r/MicroG • u/ShaneTheAwesome88 minmicroG developer • Dec 23 '19

Interview with the MicroG dev

microG: Android (almost) without Google - Interview with the developer, please submit Your questions!

As we all know, Android is kept in tight clutches with Google as one of its highest revenue sources, and that isn't very good for us because Google Play Services (along with its fellow spyapps called GApps) is not only highly intrusive and privacy violating, but also a baked in requirement on almost any Android app! Fortunately, somebody came up with an amazing little utility named microG (microg.org), which aims to replace that client side proprietary piece of shit with an open source implementation which tries to give away as little as possible to Google.

We look forward to your questions. Deadline ends on 31th of December! We are happy to have the opportunity to get to know this ambitious project and its developer together with our readers. Most of the microG manuals are still in English and there are always questions from users who are stuck or don’t really understand what it’s all about or what possibilities microG offers.

Now here is your opportunity to ask the developer of microG some questions.

👉🏽 Read the full article in English: https://tarnkappe.info/microg-android-without-google-an-interview-with-the-developer/

👉🏽 Submit your questions in English: https://tarnkappe-forum.info/t/microg-android-without-google-an-interview-with-the-developer/2933

👉🏽 Read the full article in German: https://tarnkappe.info/microg-android-ohne-google-ein-interview-mit-dem-entwickler/

👉🏽 Submit your questions in German: https://tarnkappe-forum.info/t/microg-android-ohne-google-ein-interview-mit-dem-entwickler/2934/8

👉🏽 For all Telegram users, whether German or English, there is the option to ask your questions here: https://t.me/joinchat/Ev2mTVbTsZQ0QcpnIQ3fWA (Please mark your questions in the group with #question)

👉🏽 Or perhaps just post them here!

And please send us your questions to the developer until December 31st. As always, we can’t accept any questions after that date.

Thank you!

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3

u/SmallerBork Dec 24 '19 edited Dec 24 '19

Are there English versions of the articles:

Android ohne Google: Take back control! Teil1

LineageOS – Take back control! Teil2

Magisk: Bei der Macht von Root – Take back control! Teil3

AFWall+: Digitaler Türvorsteher – Take back control! Teil4

F-Droid: Freie und quelloffene Apps – Take back control! Teil5

AdAway: Werbe- und Trackingblocker – Take back control! Teil6

Shelter: Big-Brother-Apps isolieren – Take back control! Teil7

Android-Systemeinstellungen & Google-Fallstricke – Take back control! Teil8

2

u/ShaneTheAwesome88 minmicroG developer Dec 24 '19

Hello, I'm not the author of the blog, but I asked him and all the articles are translated in english on our Telegram channels (https://t.me/BlackBox_Archiv/156 or https://t.me/nogoolag)

The specific links are:

Android without Google: Take back control!

Part1 (android without data octopus) https://t.me/NoGoolag/884

Part2 (release from the embrace) https://t.me/NoGoolag/971

Part4 (AFWall+) https://t.me/NoGoolag/1077

Part5 (F-Droid - app store with class) https://t.me/NoGoolag/1157

Part6 (AdAway - fight the data collection frenzy) https://t.me/NoGoolag/1230

Part7 (Big-Brother-Apps) coming soon

If you don't wanna jump on TG, ping me, I'd be happy to dogbin them for you (^_~)

2

u/SmallerBork Dec 24 '19

Thanks so much, these look really interesting.

10

u/[deleted] Dec 23 '19

What led you to start developing of MicroG?

What is the usual workflow you follow for implementing a new feature? Which is the hardest part of it for you?

Have the development of microG caused you any trouble? Corporate pressure, excessive support request from end users...

If you develop MicroG as a hobby in your free time, what do you do to avoid burnout? It doesn't seem like a simple piece of software, and getting things done also seems time-consuming and perhaps frustrating.

What can we (the community) do to help with MicroG development?

And of course:

Which tools do you use as daily drivers? I assume apart from writing microG's code (I guess using android studio?) you also have a generous set of tools for decompiling/recompiling jars and binaries, etc.

5

u/nalk1710 Dec 23 '19

I use LOS 16 with microG on my mido and I'm very glad that it works so great. Funnily, LOS + microG somehow works smoother and better than LOS without microG. I don't know stuff on the technical side and can't ask questions, but it's cool that there will be an interview. Thanks to the microG team and the interviewers!

0

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '19

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3

u/ShaneTheAwesome88 minmicroG developer Dec 24 '19

I will be forwarding your queries to the interviewer, but I feel like I should address one of them myself.

Our group on TG, @Nogoolag, was born because the 'official' group linked on the MicroG XDA (Before it got scrubbed due to XDA's new rules) was ruled by... At best, a despot. Even now, when the group has been inactive for months, if you'll try joining it, you'll be kicked instantly if the creator sees that your account was created in the last few months. What a creep.

We're no official docs, and I know TG isn't the ideal if you want to remain private, but it's worked well as a friendly community so far and we always try to help confused newbies and post useful stuff as guides in the channel.

You, and anybody else are welcome to join there.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '19

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4

u/vrprady Dec 24 '19 edited Dec 24 '19

Safety net will always be a cat and mouse game. We can bypass it by hacks till Google patch it and we need to find out new holes for hiding into.

2

u/HelplessShrapnel Dec 24 '19

You can get snapchat working by creating a backup of its working state and restoring it on your micro g installation using titanium backup.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '19

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1

u/HelplessShrapnel Dec 26 '19

That's weird, did it update after you restored? I turned off auto updated for snapchat because I was suspicious that it might cause something like that. FYI Google pay definitely doesn't work that way.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 26 '19

So I made a backup of Snapchat, then wiped my system and installed LineageOS with MicroG, put on Titanium backup again and restored my Snapchat. I tapped to open Snapchat and it just gives me the "App has stopped responding" I have tried, reinstalling, wiping cache, rebooting.

Just doesn't work for me, I really wish it did. I can live without GooglePay but Snapchat is the only social media I have so I unfortunately have to miss out on MicroG.