Hi All,

My wife has her eye on this

https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/

I talked to the chat line. I asked if the
Android was the open source version of the Google
version. He said they were the same. Am I missing
something?

I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
remove or just disabled. He said just disabled.
(Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)

My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).

Is there a google free android out there?

Many thanks,
-T

Am 29.10.23 um 11:12 schrieb T:
> Hi All,
>
> My wife has her eye on this
>
> https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/
>
> I talked to the chat line. I asked if the
> Android was the open source version of the Google
> version. He said they were the same. Am I missing
> something?
>
> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
> remove or just disabled. He said just disabled.
> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)
>
> My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).
>
> Is there a google free android out there?

Yes. But not on Samsung hardware.

Buy your wife an iPad.

--
Gutta cavat lapidem (Ovid)

On 10/29/23 03:35, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
> Am 29.10.23 um 11:12 schrieb T:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> My wife has her eye on this
>>
>> https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/
>>
>> I talked to the chat line.  I asked if the
>> Android was the open source version of the Google
>> version.  He said they were the same.  Am I missing
>> something?
>>
>> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
>> remove or just disabled.  He said just disabled.
>> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
>> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)
>>
>> My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).
>>
>> Is there a google free android out there?
>
> Yes. But not on Samsung hardware.

Who?

>
> Buy your wife an iPad.

She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
to operate.

On 10/29/23 03:59, John Dallman wrote:
> In article <uhlb73$3qm9e$1@dont-email.me>, T@invalid.invalid (T) wrote:
>
>> I talked to the chat line. I asked if the
>> Android was the open source version of the Google
>> version. He said they were the same. Am I missing
>> something?
>
> This is mildly complicated. Google develops the core operating system in
> private. When they are ready to ship a new release or an update, they
> make the new version of the core operating system available through the
> "Android Open Source Project" (AOSP). That is the basic operating system,
> but is not exactly what commercial devices have.
>
> Hardware and device drivers for Android devices are not standardised, not
> even a little bit, and the drivers are almost all closed-source. Android
> for a particular device needs device drivers to operate the hardware, so
> Android images are created by the device and/or System-on-Chip
> manufacturer.
>
> Many Android applications also depend on Google Play Services, a
> closed-source software package produced by Google. This allows them to
> access the Play Store for apps, and provides a lot of other services. In
> practice, any device that is branded "Android" will have Google Play
> Services. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play_Services> That
> certainly includes Samsung tablets.
>
>> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
>> remove or just disabled. He said just disabled.
>> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
>> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)
>
> The pre-installed apps are stored in storage that's read-only while the
> OS is running. You can disable them, but you can't remove them without
> removing the OS and installing a different one.
>
>> My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).
>>
>> Is there a google free android out there?
>
> Not that is called "Android". If you want an Android-like device without
> the Google stuff, you're looking at customised Android distributions.
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_custom_Android_distributions>
>
> There are quite a few of these, but they have a common problem: they
> don't have support for many phones/tablets. Linux on PCs has lots of
> open-source device drivers available. Android hardware manufacturers keep
> their device drivers closed, so supporting their hardware requires
> writing new drivers, and this often requires reverse engineering.
>
> The best-supported open-source customised Android for the
> English-speaking world is LineageOS, <https://www.lineageos.org/>, which
> has about a million users, as compared to over a billion for ordinary
> Android. The devices it has support for rarely include the latest models:
> here's the list of supported Samsungs:
> <https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#samsung>.
>
> There is also Amazon Fire OS <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_OS>,
> which only supports Amazon's tablets. It doesn't have Google, but has
> roughly equivalent Amazon monitoring. I find Google less annoying.
>
> John

Thank you!

There would not be a Linux tablet out there yet?

T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> On 10/29/23 03:35, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
> > Am 29.10.23 um 11:12 schrieb T:
> >> Hi All,
> >>
> >> My wife has her eye on this
> >>
> >> https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/
> >>
> >> I talked to the chat line.  I asked if the
> >> Android was the open source version of the Google
> >> version.  He said they were the same.  Am I missing
> >> something?
> >>
> >> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
> >> remove or just disabled.  He said just disabled.
> >> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
> >> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)
> >>
> >> My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).
> >>
> >> Is there a google free android out there?
> >
> > Yes. But not on Samsung hardware.
>
> Who?

See John's responses.

But unless you want to research, tinker, etc., etc. a *lot*,
alternative Android distributions are more a problem than a solution.

You might get an *OS*, but you don't get (m)any apps. And if you *do*
want/need every day apps, you *will* get Google stuff (Play Store,
Google Play Services, Google Apps, etc.) whether you like it or not.

It's a bit like asking you want Windows, but you want it to be
Microsoft-free. No such animal.

> > Buy your wife an iPad.
>
> She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
> to operate.

Tough! Either a good brand Android, i.e. like Samsung, or an iPad.
Those are your only realistic options.

T, 2023-10-29 11:12:

> Hi All,
>
> My wife has her eye on this
>
> https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/
>
> I talked to the chat line. I asked if the
> Android was the open source version of the Google
> version. He said they were the same. Am I missing
> something?

Android is Open Source - also see <https://source.android.com/>.

But manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei etc. do usually *not*
just put Android as it is on their devices but customize it with their
own proprietary modifications like a number of Samsung specific apps and
a Samsung specific user interface.

If you want a "original" version of Android you have to stick with
Google Pixel devices or install a custom ROM like LineageOS (see
<https://lineageos.org>) - which means you need to learn how to install
USB drivers for Fastboot, unlock bootlader, install a custom ROM etc..

> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
> remove or just disabled. He said just disabled.

Correct - most of the Google apps can only be disabled, so they don't
run any longer.

> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)

If you think, devices are spying on you, then don't buy them. Whatever
people will tell you, you won't believe it anyway.

Maybe Librem is the better alternative for you:
<https://puri.sm/products/librem-11/>

Also keep in mind, that you do *not* have to create or use a Google
account to use an Android based device. Many apps are also available on
alternative sources like <https://f-droid.org/en/> or
<https://apkpure.com/en/>.

> Is there a google free android out there?

Yes. But not on Samsung devices.

Also see e/OS/ - a Google-free version of Android:

<https://e.foundation/en/e-os/>

But it is only available or a limited number of devices and only
preinstalled on devices by Murena. Otherwise you need to install it on
your own in a similar way like LineageOS: Fastboot, bootloader unlock etc.

--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de

Am 29.10.23 um 12:08 schrieb T:
> On 10/29/23 03:35, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
>> Buy your wife an iPad.
>
> She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
> to operate.

There are not many people saying that.

--
Gutta cavat lapidem (Ovid)

Am 29.10.23 um 12:13 schrieb T:
> There would not be a Linux tablet out there yet?

There are but with severe limitations compared to an Android tablet.

--
Gutta cavat lapidem (Ovid)

On 10/29/23 6:25 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
>T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>> On 10/29/23 03:35, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
>> > Am 29.10.23 um 11:12 schrieb T:
>> >> Hi All,
>> >>
>> >> My wife has her eye on this
>> >>
>> >> https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/
>> >>
>> >> I talked to the chat line.  I asked if the
>> >> Android was the open source version of the Google
>> >> version.  He said they were the same.  Am I missing
>> >> something?
>> >>
>> >> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
>> >> remove or just disabled.  He said just disabled.
>> >> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
>> >> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)
>> >>
>> >> My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).
>> >>
>> >> Is there a google free android out there?
>> >
>> > Yes. But not on Samsung hardware.
>>
>> Who?
>
> See John's responses.
>
> But unless you want to research, tinker, etc., etc. a *lot*,
>alternative Android distributions are more a problem than a solution.
>
> You might get an *OS*, but you don't get (m)any apps. And if you *do*
>want/need every day apps, you *will* get Google stuff (Play Store,
>Google Play Services, Google Apps, etc.) whether you like it or not.
>
> It's a bit like asking you want Windows, but you want it to be
>Microsoft-free. No such animal.
>
>> > Buy your wife an iPad.
>>
>> She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
>> to operate.
>
> Tough! Either a good brand Android, i.e. like Samsung, or an iPad.
>Those are your only realistic options.

There are also Chrome OS tablets like this Lenovo Duet 3 I'm posting with.
It came with a detachable keyboard case that I seldom use but would be
handy on trips. I've had no trouble running any of the Android apps that I
use (YMMV)...

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
> On 10/29/23 6:25 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> >T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> >> On 10/29/23 03:35, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
> >> > Am 29.10.23 um 11:12 schrieb T:
> >> >> Hi All,
> >> >>
> >> >> My wife has her eye on this
> >> >>
> >> >> https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/
> >> >>
> >> >> I talked to the chat line.  I asked if the
> >> >> Android was the open source version of the Google
> >> >> version.  He said they were the same.  Am I missing
> >> >> something?
> >> >>
> >> >> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
> >> >> remove or just disabled.  He said just disabled.
> >> >> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
> >> >> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)
> >> >>
> >> >> My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).
> >> >>
> >> >> Is there a google free android out there?
> >> >
> >> > Yes. But not on Samsung hardware.
> >>
> >> Who?
> >
> > See John's responses.
> >
> > But unless you want to research, tinker, etc., etc. a *lot*,
> >alternative Android distributions are more a problem than a solution.
> >
> > You might get an *OS*, but you don't get (m)any apps. And if you *do*
> >want/need every day apps, you *will* get Google stuff (Play Store,
> >Google Play Services, Google Apps, etc.) whether you like it or not.
> >
> > It's a bit like asking you want Windows, but you want it to be
> >Microsoft-free. No such animal.
> >
> >> > Buy your wife an iPad.
> >>
> >> She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
> >> to operate.
> >
> > Tough! Either a good brand Android, i.e. like Samsung, or an iPad.
> >Those are your only realistic options.
>
> There are also Chrome OS tablets like this Lenovo Duet 3 I'm posting with.
> It came with a detachable keyboard case that I seldom use but would be
> handy on trips. I've had no trouble running any of the Android apps that I
> use (YMMV)...

Yes, there are other choices, but considering T's/T's-wife's dislike
for Google, Chrome OS isn't a realistic option either.

As T hasn't bothered telling us *what* his wife wants to *do* with the
tablet, giving advice/suggestions is a tad hard.

IIRC, he asked the same/similar 'questions' not too long ago and since
then, little to nothing has changed, not the 'questions' and hence not
the 'answers'.

On 10/29/23 9:00 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
>AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
>> On 10/29/23 6:25 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
>> >T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>> >> On 10/29/23 03:35, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
>> >> > Am 29.10.23 um 11:12 schrieb T:
>> >> >> Hi All,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> My wife has her eye on this
>> >> >>
>> >> >> https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I talked to the chat line.  I asked if the
>> >> >> Android was the open source version of the Google
>> >> >> version.  He said they were the same.  Am I missing
>> >> >> something?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
>> >> >> remove or just disabled.  He said just disabled.
>> >> >> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
>> >> >> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)
>> >> >>
>> >> >> My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Is there a google free android out there?
>> >> >
>> >> > Yes. But not on Samsung hardware.
>> >>
>> >> Who?
>> >
>> > See John's responses.
>> >
>> > But unless you want to research, tinker, etc., etc. a *lot*,
>> >alternative Android distributions are more a problem than a solution.
>> >
>> > You might get an *OS*, but you don't get (m)any apps. And if you *do*
>> >want/need every day apps, you *will* get Google stuff (Play Store,
>> >Google Play Services, Google Apps, etc.) whether you like it or not.
>> >
>> > It's a bit like asking you want Windows, but you want it to be
>> >Microsoft-free. No such animal.
>> >
>> >> > Buy your wife an iPad.
>> >>
>> >> She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
>> >> to operate.
>> >
>> > Tough! Either a good brand Android, i.e. like Samsung, or an iPad.
>> >Those are your only realistic options.
>>
>> There are also Chrome OS tablets like this Lenovo Duet 3 I'm posting with.
>> It came with a detachable keyboard case that I seldom use but would be
>> handy on trips. I've had no trouble running any of the Android apps that I
>> use (YMMV)...
>
> Yes, there are other choices, but considering T's/T's-wife's dislike
>for Google, Chrome OS isn't a realistic option either.

Perhaps there are others lurking here besides the T's that are also
interested in the same question.

> As T hasn't bothered telling us *what* his wife wants to *do* with the
>tablet, giving advice/suggestions is a tad hard.
>
> IIRC, he asked the same/similar 'questions' not too long ago and since
>then, little to nothing has changed, not the 'questions' and hence not
>the 'answers'.

Better than a dead group IMO. YMMV...

On Sun, 29 Oct 2023 03:12:51 -0700, T wrote:
> My wife has her eye on this
>
> https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/

I have the Galaxy A54, not S9. I don't know what if any differences
there may be between the two, but I can't imagine they make much
difference in the answers to your questions.

> I talked to the chat line. I asked if the
> Android was the open source version of the Google
> version. He said they were the same. Am I missing
> something?

Samsung, like most manufacturers, makes its own mods to Google's
standard Android. That's not a secret, so I think the rep
misunderstood your question, because I can't imagine he wouldn't know
that.
> I also asked if the preinstalled Google apps could be
> remove or just disabled. He said just disabled.
> (Makes me wonder if there is any background spying
> that is hidden away preinstalled as well.)

The real trouble is that the preinstalled _Samsung_ apps can't be
removed, and some can't even be disabled. If you were reading this
group a month ago you saw my travails with that. Google Phone.
Messaging, and Contacts apps are not preinstalled (not all three, at
least), but can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and used
instead of the Samsung apps. I did that because I didn't like the
user interface for the three Samsung apps.

There are of course privacy issues with using the Google apps, but
Samsung is no better on privacy, as far as I know.

> My wife is after Google Free (she hates being spied on).
>
> Is there a google free android out there?

Do you mean a Google Android that costs nothing, or an Android that
is free of Google influence? The latter would be a Google-free
Android: the hyphen is important. But as far as I know, the answer to
that question is No.

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
> On 10/29/23 9:00 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
[...]

> >> There are also Chrome OS tablets like this Lenovo Duet 3 I'm posting with.
> >> It came with a detachable keyboard case that I seldom use but would be
> >> handy on trips. I've had no trouble running any of the Android apps that I
> >> use (YMMV)...
> >
> > Yes, there are other choices, but considering T's/T's-wife's dislike
> >for Google, Chrome OS isn't a realistic option either.
>
> Perhaps there are others lurking here besides the T's that are also
> interested in the same question.

Valid point! One can always hope, can't one!? :-)

> > As T hasn't bothered telling us *what* his wife wants to *do* with the
> >tablet, giving advice/suggestions is a tad hard.
> >
> > IIRC, he asked the same/similar 'questions' not too long ago and since
> >then, little to nothing has changed, not the 'questions' and hence not
> >the 'answers'.
>
> Better than a dead group IMO. YMMV...

You *really* should get out more! Just kidding. Again a valid point. I
don't have (m)any dead groups, but as you say, YMMV.

So we'll happily chit chat along.

On 10/29/23 10:55 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

>> Better than a dead group IMO. YMMV...
>
> You *really* should get out more! Just kidding. Again a valid point. I
> don't have (m)any dead groups, but as you say, YMMV.

You're fortunate. Only my tech groups are still alive; the interest
groups -- skiing, motorcycling, bicycling, frugality -- died long ago.
Some of the people have transferred to Facebook, but many are unwilling
to put up with FB's crap. I'm pretty tough, though...

> So we'll happily chit chat along.

--
Cheers, Bev
"Americans are looking for more government in their life,
not less." -- Colin Powell, former Good Guy

John Dallman <jgd@cix.co.uk> wrote

>> There would not be a Linux tablet out there yet?
>
> There are some, but before you buy one, you should try to get your
> requirements clear. The Android ecosystem means there are apps for most
> needs, but Linux tablets don't have nearly so much software available.
>
> <https://itsfoss.com/linux-tablets/>
>
> <https://itslinuxfoss.com/best-linux-tablets/>

How about Andronix which allows you to run dual Linux & Android unrooted.
*Most Linux distros are available on Android without needing root*
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/VVSNhPD4bwo/>

It would be nice to know how these "real" Linux distros inside Termux
compare to plain old Termux in terms of getting things done in Android.
<http://andronix.app/>

Regarding "AndroiNix - Linux running inside of Android without root"...
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=studio.com.techriz.andronix>

I installed AndroNix where my initial five-minute experience so far was...
1. You download the app & when you run it, it asks a few basic questions.
2. I chose not to add a GUI (I opted only for the command line interface).
3. And then, you're on the {Debian,Fedora,Ubuntu,etc.} CLI inside Termux.
<https://docs.andronix.app/unmodded-distros/unmodded-os-installation/>

After rebooting, your choices then become:
a. On your Android phone, you can still start Termux (and stay in Termux)
b. Or, start Termux & then start _any_ Linux distro (e.g., Ubuntu 20.04)
c. Type "exit" to return you to Termux (type it again to exit Termux)
<https://dev.to/imprakharshukla/installing-linux-on-your-android-device-25cf>

Note the Linux distro is installed inside Termux using these commands
$ pkg update -y && pkg install wget curl proot tar -y && wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AndronixOrigin/master/Installer/Ubuntu20/ubuntu20.sh
-O ubuntu20.sh && chmod +x ubuntu20.sh && bash ubuntu20.sh

Which will result in the instruction at the end of that activity.
"You can now launch Ubuntu with the ./start-ubuntu20.sh script form next time"

This will show all the src back-end scripts that AndroNix uses.
<https://github.com/AndronixApp/AndronixOrigin>

Then, whenever you are in Termux, you can go to Ubuntu using
$ ./start-ubuntu20.sh

Which puts into the Ubuntu 20.04 CLI (or whatever distro you chose).
root@localhost:~# _____

It's clear you can install a bunch of "real" Linux distros
where to start any of them you use their particular start command.

If you want to start the Linux GUI, you need a few more steps.
<https://www.fosslicious.com/2019/10/install-and-run-ubuntu-on-termux.html>

All necessary software is available on the Google Play Store.
<https://androidarcitect.com/2020/09/15/andronix-get-linux-on-android/>

It would be nice to know how these "real" Linux distros
compare to Termux in terms of getting things done in Android.
--
The whole point of Usenet is to find people who know more than you do.
And to contribute to the overall tribal knowledge value of the newsgroup.
It's a domino effect where each of us helps the next person in the lineup.

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote

> The real trouble is that the preinstalled _Samsung_ apps can't be
> removed, and some can't even be disabled.

Hi Stan,

Hmmmm... you usually know a lot more than I do, so I pensively dispute
that statement because maybe I didn't understand what you are claiming.

I feel that statement is slightly wrong in that for any given user
on Android (where most of us have Android set up for only one user),
you certainly can disable and uninstall any app on the phone (AFAIK).

Without being rooted.

Here's a log of when I last arbitrarily proved that you can not only
force stop, and disable, and uninstall an app in the user space,
but you can also copy it to Windows to clone it and then modify it
(if you know how of course) & reinstall it (again, if you know how).

C:\> adb shell pm list packages -s | findstr /i "samsung" | findstr "knox"
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.kpecore
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.attestation
-> package:com.samsung.knox.securefolder <=== {it's installed}
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.pushmanager
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.analytics.uploader
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.containercore

C:\> adb shell pm path com.samsung.knox.securefolder
-> package:/system/priv-app/SecureFolder/SecureFolder.apk

C:\> adb shell pm dump com.samsung.knox.securefolder
-> {too much stuff}

C:\> adb shell am force-stop com.samsung.knox.securefolder
-> {no complaints}

C:\> adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.samsung.knox.securefolder
-> Package com.samsung.knox.securefolder new state: disabled-user

C:\> adb shell pm list packages -e | findstr knox
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.kpecore
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.attestation
-> package:com.knox.vpn.proxyhandler
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.pushmanager
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.containercore
-> package:com.sec.enterprise.knox.cloudmdm.smdms
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.analytics.uploader

C:\> adb shell pm list packages -d | findstr /i "knox"
-> package:com.samsung.knox.securefolder

C:\> adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.samsung.knox.securefolder
-> Success

C:\> adb shell pm path com.samsung.knox.securefolder
-> {now finds nothing}

C:\> adb shell pm list packages -u | findstr /i "samsung" | findstr "knox"
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.kpecore
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.attestation
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.pushmanager
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.containercore
-> package:com.samsung.knox.securefolder <=== {it's uninstalled}
-> package:com.samsung.android.knox.analytics.uploader

C:\> adb shell dumpsys package packages | findStr /i "knox" | findstr ".apk$"
-> {stuff}

C:\> adb pull /system/priv-app/SecureFolder/SecureFolder.apk
-> /system/priv-app/SecureFolder/SecureFolder.apk: 1 file pulled, 0 skipped. 29.1 MB/s (13579951 bytes in 0.445s)

Edit it on Windows with the free *APK Editor Studio* APK editor utility.
<https://qwertycube.com/apk-editor-studio/>

C:\> adb shell cmd package install-existing com.samsung.knox.securefolder
-> Package com.samsung.knox.securefolder installed for user: 0

<https://technastic.com/adb-shell-commands-list/>
<https://technastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ADB-Shell-Commands-List.pdf>

As always, if you know more than I do about this, please add value.
--
The whole point of Usenet is to find people who know more than you do.
And to contribute to the overall tribal knowledge value of the newsgroup.
It's a domino effect where each of us helps the next person in the lineup.

Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> wrote

> Android is Open Source - also see <https://source.android.com/>.
> But manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei etc. do usually *not*
> just put Android as it is on their devices but customize it with their
> own proprietary modifications like a number of Samsung specific apps and
> a Samsung specific user interface.

On just that one concept, here's an example from me trying to help someone
last week where you start in the Android settings package activities, but
as you dive deeper, you end up in a Samsung-customized settings activity.
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/ioFCKEMJBMc/m/_9pOe5iKCQAJ>

The first part of that journey illustrated above is in Android settings
<com.android.settings> but you end up in Samsung's customized settings.
<https://i.postimg.cc/Dzys8fTr/contrast01.jpg>
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZRZ8Ftc/contrast02.jpg>

I would suspect on the Pixel you start and stop in <com.android.settings>
(instead of ending up in <com.samsung.accessibility> when you run this).
1. Go to Samsung Android 13 "Settings"
2. Tap "Display" & scroll to the very bottom of the activity
3. Under "Looking for something else?" tap on "Visibility enhancements"
4. Longpress on the "High contrasts fonts=On/Off" description line

I suspect the _entire_ set of steps on the Pixel remains in <com.android.settings>.

On Sun, 29 Oct 2023 17:04:26 -0400, Wally J wrote:
> I feel that statement is slightly wrong in that for any given user
> on Android (where most of us have Android set up for only one user),
> you certainly can disable and uninstall any app on the phone (AFAIK).
>

Have you tried it? I did, and Samsung's Phone app, Messages app, and
Contacts app had no way in the UI to uninstall or disable them. Even
the setting for "Remove permissions if app is unused" was grayed out
(I didn't check the other two).

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote

>> I feel that statement is slightly wrong in that for any given user
>> on Android (where most of us have Android set up for only one user),
>> you certainly can disable and uninstall any app on the phone (AFAIK).
>>
>
> Have you tried it?

Hi Stan,

Of course I tried it. Give me some credit for not guessing all the time
like a lot of people do (as I don't say things that aren't facts).

My credibility on Usenet must be 100% stellar. 100% accurate.
Or it's not worth me writing anything to help others do what I do.

Those were cut-and-pasted exact copies of the commands I ran.
And their exact results.

There isn't a single app on the unrooted Android phone you can't uninstall
(to my knowledge - although I haven't tested uninstalling _every_ app!).

You don't give me enough credit if you asked "have I tried it" since I
don't say things the way I said them that I haven't empirically tested.

Of course I've tried it. And... I've documented that it works. Many times.
<https://www.droidwin.com/debloat-remove-bloatware-from-samsung-devices-via-adb/>

My Samsung Galaxy A32-5G (SM-A326U) is unrootable (as far as I am aware),
so there's no chance that I'm rooted - and everything can be uninstalled.

> I did, and Samsung's Phone app, Messages app, and
> Contacts app had no way in the UI to uninstall or disable them. Even
> the setting for "Remove permissions if app is unused" was grayed out
> (I didn't check the other two).

Oh. Well. Um. Er... Now you say that you want to do it all using a *GUI*.
That's different.

I used the command line interface to Android.
I used "adb" like everyone else does who wants to uninstall bloatware.
<https://www.droidwin.com/debloat-remove-bloatware-from-samsung-devices-via-adb/>

There's also a free "local adb" if that's something you're interested in.
And, of course, you can run adb from the Termux command line (I think).

Otherwise you need to run this single command on your PC to uninstall
any app on the phone that you want to uninstall, e.g., for Chrome:
C:\> adb pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.chrome

Note that wipes it out for user 0 (which most of us are logged in as).

On 10/29/23 04:43, John Dallman wrote:
> In article <uhlep4$3rdbf$3@dont-email.me>, T@invalid.invalid (T) wrote:
>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> There would not be a Linux tablet out there yet?
>
> There are some, but before you buy one, you should try to get your
> requirements clear. The Android ecosystem means there are apps for most
> needs, but Linux tablets don't have nearly so much software available.
>
> <https://itsfoss.com/linux-tablets/>
>
> <https://itslinuxfoss.com/best-linux-tablets/>
>
> John

Same drawback in the Desktop world as well.

She only uses firefox, brave, Thunderbird,
Kindle, writer.

On 10/29/23 07:58, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
> Am 29.10.23 um 12:08 schrieb T:
>> On 10/29/23 03:35, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
>>> Buy your wife an iPad.
>>
>> She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
>> to operate.
>
> There are not many people saying that.
>

Indeed. Otherwise folks would not pay extra for them.

But personal tastes vary. She carries on about having
to use double the strokes to do what she typically does.

T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote

>>> On 10/29/23 03:35, J�rg Lorenz wrote:
>>>> Buy your wife an iPad.
>>>
>>> She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
>>> to operate.
>>
>> There are not many people saying that.
>>
>
> Indeed. Otherwise folks would not pay extra for them.
>
> But personal tastes vary. She carries on about having
> to use double the strokes to do what she typically does.

Consider the source.
a. My credibility is 100%
b. Jeorg's credibility is 0%

Hence, I wouldn't take any advice from Joerg Lorenz, since he only reads
Apple advertisements, which don't tell you that there are thousands of very
useful things you can't do on iOS that every other operating system does.

For example, only on iOS can you _not_ have the privacy of the Tor Browser.
And only on iOS can you not set up a system wide firewall like NetGuard.

There is no privacy on iOS since you _must_ not only _create_ a mothership
tracking account - but Apple will lock you out of your own device if you
don't keep constantly logging into that account every day of your life.

If you don't believe that, look at this thread where I took three iPads.
1. I logged into it every time Apple asked me to
2. I logged into it once - and never again
3. Same with the third iPad except I tried to unlock my AppleID

In the first case, everything works fine.
In the second, the AppleAccount was locked unilaterally by Apple.
In the third, Apple literally bricked the iPad (Activation Required).

Only last week did I walk down to the Apple store and allow them to write
my government ID into their databases - so that they'd unlock the 2nd.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the third.
I'll document all this up but what the point is that on Android the phone
works perfectly fine without logging into the Google mothership.

On iOS, you _must_ log into the Apple mothership tracking servers.
None of this does Jeorg know so that's why I wouldn't listen to him.

Honestly, almost nobody knows this because who would go years without
logging into their iPads but people like me who test out the system.

For details, see this thread on the child-like Apple newsgroup.
*Apple finally let me log into my own iPad to use it*
*(after years of holding my AppleID hostage)*
<https://groups.google.com/g/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/c/wrqMIO5eLzg>

On 10/29/23 07:28, Arno Welzel wrote:
> But it is only available or a limited number of devices and only
> preinstalled on devices by Murena.

I am only seeing phone on their web site, no tablets.
I could have missed them

On 10/29/23 09:58, Stan Brown wrote:
> Android that is free of Google in

that one

On 10/29/23 17:35, Wally J wrote:
> T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote
>
>>>> On 10/29/23 03:35, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
>>>>> Buy your wife an iPad.
>>>>
>>>> She looked at one, but found it a bit too weird
>>>> to operate.
>>>
>>> There are not many people saying that.
>>>
>>
>> Indeed. Otherwise folks would not pay extra for them.
>>
>> But personal tastes vary. She carries on about having
>> to use double the strokes to do what she typically does.
>
> Consider the source.
> a. My credibility is 100%
> b. Jeorg's credibility is 0%
>
> Hence, I wouldn't take any advice from Joerg Lorenz, since he only reads
> Apple advertisements, which don't tell you that there are thousands of very
> useful things you can't do on iOS that every other operating system does.
>
> For example, only on iOS can you _not_ have the privacy of the Tor Browser.
> And only on iOS can you not set up a system wide firewall like NetGuard.
>
> There is no privacy on iOS since you _must_ not only _create_ a mothership
> tracking account - but Apple will lock you out of your own device if you
> don't keep constantly logging into that account every day of your life.
>
> If you don't believe that, look at this thread where I took three iPads.
> 1. I logged into it every time Apple asked me to
> 2. I logged into it once - and never again
> 3. Same with the third iPad except I tried to unlock my AppleID
>
> In the first case, everything works fine.
> In the second, the AppleAccount was locked unilaterally by Apple.
> In the third, Apple literally bricked the iPad (Activation Required).
>
> Only last week did I walk down to the Apple store and allow them to write
> my government ID into their databases - so that they'd unlock the 2nd.
>
> I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the third.
> I'll document all this up but what the point is that on Android the phone
> works perfectly fine without logging into the Google mothership.
>
> On iOS, you _must_ log into the Apple mothership tracking servers.
> None of this does Jeorg know so that's why I wouldn't listen to him.
>
> Honestly, almost nobody knows this because who would go years without
> logging into their iPads but people like me who test out the system.
>
> For details, see this thread on the child-like Apple newsgroup.
> *Apple finally let me log into my own iPad to use it*
> *(after years of holding my AppleID hostage)*
> <https://groups.google.com/g/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/c/wrqMIO5eLzg>

Love TOR!