OTC CatchUp #90 Summary

He explained the release cycle in GrapheneOS which includes alpha beta testing phase.

He shared a podcast about Android’s camera problems.

Anas Khan talked about Titan chipset and how it might interfere with installing a custom ROM.

There are multiple steps involved in installing a custom ROM such as unlocking bootloader, installing custom recovery and flashing different ROMs.

Most ROMs are based on the AOSP (Android Open Source Project).

Each device implements a different kernel, hence custom ROMs need to be tweaked according to each device to make it work as intended.

GrapheneOS is a privacy oriented custom ROM which does not use the standard google services since they track certain stats about the device, which an user might not want to share. It is available on almost all the Pixel devices starting from Pixel 3.

/e/ and CalyxOS are also privacy oriented custom ROMs which work on similar principles.

Mohit Shetty talked about all the data that is accessible to google.

All the apps for the GrapheneOS are separately available for other devices as well.

It uses Cloudflare DNS by default.

Harsh Kapadia talked about Jitsi and how OTC used it until some of its issues forced to use a different solution.

He also talked about Linux, rolling release and stable release for different distributions.

Distributions difer in terms of cherry picking features according to the user needs.

He shared a Linx Distribution Timeline chart which encapsulates the roots of development of all the Linux distributions.

Custom ROMs can be installed without root permissions. Most users prefer magisk, a Systemless Root method for installing modifications to the ROM.

Backing up personal data could be a hassel, hence services like Titanium backup and Swift backup can help users to backup and restore all of their personal data with ease.

Android implements Encryption by default, which makes it difficult for users to access the storage partition from the recovery environment. A user can choose to flash a DFE (Disable Forced Encryption) to disable the encryption.

Some Samsung devices do not allow its users to shut the device down without unlocking it.

For instance, android developers tend to utilise the screenshot of the viewfinder in apps like Whatsapp or Instagram while clicking photos, whereas apps use the camera shots in iOS.

This is one of the major reasons behind better images on iphones, clicked through same app on both platforms.

We talked about eSIM services in US and how a device made for India might not work efficiently due to differences in supported bands.

He shared his experience of driving a Tesla on auto pilot. Cruise control and autopilot are separate things which might be difficut for a new user to trigger easily.

This app was made using Kotlin.

GitHub Repository

How did you approach making this app?

He focused mainly on the UI and UX of the app with the help of Google’s documentation for the Camera2 API.