5 ms·

I feel that most OS (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android) have continued to improve security but at the same time reduced privacy. If that's true, is there a Tai

by jotto 6y ago

I feel that most OS (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android) have continued to improve security but at the same time reduced privacy. If that's true, is there a TailsOS equivalent for phones?

Synaesthesia 6y ago
The Firefox OS but nobody is using it.
- tapoxi 6y ago
  It lives on as a fork: https://www.kaiostech.com/ https://www.kaiostech.com/
qurcetumMons 6y ago
I feel as though the improvements in security lend themselves to improvements in privacy, and vice versa, in a rather linear relationship. That being said, privacy factors are primarily user-choice in that it is the optional apps and programs that compromise privacy, even if the privacy breaches are less-than-voluntary, as seen in the recent clipboard skimming scandal. Making an OS more secure by limiting unauthorized access to information like the clipboard is both more secure and more private.
eptcyka 6y ago
There's GrapheneOS. It's really good, but it's not really focused on not leaving a trace.
bengalister 6y ago
I really don't see how improving security and reducing privacy are related: like generating fingerprints of installed programs, or scanning the memory, disks for malware and reporting results to the OS provider/device manufacturer and mapping the results to a user account or an ip address ? For me improved security was more synonym to degraded performance.
elipsey 6y ago
Hard to do I think. Even plain old "linux but for phones" is pretty difficult at this point because: --most drivers and hardware specifications are proprietary, and probably secret under NDA --most bootloaders are cryptographically locked and controlled by vendor --necessary wifi and cellular modem hardware is the same, and are also patent minefields even in the foundational platonic ideals of design, as is mobile graphics hardware --the modems are subject to regulatory requirements that they be secured from modification by the user/owner of the device Secure in this context means secure from the user and device owner, which can arguably be for good reason -- think of an ATM kiosk, for example. So no "tails for phones" yet, but people are trying. Check out postmarketOS, lineageOS, replicant, sailfish. Last I tried things were still kind of science project, like 90's style linux.
- makerofspoons 6y ago
  Adding ubports to the list- I have it on my Pinephone and can place and receive calls, send and receive SMS, and utilize GPS. There are some features that don't yet work on Pinephone like MMS but it's on the threshold of being daily-driver worthy.
  - elipsey 6y ago
    Sounds great. Is the battery life OK? Was it hard to get the phone? To be clear, I see some measure of compromise as totally reasonable if one's goal is to get on an open os...
    - makerofspoons 6y ago
      Users on Pine64.org have reported their devices can run 14 hours on idle and my own experience is the battery will last all day with moderate usage. Getting it on the phone is as simple as getting Raspbian on a Raspberry Pi, you just flash the image onto an SD card.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
devit 6y ago
You can use the phone as an access point, and then have an additional secure wi-fi device. A wi-fi only Android tablet that doesn't require proprietary blobs to run vanilla Linux might do.

by jotto 6y ago

I feel that most OS (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android) have continued to improve security but at the same time reduced privacy. If that's true, is there a TailsOS equivalent for phones?

Synaesthesia 6y ago

The Firefox OS but nobody is using it.

tapoxi 6y ago
It lives on as a fork: https://www.kaiostech.com/ https://www.kaiostech.com/

qurcetumMons 6y ago

I feel as though the improvements in security lend themselves to improvements in privacy, and vice versa, in a rather linear relationship. That being said, privacy factors are primarily user-choice in that it is the optional apps and programs that compromise privacy, even if the privacy breaches are less-than-voluntary, as seen in the recent clipboard skimming scandal. Making an OS more secure by limiting unauthorized access to information like the clipboard is both more secure and more private.

eptcyka 6y ago

There's GrapheneOS. It's really good, but it's not really focused on not leaving a trace.

bengalister 6y ago

I really don't see how improving security and reducing privacy are related: like generating fingerprints of installed programs, or scanning the memory, disks for malware and reporting results to the OS provider/device manufacturer and mapping the results to a user account or an ip address ? For me improved security was more synonym to degraded performance.

elipsey 6y ago

Hard to do I think. Even plain old "linux but for phones" is pretty difficult at this point because: --most drivers and hardware specifications are proprietary, and probably secret under NDA --most bootloaders are cryptographically locked and controlled by vendor --necessary wifi and cellular modem hardware is the same, and are also patent minefields even in the foundational platonic ideals of design, as is mobile graphics hardware --the modems are subject to regulatory requirements that they be secured from modification by the user/owner of the device Secure in this context means secure from the user and device owner, which can arguably be for good reason -- think of an ATM kiosk, for example. So no "tails for phones" yet, but people are trying. Check out postmarketOS, lineageOS, replicant, sailfish. Last I tried things were still kind of science project, like 90's style linux.

makerofspoons 6y ago
Adding ubports to the list- I have it on my Pinephone and can place and receive calls, send and receive SMS, and utilize GPS. There are some features that don't yet work on Pinephone like MMS but it's on the threshold of being daily-driver worthy.
- elipsey 6y ago
  Sounds great. Is the battery life OK? Was it hard to get the phone? To be clear, I see some measure of compromise as totally reasonable if one's goal is to get on an open os...
  - makerofspoons 6y ago
    Users on Pine64.org have reported their devices can run 14 hours on idle and my own experience is the battery will last all day with moderate usage. Getting it on the phone is as simple as getting Raspbian on a Raspberry Pi, you just flash the image onto an SD card.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

devit 6y ago

You can use the phone as an access point, and then have an additional secure wi-fi device. A wi-fi only Android tablet that doesn't require proprietary blobs to run vanilla Linux might do.