It is usually a reference website frequently used by GrapheneOS (GOS) users, as well as echo chambers such as Privacyguides and related media.
What it actually does is list the features of GOS, many of which are unique, to make the alternatives seem mediocre.
In this way, we can see who is making the most requests to the website to have them added:
https://github.com/eylenburg/eylenburg.github.io/issues?q=author%3Athestinger (Daniel Micay)
This allows them to promote themselves as the only option, since the others are ridiculously inferior.
Another way they operate is by attacking these alternatives, anyone who could compete with them, usually under the premise of security. Firefox, LineageOS, CalyxOS, /e/, Fairphone, and so on:
On that website, we can see angry GOS users doing what many of them normally do, criticizing other options so that GOS is the only one.
The others have no right to exist because they are terribly insecure, almost a fraud.
Of course, it’s easy to criticize security patches for taking so long to arrive when Google Pixels are the first to receive them.
I find this behavior by GOS totally unethical, coupled with the fact that we have to finance Google, another company whose conduct is the opposite of ethical, values that many of us seek in brands such as Fairphone, with their flaws and virtues, and in systems that are more honest than GOS, whose development involves constantly stepping on and attacking others.
Anyway, I would like to talk a little about the aforementioned website that GOS followers love to show off, and discuss the different sections in the Degoogling section.
I’m going to do this from LineageOS, which is what I use, and how to reduce and even eliminate connections to the Big G.
-eSIM activation-
If you want to avoid automatic Google connections, you only have to deny network access to system app, Sim Manager or com.google.android.euicc.
Or you may disable it with root.
-Provider for network-based location-
That needs Microg and could be disabled easily. It used to be Mozilla location but I don’t know what it is now.
-SUPL and PDS/EXTRA.
Disable “Use assisted GPS” and “location services” in Settings, Locations.
The first time it will take a while to establish a connection, as it is not network-based. A couple of minutes.
Use GPSTest from F-Droid in the background while using your GPS app, such as Comaps, to speed up the process.
If you don’t move too far from your current location, it will take about 30 seconds the next few times.
-Connectivity check/captive portal-
Deny access to internet to com.android.captiveportallogin and/or disable it.
With adb (rooted debugging, adb shell) or a Terminal like Termux (root) write this:
settings put global captive_portal_mode 0
You can change if you really need to connect to a captive portal:
settings put global captive_portal_https_url https://captiveportal.kuketz.de
settings put global captive_portal_https_url https://e.foundation/net_204/
reboot
-DNS connectivity check-
A connection to random-dnsotls-ds.metric.gstatic.com that can be avoided as follows:
Settings, Network & internet, Private DNS, Off
Adding a private DNS or even in automatic (default) makes a connection to Google.
-DNS server fallback-
Very rarely used. Many ROMS change this.
With LineageOS could be change only with root:
-Network time-
Go to System, date & time and uncheck “Automatic date and time” and “Automatic time zone”
Then, change to a fake value this way:
settings put global ntp_server dsf.dskdsfsnds.retrfs.dfs.dfsodfs
So you can check them again and may update using NITZ with no internet connection required.
Another possibility is using ntp.pool.org (not https, not recommended):
settings put global ntp_server x.xx.pool.ntp.org
-Hardware attestation provisioning-
com.android.rkpdapp (RemoteProvisioner)
Could be useful for secured apps.
Only deny network access.
-DRM (Widevine) provisioning-
Used by apps that use DRM like Netflix and so on. Connection to googleapis.com
Can’t be disabled but avoided using this magisk module in LIGHT mode:
Also select “Never check” in “Set HDCP checking behavior” in Developers options.
Anyway, with root, you can add this list to your hosts file:
And only consider the DNS connectivity check and DNS fallback (with LineageOS)