New Development Updates Revealed for Replicant 6.0

As many people know, the core parts that run Android is completely open source and is free to use by anyone. All OEMs shipping phones based off of Android do exactly this, including Amazon. But due to competition and profit motives, many parts of the OS that is shipped on devices are closed source. Since companies dedicate much time and resources to providing additional features and enhancements, it makes sense for them to keep those parts closed source.

However, closed source projects cannot be peer reviewed by users, so it is impossible to know whether or not the software is completely secure or trustworthy. Personally, I don't mind leaving security in the hands of Google, but others understandably do not trust any companies with their personal information. But there are some people who want a completely open source mobile platform, and this is where Replicant comes into play. We covered the creation of Replicant back in 2013, saw it updated to Android 4.2 a few months later, and have been watching its development ever since.

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) team had started working on the Marshmallow version of Replicant last year, and today they are giving us an update on its progress. In a blog post, we learned that thanks to three community members, Grim Kriegor, Jookia and dllud, Replicant now supports the Galaxy S2. They're also working on adding support for the GTA04 (also known as the Openmoko), but right now only basic functionality can be expected.

For example, though WiFi on supported devices usually require proprietary firmware, there is a workaround that the Replicant developers have discovered. A number of WiFi dongles use the AR9271 chipset which has open source firmware available for it. Any dongle that uses this chipset can be used on the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy S3 with Replicant installed.

The rest of the blog post talks about enhancements that have been made to the graphics rendering, toolchain, security, and privacy of Replicant, but what's most interesting is the note that future Replicant 6.0 versions will be based on LineageOS 13. Given that the FSF has declared a free phone operating system as one of their top priorities for 2017, we hope that we can see more development progress being made for Replicant. Maybe even some more modern devices will eventually be supported?

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Source: Replicant

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Turn Your OnePlus 3T into a Pixel XL

If you have a OnePlus 3T but love the software of the Plixel XL, this tutorial will show you how to get the look and feel of a Pixel on your OnePlus 3T. For this tutorial, you will need your OnePlus 3T to be rooted with TWRP installed.

Here are the download links for the files mentioned in this video.

Step 1: Flash LegendROM

• Pixel Navbar
• Pixel Animations

Step 2: Download Nova Launcher

Step 3: Recreate the Pixel Launcher in Nova

Step 4: Download Pixel Icon Pack

• Circular Pixel Icons

Step 5: Download Pixel UI Theme

• Pixel Quick Settings Menu
• Blue Text in Settings

Step 6: Download Custom Live Wallpapers

• Stock Live Wallpapers from Pixel XL

Step 7: Download Pixel Boot Animation

• Default Pixel Boot Animation

Step 8: Download Pixel Notifications and ringtones

• Pixel Ringtones
• Pixel Notifications

Follow the steps in the video to get these files installed and you'll have the complete Pixel experience on your OnePlus 3T.

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Learn Unity Android Game Development with this XDA-Recommended Online Course

XDA-Developers depot is an online store where you can get both digital and physical products valued by developers from the community. There is a massive amount of online courses related to development for Android. Today we are going to be looking at an an entry course into Unity Game Development. This course is currently $20 and contains 14 hours of content. Once purchased, you will have access to this course throughout the duration of the planet Earth.

Start Building Games With Unity

Raja Biswas

"Hi I am Raja. I am a passionate computer programmer, indie game developer and lifelong learner. I have a passion for learning new things and teaching those things to people all over the world. Everyday I get emails from people all over the world thanking me for all that they have learned from my tutorial videos. I have done my diploma engineering in computer science and technology. Currently doing my bachelor of engineering in IT. I have learned most of the stuff from books and tutorials online. I feel like everyone can learn anything today without going to school/college with the power of internet. I look forward to learn from you and teach you whatever I know in the best possible way."

 

These courses start from the very beginning by showing you how to setup unity for Android development. Even if you have unity setup already, it's a good idea to go through this step just to make sure everything was done correctly.

Create a 3D Zigzag Game

Follow the videos as you build your first basic game in unity. This course is the longest offered in this package, as it teaches you all the basics and takes you from start to finish with your first game. Start by building a game level and customizing your work space. Work through every aspect of creating your game until you have created your game manager and published to Android.

Your courses will be presented as a screen recording like this.

Create Game Art from Scratch

Inkscape will be used to teach you how to build any game art asset that you want. Inkscape is a free program, so you don't have to worry about any additional expenses. This course is very easy to follow even for people who have never used a graphic design program in depth. Every bit of software introduced in these courses also contains a tutorial of how to use these programs before you get in too deep.

You will learn how to make several different types of game art. At the end of the seven videos contained in this section, you will know enough to comfortably create any art assets that you might need.

Create Tappy Ball and Fruit Ninja Games

Now you have created your first simple game as well as learned how to use inkscape to create your game art. Your new skills will now be used to created two new games from start to finish. The next 26 videos expand on what you have learned so far to show you how to create different types of games on the unity platform.

Learn Version Controlling

Many new unity developers begin to have problems when they implement new code into their project and it breaks their game. Version controlling allows you to experiment with new code without messing up your entire project. You can then merge your new code and remove it as needed, while keeping your game intact.

You will learn how to use github and bitbucket to backup your code or share it with other developers.

Monetize with Ads

Learning how to create your game is just the first step. This course also takes you through managing and integrating ads into your project. This is a simple set of four videos that will show you how to easily implement video ads. You will also learn about PlayerPrefs, Applovin and Chartboost.

Create Leaderboards and Achievements

The final six videos are dedicated to teaching you how to create a leaderboard to track scores from users. Leaderboards are shown to keep your users coming back to your game to beat their high score. This will result in you making a larger profit from your game. You will need a Google developer account for this final section.

While this course has 14 hours of video content, I would allow two or three weeks for yourself to complete it. Since you have access to these courses for an unlimited amount of time, you can always come back to reference these videos whenever you want.

Developers that buy courses through the XDA depot are helping support the XDA-developers website and keep the community alive.

Get this course

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LineageOS to Switch to Unified Builds for OnePlus 3/3T from Next Weekly

LineageOS maintainers have merged in OnePlus 3T support patches, meaning that the next weekly build will be a common unified build for the OnePlus 3/3T. Users would still need to install the latest OxygenOS radio images to pass TrustZone assertion.

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Collection of Magisk Modules for the OnePlus 3T

Magisk is a popular mod for Android smartphones and XDA Senior Member Spasticdroid has collected a number of useful modules for the OnePlus 3T. They note that these modules were tested on OxygenOS 4.0.2 with Magisk 10.2 installed and should all work. Check them out!

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Guide to Enable the Startup & Permission Manager for the Huawei P9 Lite

Some owners of the Huawei P9 Lite have complained about the missing startup and permission manager applications found in other Huawei devices. XDA Senior Member JustChris20 has written up a quick guide for those who are interested in restoring access to these two features.

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Download Links for the AT&T Galaxy S7 Edge’s February Security Update

If you have AT&T's Galaxy S7 Edge then you can manually download and install the February security update. XDA Senior Member norbarb was able to get these OTA files hosted and thanks XDA Senior Member Jimmyvb98 for providing them with the links.

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