Last March, Google warned the Android open-source (AOSP) community that development of this version of the operating system would become entirely private. The search engine stopped publishing changes to the AOSP project in real time.
Reduced transparency, increased concerns
However, the full source code is still published for each stable version, as was the case most recently for Android 16. This change deprives developers and observers of early access to new features, a significant step backward in transparency. But Google decided to make life easier for itself, even though the company is obviously the main contributor to AOSP.
The release of the Android 16 source code was a relief for the AOSP community… but also a source of questions. Because Google “omitted” to deliver several key elements that were previously part of the package. The most concrete problem is the disappearance of device trees for Pixel devices. These files are essential for compiling a working version of Android on a given device.
The driver binaries specific to each Pixel model have not been made available. And the kernel source code is delivered without the commit history, which makes tracking and understanding changes much more difficult.
Google has decided to no longer consider Pixels as the reference devices for AOSP development, a position they previously held. Instead, the company is now pushing Cuttlefish, a virtual Android device that runs on PCs. Due to its virtual nature, this fake device doesn't accurately reflect the constraints of real hardware (camera, sensors, modem, etc.).
However, ROM developers need real hardware targets to test and distribute their Android builds. By cutting off this access, Google is removing a concrete tool for those who want to offer alternatives to Android—ironically, on Google's own devices. These changes complicate the task of developers of alternative ROMs like LineageOS or GrapheneOS, who have relied for years on these resources provided by Google to port their Android versions to the Pixel.
ROM developers are now forced to reuse files from the previous year (Android 15), guess the changes made in new versions and carry out long and tedious reverse engineering operations from binaries without having the sources.
Seang Chau, vice president of the Android platform, tried to reassure by explaining that AOSP was not going away but that the system needed a "flexible, configurable and affordable reference target, independent of any specific hardware, including that of Google." That's commendable, but ultimately these changes represent a gradual erosion of Android's openness, which has long been one of its core strengths.
Source: Android Authority
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