Google Deals Blow To Custom ROMs On Pixel With Android Open Source Project Update
Android 16 was released this week, and as usual its source code also popped up, under the permissive Apache 2.0 license. So far so good, except this time around Google did not release the device trees or the kernel source history for Android 16 on the Pixel handsets. A device tree is a collection of configuration files and related materials, all describing a specific device's hardware layout, peripherals, and custom hardware.
This makes it harder for Pixel custom ROM devs to do their thing, as they now need to work out this data themselves by reverse-engineering from Android 15 and previous releases. It's worth noting that this puts Google on par with most any other smartphone OEM, as most don't publish device trees for their wares—not that this is of much comfort.
Additionally, while Google did release the kernel source code, it came with a squashed commit history, meaning the Android creator only published the final set of files and not the branches or changes over time. This makes it impossible (or at least extremely difficult) to know which changes were bug fixes, security patches, or just standard features. All told, this had modders concerned that the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) was going to go away.
From its part, Google has made it clear that it won't, despite the fact that it recently made said development private in a bid to make it more focused. The word comes directly form Google VP Seang Chau, who made it clear that AOSP is an open platform, will not be discontinued, and taht it will continue to offer Cuttlefish, a virtual device, and GSIs (Generic System Images installable on most devices) for developers to use. Cuttlefish and the GSIs are the official reference targets for developers to use, but until now, Pixel devices were the de facto reference, as starting with a device with full configuration files and historical source code made getting new code off the ground and running quite easy.
All told, there's direct and indirect impact. First, devs working on custom ROMs for Pixel handsets definitely have their work cut out for them, and updates for said ROMs are likely to arrive at a much slower pace. Then, there's the fact that although there is and was a reference platform, the fact that there isn't a physical device you can use immediately to get your custom ROM off the ground is likely to discourage new developers from joining the party.
Thanks to AndroidAuthority for pointing out this story.
