After four and a half years since the last update, the fourth version of the Replicant project has been released, developing a completely open variant of the Android platform, free from proprietary components and closed drivers. The Replicant 6 branch is built on the codebase of LineageOS 13, which is based on Android 6. Compared to the original firmware, Replicant has replaced a large portion of proprietary components, including video drivers, binary firmware for Wi-Fi, libraries for working with GPS, compass, webcam, radio interface, and modem. Builds have been prepared for 9 devices, including Samsung Galaxy S2/S3, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Nexus, and Galaxy Tab 2.
Among the changes in the new version:
- In the app for making and receiving calls, the issue with preserving privacy data has been resolved, which previously led to leaks of incoming and outgoing call details due to phone number checks in WhitePages, Google, and OpenCnam services.
- The application for working with the F-Droid catalog has been removed, as many of the programs offered in this catalog do not meet the Free Software Foundation's requirements for fully free distributions.
- Binary firmware related to the operation of the 'back' and 'home' buttons has been identified and removed (the buttons retain their functionality without this firmware).
- The firmware for touch screens of the Galaxy Note 8.0 has been removed, as there were no source texts available.
- A script has been added to completely disable the modem. Previously, when switching to airplane mode, the modem was put into low power mode, which did not fully disable it, and the proprietary firmware installed in the modem continued to operate. In the new version, the operating system loading into the modem is blocked to disable it.
- The non-free Ambient SDK, transferred from LineageOS 13, has been removed.
- Issues with SIM card recognition have been resolved.
- Instead of RepWiFi for managing wireless connections, patches have been employed to enable the stock Android menu for external wireless adapters.
- Support for Ethernet adapters has been added.
- Scripts have been added to configure network operation based on USB devices. Support for USB adapters based on the Ralink rt2500 chip has been added, operating without loading firmware.
- By default, OpenGL rendering in applications uses the llvmpipe software rasterizer. The system components of the graphical interface use rendering via libagl. Scripts have been added to switch between OpenGL implementations.
- Scripts have been added to simplify the assembly of Replicant from source texts.
- A wipe command has been added to clear partitions in storage.
At the same time, the development status of the Replicant 11 branch, based on the Android 11 platform (LineageOS 18) and supplied with a standard Linux kernel (vanilla kernel, not from Android), has been published. The new version is expected to support the following devices: Samsung Galaxy SIII (i9300), Galaxy Note II (N7100), Galaxy SIII 4G (I9305), and Galaxy Note II 4G (N7105).
Builds may also be prepared for other devices supported in the standard Linux kernel and meeting Replicant's requirements (devices must ensure modem isolation and come with a removable battery to guarantee that the device is truly powered off after the battery is disconnected). Devices supported in the Linux kernel but not meeting Replicant's requirements may be adapted for use with Replicant by enthusiasts and offered as unofficial builds.
The main requirements of the Free Software Foundation for fully free distributions are:
- Inclusion of software with approved FSF licenses in the distribution;
- Prohibition on the delivery of binary firmware and any binary driver components;
- The rejection of immutable functional components, but the possibility of including non-functional ones, provided there is permission to copy and distribute them for commercial and non-commercial purposes (for example, CC BY-ND maps for a GPL game);
- The inadmissibility of using trademarks whose terms of use hinder free copying and distribution of the entire distribution or any of its parts;
- Compliance with the licensing purity of documentation, the inadmissibility of documentation that recommends the installation of proprietary software to solve specific tasks.
Source: opennet.ru
