AOSP isn't dead, but Google just landed a blow to custom ROM developers
a year ago
- #AOSP
- #Custom ROMs
- #Android
- Google has omitted Pixel device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release, making it harder to build custom ROMs for Pixel phones.
- Google is shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called 'Cuttlefish' to be more neutral.
- Developers must now reverse-engineer changes to support Pixel devices, increasing the difficulty of custom ROM development.
- Google denies claims that AOSP is going away, stating the project remains open but with a new reference target.
- The decision impacts custom ROM developers, requiring them to build their own device trees and deal with squashed kernel commit histories.
- Despite the challenges, Pixels remain easy to unlock and flash, though more work is needed for stable custom ROMs.