The guide looks more complicated than it is and contains some points that are only needed for specific modifications.
Basically you’ll just have to flash everything you flashed before via TWRP again.
For microG to impersonate Google Services, it needs signature spoofing. Just use Tingle.
To know more about the Android security model, or why this is needed, check other posts of mine like this one quoted below:
Sadly, Signal and other bunch of free apps depend on crappy proprietary GMS to work.
About your update concerns, Tingle patch (i.e. modifies) the system, so when you update the system to a newer, pristine version of FP Open, you’ll need to patch it again. But so far, you won’t have any other problem with the Fairphone Updater.
and will i have to remove tingle before being able to update or just reinstall after the update?
also, i was wondering – is it only necessary for the installation of the app? because then i could also install it and forget about it (after the next update)
Nop, you can update without reverting your modifications, but you lose them.
As of now (current Android state), you can install any app on the ecosystem (this wasn’t true some years ago). On runtime, those apps check if you have Google services, or a reimplementation like microG, and they use them if available. If not, then can occur two things:
The app crashes, when initializing or at some step (Signal’s registration)
The app shows an avoidable message of "lack of GMS” and can’t use some functions (usually push messages, so you don’t get notifications on Slack or Signal)
You can patch the system with Tingle, install microG, register on Signal, and update the system eventually. Then you can use Signal because you are already logged in, but you won’t receive push notifications.
Privacy note: microG still contact the Google Push Messaging servers and Google receive a bunch of metadata of your communications. However, with microG you can control that with the relatively new push messaging settings and by inspecting the code, which is completely open source.
hey @Roboe, thanks for all your replies and info again!
so i will need to keep signature spoofing even after the signal registration :\
I just tried to use tingle and I am getting “ERROR: No device detected! Please connect your device first.” after selecting option 1 (after running “python3 main.py”).
I already tried to change the “connected as”-option of the phone (MTP, PTP, mount sd card) but nothing worked. usb debugging is enabled and i allowed root access for adb.
– does anybody have an idea what could be the problem? (@ale5000?)
adb doesn’t work if you have any of these USB modes enabled, in my case. Just disable the one you have enabled (uncheck the active tick) to clear a path to ADB to work
yeah, well… signal still does not work.
the tingle patching reported that it was successful – so i guess it must be the issue from above: UnifiedNlp’s self-check does not have a known location
You need microG Services Core, not UnifiedNLP. The latter is only for location services, the former replaces more Google services. Add the microG’s repo to F-Droid: https://microg.org/download.html
i installed microG from fdroid according to the abovementioned guide (5.5).
there it says
Install the latest
*microG Services Core may be called “µg UnifiedNlp (no GAPPS)” instead, but make sure it displays “microg” and not “F-Droid” as the repository.
*microG Services Framework Proxy
*FakeStore
and at least one Unified NLP backend (from F-Droid repository).
I did all of this. Do I still need to install the apk from their website? (i.e. your link)
If yes, then our guide should be updated.
well ok. something’s wrong. I do not see any “microG settings” only “UnifiedNlp”-settings. I did add the µG fdroid repository and I made sure to install everything I quoted above. And yes, fdroid did not list “microG Services Core” but “µg UnifiedNlp (no GAPPS)”.
So something might be off with the repo and/or instructions. I will try with the apk from their site and report back