The release of the mobile platform /e/OS 3.2 has been introduced, focusing on user data privacy. The platform is founded by Gaël Duval, the creator of the Mandrake Linux distribution. The project supports 253 smartphone models and creates builds for the most popular ones. Custom editions of devices are prepared based on OnePlus, Fairphone, Teracube, and Pixel smartphones, distributed with pre-installed /e/OS firmware under the brands Murena One, Murena 2, Murena Fairphone 4/5/6, Murena Teracube 2e, Murena Pixel 5/7, and Murena SHIFTphone 8.
/e/OS firmware is developed as a branch of the LineageOS platform (based on Android), free from the ties to Google services and infrastructure to eliminate telemetry transmission to servers Google and enhance the level of privacy. Among other things, implicit information sending is blocked, such as requests to Google servers when checking network availability, resolving DNS, and determining the exact time.
The package includes microG, which offers independent analogs of Google services, allowing users to avoid installing proprietary components. For location determination via Wi-Fi and cell towers (without GPS), the UnifiedNlp layer can work through BeaconDB, OpenWlanMap, openBmap, OpenCellID, lacells.db, and other alternative services. Instead of Google’s search engine, the meta-search service Murena Find is offered based on the Qwant search engine.
To synchronize the exact time instead of querying Google's NTP server, requests are sent to servers from the NTP Pool collection, and DNS servers from the current provider are used instead of Google's DNS servers (8.8.8.8). The web browser defaults to having an ad and tracking script blocker enabled. For syncing files and application data, a proprietary service has been developed, compatible with Nextcloud-based infrastructure. The server components are based on open-source software and available for installation on user-controlled systems.
The user interface includes a custom environment for launching applications, BlissLauncher, an improved notification system, a new lock screen, and different styling. BlissLauncher features a set of automatically scalable icons developed for /e/OS and a separate selection of widgets (for example, a widget for showing weather forecasts).
The project also develops its own authentication manager, allowing a single account (user@murena.io) to be used for all services, registered during the initial setup. This account can be used to access your environment from other devices or via the web. Murena Cloud provides 1GB of free storage for your data, application synchronization, and backups.
The included applications are: the Mail client (a fork of K9-Mail), the Cromite web browser (based on Chromium), the OpenCamera application for camera work, QKSMS for instant messaging, nextcloud-notes for note-taking, MJ PDF viewer, opentasks planner, Magic Earth for maps, gallery3d for photo gallery, file manager, and the App Lounge application catalog.
Key changes in /e/OS 3.2:
- In the Advanced Privacy package, which transmits fake location and IP address data to applications while blocking built-in user activity tracking, a feature has been implemented to notify in real-time about attempts to send user data from applications. If desired, such notifications can be disabled in the settings.
- The App Lounge application manager now displays the sizes of applications installed from the F-Droid catalog. It provides a list of the most popular applications based on region rather than locale. Performance optimizations have been made.
- The firmware capabilities for Fairphone 6 smartphones have been expanded: support for configuring actions performed when the side button is pressed has been added; the Fairphone Camera application for camera use has been included; settings now allow limiting battery charge levels; proper operation of wired headsets for music listening and calls has been ensured.
- OTA updates with /e/OS based on Android 15 have been released for Fairphone 5, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 devices.
- The reliability of the parental control system has been improved.
- Updates and fixes have been carried over from the LineageOS 22.2 platform, based on the Android 15 codebase.
- The web browser engine has been updated to Chromium 141.0.7390.111.
- The microG package has been updated to version 0.3.10, which resolves issues that, in some cases, led to crashes when updating from an older version of /e/OS.
Source: opennet.ru
