Phone rooting and installing free alternative to Android

[soldar]

I would like to explore using some alternative to Android where I have more control of what is running.

I have an old Samsung S7 Galaxy Edge which I do not use and could use for experimenting.

I have searched online and found Lineage OS and others but it all seems quite tricky. I got started but gave up soon because it is just for playing and learning and it is not worth the effort and trouble.

I have asked around the neighborhood places where they repair phones if they would do this kind of thing but they all said they don't.

It seems to me this would be an easy and quick task for someone who has done it repeatedly while it would take many hours for me just to learn and try.

If it cannot be done by someone local I do not think it is worth mailing the phone somewhere far away.

Besides Lineage OS I have heard of
https://doc.e.foundation/devices
https://grapheneos.org/releases
https://calyxos.org/install/
https://iode.tech/iodeos-installation/

What would be the best OS to install and what would be the easiest way to install it?

Thoughts?

[RoGeorge]

Short answer is that there are no reliable alternatives.

If it were to be anything good enough, we would see them everywhere.  Android is full of proprietary and undocumented binary blobs, blobs without which nothings works properly.

Alternative OSs for mobiles are incomplete and buggy.  That was my conclusion only couple of months ago.  Root the phone, uninstall the extra bloatware and that's it.

See if these help to get a bird eye view:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/removing-cellular-rf-chip-to-cut-ties-to-network-(samsungandroid-kernel)/msg5087128/#msg5087128
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/removing-cellular-rf-chip-to-cut-ties-to-network-(samsungandroid-kernel)/msg5085148/#msg5085148

See what you can find on https://xdaforums.com/ about your phone model:
https://xdaforums.com/c/samsung.11975/

Important:
When rooting or installing the factory default ROMS/firmware, use the one for your exact model.  Look at the model code written inside the battery compartment.  Samsung S7 Galaxy Edge is not enough.  Usually there are many flavors and they are not compatible with each other, even the fabrication year may matter.  Country and service provider matters, too.

[SiliconWizard]

I have used CyanogenMod a few years ago and it worked fine compared to the original Android that was installed. Never had any particular issue with it. But I think CM is dead now? And LineageOS is more or less its successor?
I have only tried LineageOS itself on SBCs rather than on mobile phones. IME, it worked but with various issues. It wasn't as good an experience as with CM, but then again, maybe it was mainly because I tested it on SBCs (which always have incomplete support, more or less) rather than on a phone or tablet. Otherwise, LineageOS seems to be well regarded, so I'm sure it's usable. Probably with various luck depending on the model.

There's a number of alternatives, such as Pixel Experience or SparkOS:
https://get.pixelexperience.org/
https://spark-os.live

Of course you need to find one that supports your particular phone. And then you need to be able to unlock its bootloader, which on some of them is either nearly impossible, or pretty cumbersome.
Once you're past this and you follow the documented steps for installation, it should not be too much of a problem.

I have a Redmi Note Pro phone lying around that I plan on "recycling" using one of the two above - haven't gotten around to it yet. The annoying part with Xiaomi is that you need to register to be able to ask for a bootloader unlock, then you need to use a Windows app - that bites. But I'll probably give it a try, at least it's possible, while with some vendors, there's no way, or sometimes you have to solder wires on the motherboard and use some flashing tools.

[soldar]

Short answer is that there are no reliable alternatives.

If it were to be anything good enough, we would see them everywhere.  Android is full of proprietary and undocumented binary blobs, blobs without which nothings works properly.

Alternative OSs for mobiles are incomplete and buggy.  That was my conclusion only couple of months ago.  Root the phone, uninstall the extra bloatware and that's it.

See if these help to get a bird eye view:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/removing-cellular-rf-chip-to-cut-ties-to-network-(samsungandroid-kernel)/msg5087128/#msg5087128
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/removing-cellular-rf-chip-to-cut-ties-to-network-(samsungandroid-kernel)/msg5085148/#msg5085148

See what you can find on https://xdaforums.com/ about your phone model:
https://xdaforums.com/c/samsung.11975/

Important:
When rooting or installing the factory default ROMS/firmware, use the one for your exact model.  Look at the model code written inside the battery compartment.  Samsung S7 Galaxy Edge is not enough.  Usually there are many flavors and they are not compatible with each other, even the fabrication year may matter.  Country and service provider matters, too.

I have used CyanogenMod a few years ago and it worked fine compared to the original Android that was installed. Never had any particular issue with it. But I think CM is dead now? And LineageOS is more or less its successor?
I have only tried LineageOS itself on SBCs rather than on mobile phones. IME, it worked but with various issues. It wasn't as good an experience as with CM, but then again, maybe it was mainly because I tested it on SBCs (which always have incomplete support, more or less) rather than on a phone or tablet. Otherwise, LineageOS seems to be well regarded, so I'm sure it's usable. Probably with various luck depending on the model.

There's a number of alternatives, such as Pixel Experience or SparkOS:
https://get.pixelexperience.org/
https://spark-os.live

Of course you need to find one that supports your particular phone. And then you need to be able to unlock its bootloader, which on some of them is either nearly impossible, or pretty cumbersome.
Once you're past this and you follow the documented steps for installation, it should not be too much of a problem.

I have a Redmi Note Pro phone lying around that I plan on "recycling" using one of the two above - haven't gotten around to it yet. The annoying part with Xiaomi is that you need to register to be able to ask for a bootloader unlock, then you need to use a Windows app - that bites. But I'll probably give it a try, at least it's possible, while with some vendors, there's no way, or sometimes you have to solder wires on the motherboard and use some flashing tools.

Thank you both. I am now convinced it is not worth the trouble to try this. It is too bad because I was hoping it would exist and be easier.

Many years ago I left MS-Windows and moved to Linux which has worked just fine on all sorts of different computers.

I was hoping there was some similar alternative to Android.

I am using a Samsung 8 Galaxy and it drives me nuts with things I cannot stop or uninstall and which eat up my battery life.

I guess I will just have to live with it.

[RoGeorge]

If you root an Android phone, you can uninstall whatever you want, including the phone manufacturer apps, the service provider apps, or the "default" Google apps.

The downside is that after rooting, you won't be able to use the phone for banking.  Bootloaders nowadays can check for tinted firmware, and will permanently mark the phone as rooted.  This is usually a fuse bit, once marked it can not be reverted.

But if you don't use the phone to make payments, most Samsung phones can be rooted for free.  Search online for videos of how to root Samsung 8 Galaxy, to see the steps.

[soldar]

If you root an Android phone, you can uninstall whatever you want, including the phone manufacturer apps, the service provider apps, or the "default" Google apps.

The downside is that after rooting, you won't be able to use the phone for banking.  Bootloaders nowadays can check for tinted firmware, and will permanently mark the phone as rooted.  This is usually a fuse bit, once marked it can not be reverted.

But if you don't use the phone to make payments, most Samsung phones can be rooted for free.  Search online for videos of how to root Samsung 8 Galaxy, to see the steps.

The one I would want to root is a Samsung 7 Galaxy Edge. I do not use it for payments so that is not an issue. Some time ago I tried downloading to it several programs that were supposed to be able to root it but none worked.

it seems I would need to do it from a computer and using the USB cable but the USB connector is damaged and would need to be replaced.  If I could root it first then maybe I would consider spending the money to repair the USB port.

[SiliconWizard]

Thank you both. I am now convinced it is not worth the trouble to try this. It is too bad because I was hoping it would exist and be easier.

I wouldn't have come to that conclusion. If your phone is supported by one of these distributions, although the process may be cumbersome, it usually works and is IMO worth a try. Just keep in mind it's still Android. But you can use Android without any Google service or app. I do think it's worth experimenting. Just don't expect it to be a picnic.

[soldar]

I wouldn't have come to that conclusion. If your phone is supported by one of these distributions, although the process may be cumbersome, it usually works and is IMO worth a try. Just keep in mind it's still Android. But you can use Android without any Google service or app. I do think it's worth experimenting. Just don't expect it to be a picnic.

Thanks but my interest is just not that great. I do not feel like spending a lot of time and effort on this. I have too many stalled projects waiting already.