GrapheneOSMay 6

We need an Android OEM or someone working at one to provide us with early access to the Android 16 sources in order to have a smooth port this year. We need this before June. We requested it to help with this very difficult situation (see the linked thread) and still need it.

https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/114359660453627718

GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS@grapheneos.social)

One of our two senior developers has been forcibly detained and conscripted to participate in a war. When they first went missing, we revoked their repository access as a precaution. We soon learned their disappearance was completely unrelated to GrapheneOS. Our priority has been keeping them safe.

GrapheneOS Mastodon
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 6
GrapheneOS Foundation can sign an NDA for this. We can act as a contractor for an Android OEM or one of their contractors. We need this early access so that we can start early due to the developer who usually does most of it being unavailable. If you can get us this, please help.
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
Since we still haven't received early access to Android 16 sources, we'll need to begin deciding which subset of the GrapheneOS features must be ported and which ones could be initially dropped and added back in the following weeks in order to keep doing full security patches.
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
For example, our 2-factor fingerprint unlock feature is going to be particularly hard to port due to massive changes to the lockscreen code in Android 16. We can drop it for the initial release and add it back later with user configuration being preserved so it works as before.
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
Without early access, our porting process is likely going to involve making an initial release with dozens of GrapheneOS features missing to get initial Alpha testing going, then adding back features alongside fixing many upstream regressions and a small number of porting issues.
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
In the past few years, we've typically been able to make an experimental release with all of our features ported within a day or two of the new yearly release being pushed to the Android Open Source Project. It tends to take a week to reach Stable, which was already too long.
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
Over time, we've added many more features including ones which are harder to port including sandboxed Google Play compatibility layer, Storage Scopes, Contact Scopes, 2-factor unlock and much more. Some MUST be ported for an initial release, others could be temporarily omitted.
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
We hired an extremely talented developer in 2021 who later became our lead developer. He was doing the majority of this porting work from 2022 on. He's currently stuck in a military training camp due to being forcibly conscripted so we need standard early OEM access this year.
Si  (he/him)May 9
Show threadGrapheneOS
If you want to see GrapheneOS continue, please help us get early access to Android 16 sources before the end of the month. We ideally need all of it so we can do early builds for the emulator, but even just having a few of the most important repositories early would help a lot.
May 9 at 3:25pmWeb
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
In exchange for an OEM providing us with early access, we can help with fixing multiple severe vulnerabilities and weaknesses fixed by GrapheneOS which are not being reported to Google due to them blocking us from having partner access. We can help in far more ways than that too.
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
Every Android OEM licensing GMS has access to what we need and could provide it to us under a contract where we're working on GrapheneOS with it for their benefit. Every Android OEM has substantially benefited from our upstream work, and could benefit more if they worked with us.
Show threadEquity7804 🍉May 9
@GrapheneOS @Fairphone wouldn't that be great ?
Show threadCerebrosuSMay 10
@GrapheneOS @volla might want to have the advantage...
Show threadMay 9
@GrapheneOS why actually is Google blocking you guys?
Show threadGrapheneOSMay 9
@pft Their security team repeatedly tried to get us partner access and their partner management people blocked it from happening because we aren't an Android OEM licensing Google Mobile Services. They made it seem like it could theoretically happen if we obtained Compatibility Test Suite certification for GrapheneOS and signed an incredibly anti-competitive agreement massively limiting what we can do, but that's completely unacceptable and they only said it might be possible, not a real offer.
Show threadMay 9
@GrapheneOS that sounds absolutely crazy 😵‍💫
Show threadKevin Karhan May 9
@pft @GrapheneOS yes it is and I wished @EUCommission would.go after #Google.for that and force them to keep #Android #FLOSS!
Show threadIlias 🤓May 9

@GrapheneOS

"If you want to see GrapheneOS continue, please help us get early access to Android 16 sources before the end of the month."

This doesn't sounds good at all..

Show threadGaeilgeoirMay 10

@GrapheneOS Hi, I love the work GOS has been doing for the AOSP community. I would be very keen to help sustain the project.

How could end users help GrapheneOS with obtaining a partnership like this?

Show threadGrapheneOSMay 10
@Gaeilgeoir There are many people who use GrapheneOS who work for Android OEMs and could help us get what we would. It's widely available.
Show threadGaeilgeoirMay 10

@GrapheneOS I don't work for an Android OEM, but a portion of GrapheneOS's user base could, or OEMs could be interested in partnering with GrapheneOS for the reasons mentioned in this thread.

Let's hope that a partnership is put in place soon, as that would benefit the community and GrapheneOS's partners.