Stripping down a phone to its bare minimum - Android General

I learned about BOINC for android recently and since I have some old smart phones lying around which are never used I thought why not put them to some use. I could of course directly install BOINC on them and get going but of course if its the only thing that is going to run then it will be a waste of a lot of hardware resources.
As of now I know only very little about rooting and the Linux OS and also my phones are not on the list for most rooting software. I have thought of two approaches to this.
First route is to root, install a very lightweight Android ROM and strip off all system apps/services/etc until I am left with the bare minimum required to run Android. Since I'll probably need to compile the ROM myself I might do some stripping off at the source code level itself if possible/practical.
Second route would be more interesting but I'm not sure if its even possible. This basically entails removing Android entirely and replacing it by a lightweight desktop Linux (such as DSL) with an external keyboard+mouse using the phone as display and processor.
The BOINC is going to run 24x7 with the phones always on charge. The keyboard and mouse will only be attached while installing the software and for checking things are fine once in a while...so I have no issues with them using up the charger slot and Bluetooth.
Which do you think would be the best option in this situation?

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samsung s8000 jet + android ?

i found a samsung s8000 jet at 199€ and was wondering whether i'd be able to install android on it
i found it has a good 800mhz cpu and it has anything u can ask nowadays apart from the best os avaiable today
any chance ?
Well AFAIK it is possible, but it would take a long time to accomplish (talking about years)
If the Jet was windows mobile, it'd be a lot easier (would still take lot of time)
u know what
my girlfriend wants a Gphone at a reasonable price but still can't find it here in italy.
i really don't understand where the problem is since linux is usually installable on any device
that's very odd
Yeah well the kernel needs to be completely rewritten to fit the hardware.
One different processor already makes a lot of trouble.
Sorry for digging up a dead topic, but, I have come across a way to get Android onto the S8000. I figure it was either that or let the phone get dusty in a drawer somewhere.
Just its not exactly a usable system as yet. None of the phone functions work, there are many Force Closures, the touch screen isnt really sensitive enough for Android either (although things can be scaled up to a larger size, normal presses get misunderstood for long presses), Cant access battery info, screen lock freezes phone, cant read time, etc etc etc. There are many things it cant to but its still an accomplishment to have it to a bootable state.
It does connect to wifi now, and has potential as far as I can tell, but, time will tell.
Still, it was fun to install onto my Jet after upgrading to Galaxy S.
I've only been playing around with it for a day. The project that is trying to get it functional is called JetDroid.
Just goes to show that Samsung could have made the Jet into a really good phone. If a semi functional install can work from people who program it in their own spare time, imagine how optimised Samsung could have gotten it.

[Q] android ecm/ecu

Anyone think that they could replace a obd2 ecm/ecu with an android phone?
therealmaximus said:
Anyone think that they could replace a obd2 ecm/ecu with an android phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may be wrong, but:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque
ive seen these, they just read parameters from the computer via the obd diagnostic port, what i meant was actually removing the the obd computer and using an android device to receive the incoming sensor data and use the data such as rpm, throttle position, and so forth to advance or retard timing tables and fuel tables to actually run the engine i have tuning software for my honda that i can run and retune my engine with but only from my laptop id like to be able to do this with an android device.
[A] 😉 let me know
That's an interesting question and not what I thought it was when I first read your initil post. Reading it literally you're asking about replacing the actual 'brain' that conductor that co-ordinates the entire ignition,fueling,emmisions and other secondary parameters that make the engine run in a harmonious symphony(oh, whatever happened to self metering by atmospheric pressure drop and contact breakers lol). I read it as taking out the OE ecu/ecm/powertrain module or whatever other term you use for it and replacing it with an android device. An interesting exercise but hardly worth the mountain range of problems involved considering you can go out and buy a custom fully programmable ECU anyway.
That is how it sounds though when you say replacing the ecu with an android device. i.e removing the ecu and putting in one running android or a piggyback ecu running amdroid....... i know, i'm being maybe a little too pedantic but it drew me in and made me read the thread and am definitely interested in finding out if there are any android apps that can reprogram or flash an ecu similar to the ones that run on windows.
I've mentioned in another thread I have a deep knowledge and experience in the car side of the equation but my knowledge of computers themselves ranks about 'interested in knowinf more but basically capable of using one n that's it' level. Or tge same as 99.99% of car drivers. They can drive but beyond that all they really know is where to out the petrol in although 100,000s of them will say they know all about cars lol.
In other words, I see know reason why technically there are no equivalent android apps/devices that can do what software packages running windows you use on a laptop. I'm in a similar but different position than you. I really want that ability to remap/flash new firmware onto ecu's except right now I don't have a laptop or desktop of any kind right now. All my online and computer needs are admirably dealt with on my Note 3 so i haven't bothered replacing either my pc or laptop when they passed on.
Was on ebay recently and seen very interesting and potentially useful software claiming to be able communicate fully with any obd1 and 2 ecus allowing you to reset, remap and 'chip' any ecus and also fully set up a new replacement custom reprogrammable ecu too although i am skeptical you could buy one that fully capable for £20 off ebay but they promise full customer support and the ability to download an entire remap for almost any make amd model so perhaps their claims are based on the abilitynof their product rather than merely sales rhetoric.
Anyway, what I mean is I see no reason why if windows can fully communicate with obd2 and android can also read current and pending dtcs, display freeze frame, live data and allow you, if you know the particular formula, to view data with custom PIDs then it seems possible that a software package written for android couldn't be capable of doing wnat these windows/mac programmes can do. I'm sure I've seen linux compatible software for desktops out there so surely an android version is poasible. BUT as i explained my knowledge of computer systems/languages is risible so there may well be a glaringly obvious reason that android is unsuitable (there's probably 1000s of 10 year olds laughing lije mad thinking is this guy stupid or what lol).
BUT if you ever come accross such an software package that runs on android let me know because if not it looks like I'm going to have to go buy this 20 odd quid ebay software AND a bloody laptop on top to bw able to use it

RoyaDroidally Screwed-Cortex A9 1.5GHz Duel Core stuck inside an ICRAIG Tablet CLP288

Hey,
So I have a tablet that was given to my daughter but was pretty useless out of the box last year. Its an ICRAIG powered by a Cortex A9 Duel Core 1.5 GHz 4G flash memory with the capacity to hold a 32G SD card to serve as an extension of that initial 4G. Now basically to a novice but trying to learn person like me the deal was kind of like: ICRAIG took some older cheaper cell phone android tech (It runs off 4.2 and upgrades only to 4.4 I believe) and shoved in into a tablet without modifying the firmware to support the new form. For instance the keyboard that's actually pretty standard in appearance is impossible to choose as an option and its default is the cellular keyboard option Android uses.
I have managed to root it using KingRoot app and Ive hooked it up to my computer to verify that Droid Drive works on it and it does, my computer recognizes the device as a CD. I am planning to flash over a different OS to take over the device and not use the Android platform at all. More specifically Kali Linux because I feel that will be a good way for me to learn coding and white hat pen testing as well along my path to a new career and because being stuck without working after it consumed my life for 18 years (Which means since I was 16, so my whole life) or the ability to drive has made me horribly bored to the point I'm trying to find, fix, refurbish, rig together anything I can without spending a fortune doing it with limited income. Broken neck, 3 places actually, is why I'm a bit stuck finding a career/hobby suitable to someone with limited movement. Not complaining or whining just telling you Androidians why I'm trying to replace your software of choice.
So is there anything I should know before attempting this backwards "burn" to reformat the tablet. Like just find an applicable ARM image on Kali.org? Should I just wipe it clean and rebuild from nothing or from the kernel at least? or wasting my time with this approach and just need to wipe it and use it as doorstop? I would keep Android and use a Linux Deploy approach but due to the keyboard not functioning and the lack of touch screen I feel the onscreen keyboard I have to use now would not be suitable to a VM style approach. Also hoping it I can just replace the OS I can then find the applicable drivers for things like the keyboard. I'm not sure if I should pull off all software except Droid Drive to the USB the device will hold and then flash or keep certain files (for instance whatever file may hold the drivers and kernel) or some of the build in apps? Etc Etc. You see where I'm going here. Replace the existing OS with Kali and any pointers with using Drive Droid or any other way you all think I could approach this better even if its flashing Damn Small Linux first and building up or just working of the Linux sites to build my own image kernel and all....I would appreciate any advice and I'm heading over to read Droid Drive info now. Ive just recently had time or interest in computing since I used my Blackberry or iPhone for any computing I needed or work computers on their own network. So until about a month ago the last system rebuild I did was on a Gateway running Windows 97 or so.
Thanks Androidians I'm off to start an online Android course now actually.
_D

Is Debloating Androind in 2020 worth it

Hi,
I'm facing a dilemma about Debloating Android vs its benefits like security and time spent on it, my OCD and need your opinion on this.
The very first thing I do when I get a new Android Smartphone or Tablet device, I will debloat them but the insane amount of time it takes me to do it, I don't have anymore because of adult life taking over. When I debloat Android device, I can spend hours upon hours if not days doing it by making a full dump off all the packages installed then inspecting every single one, doing research on them and coming to conclusion if such package is needed or suspicious. I repeat the whole process again when such device gets a major update to the next version of Android, for example, from Android 9 to Android 10.
That behaviour which I would say is my OCD at the moment, obviously is taking insane amount of time to get rid of all the crap and telemetry that have been placed on such device and I'm starting to question if it's even worth it anymore. It sometimes sounds like too much trouble and time is taken from doing it and having a little benefit from it. The main reason for my OCD with debloating is due to the fact that Android devices are Open Source and during manufacturing process it can be infected with Malware so obviously I want to make sure that there are no offending apps on the device that can harm my privacy and data.
The other question is, are there any benefits by performing a debloat ? I know it can speed up the device a little, improve battery life and make more resources available like RAM or Processing Power so that it can be used for the tasks I need to perform on the device rather than wasting it on a crap that is not needed in the background. Also, are there any benefits when it comes to Security ? I know that some Android devices are already coming infected with Malware straight from the factory (Can't post links till I reach 10 posts so I can't link the research ...) This is mostly because of how Android ecosystem works and that the development of software is mostly outsourced to different companies for example in India to reduce the costs of the device.
P.S Currently I have untouched Nokia which have some TWRP and Unofficial LineageOS available, I will try and see if I can unlock the bootloader and flash a custom ROM, if not, I will need to think if I should go through with debloating it as I don't have much time anymore. I want to finally start using it but I have that dilemma about the whole debloating thing and decided to check with you guys what you think about it.

Phone software openness

Hello there, I have a very general question regarding android phones:
How can it be so hard to run an os on a phone when it is so easy (at least way easier) to run a os on a pc.
I mean even slight misshapes can ruin your phone and there is no way for a phone to boot from anything except it's internal memory. In addition to that, it takes forever to push updates to different phones which even use the same CPUs (mostly Snapdragon 8xx). I really do not get this. I have a piece of hardware in my hand which basically seems to me like a computer with a smaller screen and somewhat different Io devices, but shouldn't it be able to have all the features a full pc has? What is the fundamental point I am missing here? Is there any reason besides companies wanting people locked out of their devices, so they can keep making money? Why don't I get a message of "no is media" when I mess up with a lineage install but instead could turn my phone into a piece of garbage?

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