Some of you may already be running an open-source operating system on your smartphone, which could be Android-based, such as LineageOS, GrapheneOS, and e/OS, or Linux-based like postmarketOS and Ubuntu Touch.
However, due to closed-source firmware files/proprietary blobs, you’re only running a partially open-source OS. The Free Software Foundation aims to change that with the Librephone project, whose goal is to reverse-engineer nonfree blobs and provide open-source alternatives.
Some proprietary blobs are used to run WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE/5G modems, touchscreen, fingerprint sensor, and other hardware. So it won’t be a trivial task, as serious reverse-engineering work is needed and done in a clean-room way to prevent copyright lawsuits, plus there may be regulatory issues with the code handling the radios\ frequency and power from the FTC and other governmental agencies around the world.
To be clear, the Librephone project won’t be another operating system, and the only goal is to make existing open-source mobile distributions even more open-source than they already are, thanks to open-source firmware for currently closed-source binaries. Some documentation is already up. Basically, the project will start by analyzing binary files in LineageOS images for supported phones using extraction tools. This includes a long list of smartphones and tablets from OnePlus, Google, Motorola, Xiaomi, Fairphone, Samsung, and Sony, among others, as well as some SBCs from Radxa and Banana Pi.
The initial work is funded by a donation from FSF board member John Gilmore, who explains:
I have enjoyed using a mobile phone running LineageOS with MicroG and F-Droid for years, which eliminates the spyware and control that Google embeds in standard Android phones. I later discovered that the LineageOS distribution links in significant proprietary binary modules copied from the firmware of particular phones. Rather than accept this sad situation, I looked for collaborators to reverse-engineer and replace those proprietary modules with fully free software, for at least one modern phone.
However, going forward, the Librephone project will need help from the community, either helping with reverse-engineering work or documentation, and the Free Software Foundation also requests donations for this project and other endeavors from the Foundation. You can also learn more from an audio interview of Rob Savoye, lead developer for the Librephone project.
Via Liliputing
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress. We also use affiliate links in articles to earn commissions if you make a purchase after clicking on those links.
