We already had to wait until the stable tags to get the vast majority of the source code, so not much will change overall. It’s a major step in the wrong direction but without a large direct impact on us. It only reinforces that we need to obtain partner access via an OEM we can work with to help improve their platform security while also being able to port our changes earlier.
I was thinking more about the additional development time and how far behind open source devs would be vs OEMs. Having all development be closed leaves a sour taste either way.
How so? I doubt many ROMs are based on code that isn’t part of an Android release. Surely GrapheneOS devs can just use the Android 16 branch once it’s released to make an Android 16 version of GrapheneOS.
Nobody’s saying that Google won’t give them the code, though. Nothing is moving to closed source, Google just isn’t going to be showing the current work-in-progress code for the next release to the public.
Wonder how it will affect custom Rom developement like GrapheneOS.
From GrapheneOS:
It won’t kill it immediately but if anyone wants to keep it going it’s going to further and further diverge from real Android over time.
I was thinking more about the additional development time and how far behind open source devs would be vs OEMs. Having all development be closed leaves a sour taste either way.
How so? I doubt many ROMs are based on code that isn’t part of an Android release. Surely GrapheneOS devs can just use the Android 16 branch once it’s released to make an Android 16 version of GrapheneOS.
Well if they move large portions of the project to closed source aosp would have to diverge if google isn’t going to give them the code.
Google is still planning on giving them the code; that’s in the article
I’m sure that’ll change.
Android is GPL so I don’t see how that would really work
Although they could pull a Red Hat
Red hat got away with it so I imagine more companies will, google included.
I really hope the courts put a stop to it at some point. There are a few active cases at the moment and US courts historically have backed the GPL.
Nobody’s saying that Google won’t give them the code, though. Nothing is moving to closed source, Google just isn’t going to be showing the current work-in-progress code for the next release to the public.
I don’t think it’ll change. Google will still be releasing source snapshots for each release.
Isn’t Graphene Lineage OS based?
Well, this is exactly the kind of question one asks if one wants to get lectured about multiple ways they’re wrong by the graphene developers.
In other words, no. It isn’t :)
Before long I’ll be getting threats…