29 September 2009, 14:49

CyanogenMod: Android without Google Apps

CyanogenModLogo
CyanogenMod logo After being accused of licence infringements by Google, Android programmer Steve Kondik now plans to release his modified Android firmware, known as CyanogenMod, without the usual Google Apps, such as GMail, Google Maps and YouTube. In a post on his blog, the developer says that, in the future, he intends to respect Google’s intellectual property rights.

However, Kondik emphasises that he will continue to release improved custom ROM firmware. According to his blog, the firmware will be fully functional, allowing users to make phone calls or take pictures. The programmer also writes that he is working on a tool that backs up the Google Apps from the original Android ROM contents so they can be separately restored to the CyanogenMod installation.

Another group of developers is taking a different approach and is working to replace the Google Apps with their own open source alternatives that can be freely distributed. The Open Android Alliance wants to create a completely free variant of Android.

See also: