The release of the mobile platform /e/OS 1.20, aimed at preserving user data privacy, has been presented. The platform is founded by Gaël Duval, the creator of the Mandrake Linux distribution. The project provides firmware for many popular smartphone models, as well as under the brands Murena One, Murena Fairphone 3+/4, and Murena Teracube 2e, offering editions of smartphones OnePlus One, Fairphone 3+/4, and Teracube 2e with pre-installed /e/OS firmware. A total of 224 smartphones are officially supported.
/e/OS firmware is developed as a fork of the Android platform (using developments from LineageOS), free from dependencies on Google services and infrastructure, which allows for compatibility with Android applications and simplifies hardware support while blocking telemetry transmission to servers Google and ensuring a high level of privacy. Implicit information transmission, such as requests to Google servers for network availability checks, DNS resolution, and precise time determination, is blocked.
To interact with Google services, a microG package is pre-installed, which eliminates the need for proprietary components and offers independent alternatives to Google services. For location determination via Wi-Fi and cell towers (without GPS), a layer based on Mozilla Location Service is used. Instead of the Google search engine, a custom meta-search service based on a fork of the Searx engine is provided, ensuring anonymity for submitted requests.
For accurate time synchronization, the NTP Pool Project is used instead of Google NTP, and the current provider's DNS servers replace Google’s (8.8.8.8). The default web browser includes an ad and tracking script blocker. A custom service for file synchronization and application data has been developed, which can work with infrastructure based on NextCloud. Server components are based on open-source software and are available for installation on user-controlled systems.
The user interface has been significantly redesigned and includes a dedicated environment for launching applications, BlissLauncher, an improved notification system, a new lock screen, and other stylistic enhancements. BlissLauncher features a specially developed set of automatically scalable icons and a selection of widgets (for example, a weather forecast widget).
The project is also developing its own authentication manager, allowing the use of a single account (user@murena.io) for all services, which can be registered during the initial setup. This account can be used to access your environment through the web or on other devices. Murena Cloud provides 1GB of free storage for storing your data, synchronizing applications, and backups.
By default, it includes applications such as an email client (K9-mail), web browser (Bromite, a fork of Chromium), camera app (OpenCamera), instant messaging app (qksms), note-taking system (nextcloud-notes), PDF viewer (MJ PDF), task planner (opentasks), maps app (Magic Earth), photo gallery (gallery3d), and file manager (DocumentsUI).
Key changes in /e/OS 1.20:
- The design of the Advanced Privacy package has been updated, allowing the transmission of fake location data and IP addresses to applications, as well as blocking built-in user activity tracking systems within apps. Statistics on the number of blocked personal data leaks and the applications causing these leaks over the last 30 days have been added.
- The MJ PDF app has replaced PDF Viewer Plus for viewing PDF documents.
- Support for automatic resuming of interrupted update downloads has been implemented.
- Compatibility with the Application Licensing API used in some applications to verify license status has been ensured, to confirm that the user is permitted to use the program.
- Support for the On Demand Modules API has been established, allowing APK packages for split applications to be loaded as needed.
- In the App Lounge, a level zero privacy label has been implemented for applications whose terms of use contain questionable clauses related to privacy violations and user data transmission.
- Fixes from the LineageOS 20 branch have been transferred.
- For the Murena Two device, the default camera resolution has been set to 12MP.
- The Fairphone 5 device has been updated to version FP5.TT40.A.131.20231130.
- Developer builds have been prepared for Pixel 5 and Moto G7 Play devices.
Source: opennet.ru
