Presented release of a mobile platform /e/OS 1.20, aimed at maintaining the confidentiality of user data. The platform was founded by Gael Duval (Gaël Duval), creator of the Mandrake Linux distribution. Project provides firmware for many popular smartphone models, as well as under the brands Murena One, Murena Fairphone 3+/4 and Murena Teracube 2e offers editions of OnePlus One, Fairphone 3+/4 and Teracube 2e smartphones with pre-installed /e/OS firmware. Total officially supported 224 smartphones.
The /e/OS firmware is being developed as a fork from the Android platform (LineageOS developments are used), freed from binding to Google services and infrastructure, which allows, on the one hand, to maintain compatibility with Android applications and simplify equipment support, and on the other hand, to block the transfer of telemetry to Google servers and ensure a high level of privacy. Implicit sending of information is also blocked, for example, access to Google servers when checking network availability, resolving DNS and determining the exact time.
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To interact with Google services, the microG package is preinstalled, which allows you to do without installing proprietary components and offers independent analogues instead of Google services. For example, to determine location using Wi-Fi and base stations (without GPS), a layer based on Mozilla Location Service is used. Instead of the Google search engine, it offers its own metasearch service based on a fork of the engine Searxensuring the anonymity of sent requests.
To synchronize the exact time, instead of Google NTP, NTP Pool Project is used, and instead of Google DNS servers (8.8.8.8), the DNS servers of the current provider are used. The web browser has an ad and script blocker enabled by default to track your movements. To synchronize files and application data, we have developed our own service that can work with infrastructure based on NextCloud. Server components are based on open source software and available for installation on user-controlled systems.
User Interface substantially redesigned and includes its own environment for running applications BlissLauncher, an improved notification system, a new lock screen and a different style. BlissLauncher uses a set of automatically scaling icons and a selection of widgets specially developed for the project (for example, a widget for displaying a weather forecast).
The project is also developing its own authentication manager, which allows the use of a single account (user@murena.io) for all services, registered during the first installation. The account can be used to access your environment via the Web or on other devices. The Murena Cloud provides 1GB of free space for storing your data, synchronizing applications and backups.
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By default, it includes applications such as an email client (K9-mail), web browser (Bromitea fork of Chromium), a program for working with a camera (OpenCamera), a program for sending instant messages (qksms), note-taking system (nextcloud-notes), PDF viewer (MJ PDF), scheduler (opentasks), a program for working with maps (Magic Earth), photo gallery (gallery3d), file manager (DocumentsUI).
Basic changes in /e/OS 1.20:
- The design of the Advanced Privacy package has been updated to enable the transfer of fictitious location and IP address data to applications, as well as block user activity tracking systems built into applications. Added statistics on the number of personal data leaks blocked over the last 30 days and the applications causing data leaks.
- To view documents in PDF format, the application is used instead of PDF Viewer Plus MJ PDF.
- Support for automatically resuming interrupted update downloads has been implemented.
- Compatibility is provided with the Application Licensing API, which is used in some applications to check the license status to ensure that the user is allowed to use the program.
- Support for the On Demand Modules API has been established, allowing you to download APK packages for split applications as needed.
- The App Lounge provides a zero-level privacy label for applications whose terms of use contain dubious clauses related to violation of confidentiality and the transfer of user data.
- Fixes from the LineageOS 20 branch have been transferred.
- For the Murena Two device, the default camera resolution is set to 12MPx.
- The Fairphone 5 device has been updated to use the FP5.TT40.A.131.20231130 update.
- Developer builds have been prepared for Pixel 5 and Moto G7 Play devices.
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