Air-droid

Practical guide on how to build a sans-google phone

TODO list

• [Private fdroid repo with play store apps](https://fxaguessy.fr/en/articles/2017/02/11/effectively-using-android-without-google-play-services-gplayweb-in-docker/)

  • to authenticate succesfully follow [https://github.com/matlink/gplaycli/issues/30 this procedure] and register an android id corresponding to your device with DummyDroid.

• Calendar and Contacts synchronization
  • Install DAVdroid with fdroid.

  • status: Radicale [https://github.com/tomsquest/docker-radicale docker] works flawlessy, follow [http://radicale.org/user_documentation/#idid11 this guide] to setup with DAVdroid

  • remember to put calendar as https://<radicaleurl>/user (user mode) not as system https://<radicaleurl>/ (system mode) otherwise your calendars will be visible to every other user of the radicale server.

• microG Unified Network Location Provider
  • You need this component to use apps which rely on google play services geolocation, such as Citymapper or ATM official app.

  • On Lineage 7.1.1 follow [https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_UnifiedNlp#usage these instructions] note, you have to install unifiednlp as system app, otherwise it won’t register as system location service provider.

  • As location backend you can use Mozilla (needs internet, reliable) as backup service and LocalGsmNlpBackend (offline) as primary services. The latter uses gsm cells to aid geolocation, or if you use low-power mode gsm cells are used without gps to provide location.

  • It is suggested to build the cells database on a laptop, to do this download (this script)[https://github.com/sobrus/FastLacellsGenerator] and edit the config file with your [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_country_code country code] and [https://opencellid.org/ OpenCellId] account.

  • The script will take some time, after that put the generated db file in <code>/<androidhome>/Android/Data/org.fitchfamily.android.gsmlocation/files/lacells.db</code>.

• CityMapper and ATMapp support

  • These apps use google maps services instead of google location services, so they need microG gmscore. To install microG gmscore, signature spoofing is required, [here] (https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/wiki/Signature-Spoofing) are instructions on how to do so. [https://blogs.fsfe.org/larma/2016/microg-signature-spoofing-security/ This] is an interesting article on the security implications of signature spoofing. Apparently if used carefully it does not lower the security level of the device. For enabling signature spoofing without recompiling the CustomROM [https://github.com/ale5000-git/tingle this] works flawlessly.

• SeaFile

• LineageOS build server

• Enabling signature spoofing for microG GmsCore (Google push notifications)

  • [https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/tree/master/patches This patch] must be included in LineageOS build image.

• OTA updates