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Replicant (AKA The Little Red Robot) is an Android-based OS whose mission is to stick to the Free Software Foundation's guidelines more closely than its parent project.
The Replicant OS project reports
At Replicant, things are moving again: Replicant is being updated from Android 4.2 to Android 6.0 by Wolfgang Wiedmeyer. The status and feedback takes place in the forums before it is reviewed and integrated [into] the official Replicant repositories. This work is currently being done for the Galaxy S 3 (I9300).
[...] Wolfgang Wiedmeyer is also working on [...] Graphics acceleration [...] Building the toolchains [...]full device encryption and SELinux support.
Future directions: [...] support the upstream Linux kernel for devices with a minimal amount of effort [...] support upstream bootloaders, such as U-Boot.
[...] Helping Replicant by contributing to F-Droid
Replicant is supported [by and] recommended by the FSF and listed as a fully free software distribution that respects the GNU Free System Distribution Guidelines.
[...] F-droid is committed to distributing only free software, and it does. However, some [F-Droid apps promote non-FOSS sortware and/or depend on non-FOSS software and do] not comply with the GNU Free System Distribution Guidelines.
While the list of such anti-features is displayed in red when selecting an application in F-Droid, applications with anti-features are still listed aside compliant ones. This is also quite confusing since free software isn't expected to contain such anti-features in the first place.
[...] The anti-feature display is confusing and [...] there was no clear smoking gun.
[...] If you're interested to jump-in and help resolve this issue, please get in touch with us or with F-Droid developers directly to get directions on how to get started.
[Ed Note: Despite the significant number of "[...]" in this submission, after careful checking, they do not change the intent of the piece. This is something that we watch for in pieces that cut out parts of a quote, as leaving out words can be used to change the entire meaning of a piece, and effectively negate or intentionally confuse what is being said].
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @08:26PM
Are there open source projects that are like Linux for tablets and phones that aren't Android derivatives?
I just feel dirty knowing google contributed and that I am benefiting from anything they've sullied. Even if it is good, I don't want to become an addict, so I'd rather just avoid google's products, no matter who the pusher.
Note I have no skill, so programming anything more than a basic statement or something in logo is out of the question as far as my contributing or doing it myself. but I do donate to projects via the old fashioned way -- I give money or say nice things. Or both.
I'd rather feed someone doing the right thing than provide more bonus to some advertising ceo.
(Score: 3, Informative) by hendrikboom on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:08PM
Closest thing I know of is the Jolla tablet and phone. It's probably not free software, but they do make the underlying Linux available, and may even make root access available. There are questions about the Jolla phone's compatibility with North American carriers. But the tablet presumably doesn't have these problems.
(Score: 2) by Lunix Nutcase on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:35PM
The Jolla tablet ceased production nearly a year ago.
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Sunday September 04 2016, @10:06PM
I'm still waiting for refund #2 ! However, this week we hear Google is releasing Pixel phones running Sailfish and Marlin (what's that).
So maybe Jolla has a second gasp of life?
I know that we all just want our devices to work, but after Motorola ditching support for the Moto-E 4G , I don't know why they think I'll ever *ever* buy from them again, until software updates are made secure.
Hence, stuck with Nexus awaiting Nougat - but Sailfish offered Linux underneath and Android only when you needed it , which for many of us Penguin's is perfect!
(Score: 1) by GDX on Monday September 05 2016, @02:13AM
Sorry but Sailfish and Marlin are the code names of the phones, they run android... bad google naming.
(Score: 1) by pTamok on Monday September 05 2016, @11:42AM
Phones using Jolla's Sailfish Operating System under licence are available in India and in Russia.
India: the Intex Aqua Fish
Russia: the Oysters SF
Other phones are available, to a certain extent, as listed in this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailfish_OS#Devices_from_other_vendors_licensing_Sailfish_OS, [wikipedia.org] in addition, the same article gives a list of phones to which the O/S has been ported by enthusiasts.
I am not linked to Jolla or any of the phone manufacturers/distributors.
I very much want an 'official' Sailfish O/S phone available in Europe, as my Jolla phone has a cracked screen (dropped too many times). I very much like having a choice of something else other than Android (and derivatives) or Apple.
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Monday September 05 2016, @01:23PM
seems a bit too coincident....sailfish(from jolla) was linux with some android - perhaps sailfish(from google) is that same.
I think we all want a future where there are no binary blobs on our devices, and no back doors in the silicon.
Crazy eh?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 05 2016, @03:32PM
No it's not a coincidence. It's merely a codename for the phone. Nothing more.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:41PM
When Jolla went for funding, they very quickly made it clear that, WRT redistribution, they were using a very traditional EULA. [jolla.com]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:44PM
Disregard that, I suck cocks.
-- gewg_
(Score: 3, Interesting) by nishi.b on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:09PM
I am myself looking for something like this : gnu/linux system that can run all linux software (for example KDE plasma active, krita, thunderbird...), but will not send all my data to google.
I found some projects, such as Ubuntu phone, Meego (now sailfish ?), and firefox os, but they all seem to be either dying (firefox os is not developped by Mozilla anymore, meego stopped, sailfish seems more or less dead).
You can buy an ubuntu phone right now, but they are not fully compatible with standard ubuntu packages and they cannot run android apps.
And this is the main problem : nobody will buy a phone if there are no apps for it.
I thought some of those projects (Meego ?) wanted to create a compatibility layer to run android apps, but I don't think this ever worked.
Plasma Active can be installed on a few phones, but there are driver issues, so many things won't work
Also, I don't know how I can install a new OS on a phone, and have all hardware driver working : multitouch, cameras, mike, GPS, fingerprint scanner etc.
If someone knows how to
- run a standard linux distribution on a phone
- with the ability to use voice calls, SMS...
- working camera, multitouch, GPS, FM radio, Wifi, Bluetooth...
-running android apps in a sandbox (so an app cannot read my files but has access to a vitual empty directory, simulated access to the mike if it asks for it...)
That would be a phone that I would like to buy...
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @10:01PM
Disregard that, I suck cocks.
-- gewg_.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:32PM
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @10:22PM
MY EYES! IT FLASHES WHEN I SCROLL!
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @10:24PM
Your display fucking sucks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 05 2016, @09:34AM
Loser Chooses to Lose and Blames it On Jews
So much for personal responsibility.
Trump! Trump! Trump!
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:46PM
Are there open source projects that are like Linux for tablets and phones that aren't Android derivatives?
For when Linux isn't Linuxy enough for you! What a whiner. You should use Android! It's Linux! LOLOL
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:47PM
Disregard that, I suck cocks.
-- gewg_
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @09:49PM
Disregard cocks, I suck ass.
-- jewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @10:02PM
At least you didn't recommend installing windows or IOS raspberry pi derivatives!
I take it you are just after convenience; that's ok. you received what you wanted and now you're lashing out because it cost you more than you paid, and you can't even get your money back.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @10:11PM
Linux became big business, bitch. You're just a fat manchild whining about how Linux should have stayed in the basement. Now you're jealous because Linux found its way into girls pants before you did.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 05 2016, @01:05AM
Linux is for butt-ramming faggots who are too stingy to even give a reacharound.