own risk. LineageOS aims for stuff to not break, naturally, but automatic builds are automatic builds. If you want to feel secure, perhaps somebody takes the plunge and test drives a build a little (Example with LineageOS for microG, which is a LineageOS fork with microG robustly built-in, for those who want to have that).

As can be? I don’t know. Every Android is based on Google’s work, and there are always still bits and pieces here and there which can be discussed.

Let’s say: If you were content with Fairphone Open OS in this regard, then there’s no harm in checking out LineageOS.

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Most helpful @AnotherElk

Thank you

S

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If avoiding Google as much as possible is an aim of you then you might also have a look at /e/.
One of the aims of /e/ is exactly to avoid transferring data/information to google while at the same time trying to address non-tech-savvy people.
An advantage may be that updates are not published as often as with LineageOS and they are tested before being released. On the other hand /e/OS is still in a beta phase (but IMHO stable) and current official version for FP2 is still based on Android Nougat (v7).

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Thanks @Volker - I’ll check that out too.

I’m reasonably tech savvie so am happy to try Lineage but good to know this is out there too.

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I’ve had an FP2 user who reported a banking app incompatibility with any Android OS other than Google-certified ones (first experiencing that after having switched to LineageOS).

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Fairphone Open OS isn’t Google certified either.
Fairphone OS is … and Fairphone Open OS is derived from Fairphone OS … so the Google certification puts some kind of binds on the official OS with all the Google stuff, and the Open OS variant can take a lot of Google stuff out of the OS, but can’t do miracles in being different.

Custom ROMs can be different, see e.g. here at “How do Custom ROMs do it?” … https://www.xda-developers.com/in-depth-capitulation-of-why-msm8974-devices-are-excluded-from-nougat/

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I have the same issue. I still have an iPad (had it for years, still works so no need to replace just yet) and I have to do all my banking on that as none of the bank apps work on Open OS

Exactly as @AnotherElk says, FP OS isn’t Google certified so I’m used to the restrictions around specific apps and have a work around at present

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Hi,

I installed Lineage with no issues today and have installed all my apps; I have 3 questions:

  1. I backed up all my SMS messages from Silence and copied them to my SD card - I cannot remember where I need to save them to allow me to import back into Silence. Have requested advice on their Twitter account but nothing forthcoming yet.
  2. I use OandO backup - I can’t see a way to restore things like my WhatsApp chat history - is this at all possible
  3. I am trying to reinstall the Xposed framework but when I access the downloader there are no frameworks showing - it would appear that Xposed only goes to sdk27 and my Lineage version is sdk28. Is Xposed not avialable for this version yet or am I missing something?

Happy to head the xda forums if needed but you are all so quick and helpful here I wanted to try here first! :slight_smile:

Thanks

s

For info, the app does not give you an option to select where to recover from, it seems to look at a specific directory hence my question

This is not really a big issue, more of a curiosity

The framwork downloader only goes up to sdk25, the xposed site only to sdk27

#-------------- Update --------------------#
Hmm, it seems that the dev of this has proved tricky and does not seem to be available from Nougat.

Apparently Magisk does the same thing - has anyone used this and does it have the same/similar modules?

Thanks

s

---- and more! —

Seems no further dev will be made on Xposed Framework and v90-beta3 from 1/05/19 seems to be the last update.

So, is there still a need for apps like Greenify, XPrivacyLua etc. in the latest Android or am I just clinging to what I used to use for no good reason?

If not are there any UI tweak apps etc. people would/could recommend or again, is there really no need for this anymore?

:thinking:

S

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For a.o. Whatsapp chat history, I personally use Titanium Backup and it works like a charm.
And for SMS I use SMS Backup+ that sync them within my emails.

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Thanks for this, checked out SMS Backup+ but it says you have to link it to a Gmail account to use it. I don’t have a Google account so any other recommendations?

Thanks

S

No you can use it with any email account, you have to configure the IMAP server address in the settings. They advise gmail because it is configured out-of-the box :wink:

For the record, the sms are stored in a single database that you can access with ADB/Root:

Android up to version 6.0:
adb pull /data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
Android 7.0 and higher:
adb pull /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db

3 Likes

Thanks for the info, checking it all out now

:star_struck:

Note that in (at least) the last version of Titanium backup, an additional module is installed that reads SMS and allows you to backup them :slight_smile:

3 Likes

I downloaded Titanium Backup, paid my £5 for the Pro version and since then I cannot use it. Will not run, always crashes, have followed all the steps on their support site and still no luck. Have emailed them 3 times now over the course of 2 weeks and not even an acknoeledgment of my requests.

Glad this is working for you but they have ripped me off so personally I would not recommend this to anyone.

Hello!
Sorry to hear that :frowning:
I use the free version, titanium backup 8.4.0.2
Never tried the paid version so I cannot help you.
Did you root your device?

2 Likes

Yes, rooted the device.
Have emailed asking for a refund and if not will have to get it done through Paypal. Wanted to
support the dev but not been a good experience this time around.
Cheers

s

Hello to be 100% certain to have an OS without a bit of your data going to Google, I would suggest /e/OS which is the 1st goal of the team: offering an 100% unGoogled Os to people. All default Apps has been cleaned, the AppStore provides Apps from F-Droid + the most popular PlayStore Apps.
Here is the ROM + the detailed procedure to flash your phone: Info about Fairphone FP2 - FP2