Submitted by TheCaribGrackle in LiGNUx

eelo is a Android-based mobile operative system that is currently being worked by the father of famous GNU/Linux distro Mandrake, Gaël Duval.

The mobile OS aims at creating a desirable, privacy-enabled and open source mobile operating system, and associated web services, such as cloud and mail.

Is not based on the typical AOSP, choosing to work on top of LineageOS instead.

Read more about it and check the official Kickstart here. The project has already been funded, with still 24 more days to go.

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jaidedctrl wrote

Pretty interesting, but IMO, it's just another Cyan/Lineage/AOSP off-shoot. I'm willing to bet the project will go alright for a few years, but then things will go under, the cloud service will go down, and the OS will just be an empty shell without it. Any existing installs will then just be haunting reminders of what had come and gone...

It just reeks of other attempts of OS-integrated cloud services like this-- and how they've failed. I'm a pessimist, though, so don't mind me.

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TheCaribGrackle OP wrote

I actually share your pessimism regarding this, which for me is not really pessimist but a reality of what could become of this project.

I'm way more interested in the future of the Librem 5 project, even if that itself just end's up being a mere seed to another project in the far future.

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jaidedctrl wrote (edited )

Oh my God, I've just taken a better look at the eelo project page, and now I think it's even worse than I did before. Basically all they have is a custom launcher (which they call "Blisslauncher," which can do things any other launch can do) on a custom Lineage ROM with no Play Services and a few curated apps installed.

Jesus. This just reeks of NIH-syndrome. Wasting hours making new icons (nevermind the many libre icon packs with similar design already available), a new launcher, and some "cloud service integration" in the future. (Basically they'll pre-install ownCloud. Maybe something original, but I doubt it.)

This entire thing reeks of a hobby project you'd find on the XDA Forums or something. A few tweaks, slight UI redesign (to feel unique, of course), and X thing pre-installed for a few heads to turn.

There's nothing unique about this, nothing technically interesting in the slightest-- just another ROM repackaging, basically. Shit, they didn't even mention proprietary firmware and how it could affect your privacy!

Oh, and they might "also start to maintain an eelo operating system for PCs."
Excellent! So they'll try to do everything, meaning they'll necessarily do all of it at best adequately, but probably badly.

I actually share your pessimism regarding this, which for me is not really pessimist but a reality of what could become of this project.

Yea, you're right. This isn't pessimism-- this project is just really bad.

I'm way more interested in the future of the Librem 5 project, even if that itself just end's up being a mere seed to another project in the far future.

Librem's been dishonest when it comes to firmware, and a bit too ambitious (I.E. they keep saying "we'll have a fully free phone/PC!" and it can never happen with the hardware choices they make :/). But they do cool stuff and bring people's attention to software freedom.

You're right, Librem will be a good seed. They show that there are enough people interested in privacy and freedom to carve out a solid niche in the market, and that these people are more than willing to throw money at such projects.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, Librem 5's significantly more technically impressive than eelo! eelo is an example of what not to do. Librem 5 is (roughly) what to do, jajaja

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