Perspectives

Ars' Ron Amadeo: "Walled garden rising, open-source dying." Security args valid, but why not opt-in for advanced users?

**Case:** S24 One UI 8 locks—FOSS forums explode with brick tales. Samsung: "Safety first."

# 2. Dev Verification & Sideloading Barriers: Anonymity and Indie Devs Suffer (2024–2026)

Sideloading fueled FOSS apps—F-Droid, betas, unsigned code. Google's verification mandate is a gut punch to open distribution.

# 2.1 Rollout Details

* **2024 Setup:** Android 15's "Restricted Settings" adds perm hurdles for non-Play sources.
* **2025 Hammer:** "Elevating Android Security" (Aug 25)—verified devs only for GMS apps, 2026 pilots, 2027 global.
* **Mechanics:** ID registration in Dev Console; no anon APKs. Sideloads = high malware, per Google.

F-Droid could crumble if anon devs quit.

# 2.2 FOSS Ramifications

* **Play Integrity:** Scans sources, blocks unsigned—anti-open distro.
* **Indie Hurdles:** Red tape for small FOSS projects; Play fees push proprietary.
* **Censorship Risk:** Google vetoes "edgy" open-source apps?

Stifles FOSS innovation: privacy tools, experiments harder to share.

# 2.3 Affected Open-Source Community

* **Beta/Experimental Devs:** Sideloading betas tougher.
* **Privacy FOSS Users:** F-Droid's anon model threatened.
* **Global Contributors:** Oppressive regions lose safe anon contribs.

r/opensource: "Anon sideloading dead?" X: Hack shares abound.

# 2.4 Views + Context

TechCrunch: Security kills anon FOSS. Antitrust? Google's closing the open door.

**Case:** 2026 Brazil/Indonesia tests—FOSS apps glitch, devs flee to alts.

# 3. AOSP Internal Shift: Transparency Takes a Hit (2025)

AOSP's the heart of Android's open-source claim—public code for all.

# 3.1 The Change

* **March 26, 2025:** Dev to internal branches; AOSP post-release only. Main branch read-only.
* **Rationale:** Efficiency, no leaks. Affects kernels, device trees.

AOSP "death" rumors false, but access delayed.

# 3.2 Open-Source Fallout

* **Audit/Contrib Delays:** No real-time code—harder forks, security checks.
* **Project Impacts:** GrapheneOS, other FOSS ROMs lag.

Betrays open-source: less collab, more Google control.

# 3.3 Community Hits

* **Forkers/OEMs:** Amazon Fire OS waits.
* **Vibes:** r/opensource: "Blow to mobile FOSS."

# 3.4 Opinions

Android Authority: Streamlines at openness cost.

**Case:** Android 16 (June 2025)—FOSS ports super slow.

# 4. Security Upsides: FOSS Trade-Off?

Security boosts justify some, but feel proprietary.

# 4.1 Highlights

* **Play Integrity (2024-25):** Mod detection.
* **OTP/Screens (2025):** AI threats.
* **Cellular Warnings:** Dodgy nets.
* **Patches:** Aug 2025 fixes 57 vulns.

Vulns down 17%, per Google.

# 4.2 Open-Source Angle

Good defaults, but blocks FOSS mods.

# 4.3 Thoughts

Helps casual FOSS users; hurts purists.

**Case:** April 2025 zero-days—quick open patches.

# Timeline (2022-2025)

|Year|Key Shifts|
|:-|:-|
|2022-23|Samsung locks S22/S23, Z; EU regs start.|
|2024|Android 15 barriers; Integrity expands.|
|2025|AOSP internal (Mar); Verification (Aug); One UI 8.|

# Openness Gains/Losses

**Losses:**

* Forking/Custom: Locked out.
* Collab: Communities shrink.
* Access: Anon/indie harder.

**Gains:**

* Security: Malware drops.
* Stability: Less hack risks.
* Defaults: Better for newbies.

Table:

|Area|Pros|Cons|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Transparency|Quick patches|Code delays|
|Dev Freedom|Safer contribs|Verification BS|
|Privacy|Built-in guards|Anon loss|

# Community Reactions

r/opensource: Debates on "Android still FOSS?" r/fossdroid: Lock rants.
X: Petitions for open AOSP.

# FOSS Expert Takes

Basanta Sapkota: Control over collab.
Privacy Guides: Alts for true open.

# Cases

* **ROM Decline:** LineageOS skips locked.
* **Pixel FOSS Holdout:** Unlockable, but limited.

# Future: 2026+

Verification global—FOSS antitrust push? EU unlock reversal?

# FOSS Alts: Reclaim Open Mobile

Go pure open:

* **postmarketOS:** Alpine Linux, 250+ devices, eternal support.
* **Ubuntu Touch:** Community FOSS, gestures.
* **Plasma Mobile:** KDE open

custom.
* **More:** Sailfish (open core), Mobian, GrapheneOS (Pixel FOSS).

Trade-offs: Apps sparse, hardware spotty. But 100% open!

# Wrap: Is Android Betraying Open-Source?

This lockdown prioritizes security over FOSS ideals, helping masses but gutting contribs. Open-source wins big picture? Or sellout? Contributed to AOSP lately? Trying alts? Discuss—upvote if resonated! 🚀

Edit: Added sources from comments. Feedback welcome!

https://redd.it/1n25dgo
@r_opensource

I debugged 100+ RAG and LLM pipelines and found 16 failures that keep coming back
https://github.com/onestardao/WFGY/tree/main/ProblemMap/README.md

https://redd.it/1n26o2o
@r_opensource

kinda scared of posting this to reddit lol, but here's an open-source app i built that maybe can help some of you

So basically my company is hiring another developer and I was talking with the HR manager and she said that she prefers when people in tech have a website or some sort of online presence so I decided to create an app that is somewhat a mix of Linktree and Linkedin to fix that problem, and it can also serve as a bio link. Users can choose a username, add their favorite links, CV and there's even a blog feature. You can end up with a cool domain like https://whoami.tech/myusername with all your information.

It's completely free and open source if you find the idea interesting :) (i built it pretty quickly on my free time so its probably still full of bugs but feedback is very welcome).

https://whoami.tech

https://github.com/s1lvax/whoami

https://redd.it/1n282sz
@r_opensource

Starting my first open source project , what are the most common beginner mistakes to avoid?

Hi r/opensource👋

I’ve been a developer for a few years now, but I’ve never maintained an open source project before.

I’m currently preparing to publish my very first public repo, and I’d love to get your advice and learn from your experiences.

👉 The main reason I’m choosing the open source path is because I believe the real value of a product is not just about “launching fast to monetize”, but about quality, transparency, and usefulness to the community. I’d like to contribute in that spirit and build something that actually helps people, instead of just another closed-off product.

Since this is completely new to me, I’d love your feedback on:

• What are the best practices for writing a README that makes people actually want to try a project?

• How do you choose the right license without messing things up from the start?

• What are the most common beginner mistakes you’ve made (or seen) when starting an open source project?

• Any tips for encouraging the first feedback or contributions?

I’m totally new to this world, so any advice would be super helpful 🙏

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge.

I’m sure your advice will also help others who are thinking about taking the leap!

https://redd.it/1n2afo4
@r_opensource

Built Flowkit: A developer-first workflow automation engine (YAML-based, self-hosted, infinitely scalable)

Hey folks,

I’ve been working on something I call **flowkit** — an open-source workflow automation engine for developers who feel boxed in by the usual automation tools.

Most platforms start off feeling magical… until the reality sets in: messy drag-and-drop interfaces, scaling headaches, and paywalls that unlock the real power. I wanted something I could actually **version control, deploy anywhere, and scale without limits**.

That’s how **flowkit** came to be. It’s:

* YAML-first (your workflows live in plain text files you can git commit)
* Self-hosted with Docker (no vendor lock-in)
* Infinitely scalable (deploy on your infra, grow as you need)
* Programmable (drop in JavaScript expressions directly in your workflows)

That’s it. Super simple, super hackable.

I’d love to get feedback from other builders:

* Does YAML-first automation appeal to you?
* What use cases would you throw this at?
* What would make it more useful?

The repo is here if you want to check it out: [https://github.com/useflowkit/flowkit-server](https://github.com/useflowkit/flowkit-server)

Thanks for reading — excited to hear what you think!

https://redd.it/1n2brwy
@r_opensource

Built an opensource algo visualiser, anyone wants to contribue? i want to make it a collection of almost all popular algorithms.
https://dsa-experiments.vercel.app

https://redd.it/1n2al3h
@r_opensource

MCPcat, a free open-source library for MCP server monitoring
https://github.com/mcpcat/mcpcat-typenoscript-sdk

https://redd.it/1n2e9xa
@r_opensource

I was tired of ad-ridden music players & youtube to mp3 converters, so I built my own(no ads, no login, no BS).

I've been frustrated with how many music players and YouTube converters are filled with ads, subnoscriptions, and other unnecessary fluff. So, as a personal challenge, I decided to build my own from scratch.

It's a simple android app with two versions: a full music player and a standalone converter. It can download entire playlists and is completely free to use.

Here are the links to both:

YouTube Converter : https://github.com/21Errors/YTConverter

Converter + Music player : https://github.com/21Errors/YTMP3

The music player has a few minor bugs I'm still working on, but I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far. I also have a web version in the works, but I'm still trying to figure out the hosting situation since it needs to run shell commands.

I'd love for you to check it out, give me some feedback and maybe leave a star :D. It's a passion project, and I'd really appreciate any thoughts on how to improve it.

https://redd.it/1n2ddao
@r_opensource

StreamGrid – Open Source Multi-Stream Viewer (v1.2.0 Update)

Hey everyone,

I previously shared StreamGrid, an open-source app for watching and managing multiple streams in a customizable grid layout. I’ve been working on it since then, and I’m excited to share the latest v1.2.0 update with major performance improvements and cross-platform build support.

# ✨ Highlights

🎥 Multi-stream viewing – Watch multiple live streams or VODs at the same time.
🖱️ Customizable layouts – Drag, drop, resize streams on the fly.
💾 Save & share – Export/import your grid configurations.
🌐 Stream support – Works with M3U8, HLS, MP4, and more.
🚀 Cross-platform – Windows, macOS, and Linux (Electron + React + TypeScript).

# 🔥 What’s New in v1.2.0

Nearly instant startup.
Virtual rendering → smooth performance with 50+ streams.
Player pooling → reduced memory usage + faster stream switching.
Lazy-loaded chat components for better efficiency.
Cross-platform build support (Windows, macOS, Linux installers).
Local file stream support + improved error handling.
The ability to save "grids" and load them at any time allowing easy switching between layouts

The app is still 100% free and open-source. I’d love for the community to give the update a try, share feedback, or contribute!

👉 GitHub Repository

Thanks again to everyone who checked it out before!

https://redd.it/1n2gcnk
@r_opensource

Trying to get my dad to use open source i failed

My dad called me while he was with sellers trying to get him to buy Microsoft 365 for like 200 dollars , while i was telling him noo get libreoffice it’s open source and free the seller heard me he said to him it’s not Microsoft! and my dad is not tech savvy so he got confused they brought a female seller and also tried to convince him and now he thinks im the devil and a hacker and he doesn’t trust me xD

https://redd.it/1n2h3t2
@r_opensource

Looking for a FOSS PDF Drawing / Handwritten Note-taking app that is lightweight and cross platform between Windows, Android, and Linux.

# My Previous Setup

My previous workflow for hand notes consisted of three apps: Google Drive, Obsidian, and Excalidraw. On Windows, I used the Google Drive Client to create a virtual folder (via Windows Shell Namespace Extension), and I had Obsidian use that virtual folder as my vault. This way, all data was stored in Google's cloud while being accessible to Obsidian. I could then draw on PDFs via an infinite canvas for note-taking.

On Android, I used DriveSync to synchronize my Google Drive to a documents directory, and I then pointed my Obsidian vault to that documents directory. I could then draw on PDFs and create hand-written notes with Obsidian's Excalidraw plugin.

# My New Setup

Instead of Google Drive, I now have all of my data stored on my personal, self-hosted Nextcloud server. This includes my notes and several gigabytes worth of family photos. I no longer use Obsidian because Nextcloud's cloud markdown editor serves as a good substitute. Nextcloud also has its own document editor, spreadsheet editor, and powerpoint editor. I don't need Obsidian's document-linking feature in my workflow, so Obsidian has no advantages for me.

# The Problem

Nextcloud's implementation of Whiteboard (based on Excalidraw) is horrible for note-taking. It is slow (likely due to my server's slow CPU), but more importantly it does not support importing PDFs. So, I need an alternative. I want to do all my handwritten note-taking in my personal cloud ideally, but there don't seem to be any good Nextcloud integrations or apps for this. I don't want to use Obsidian for two reasons: I don't want to install an entire app just for Excalidraw, and I don't want to have to sync my Nextcloud files to a local directory due to the aforementioned several gigabytes worth of family photos blowing up my Android device's limited storage.

# What I've Tried

So far, I've tried Microsoft OneNote, Xournal++, Linwood Butterfly, Saber, and Okular.

OneNote works perfectly on Desktop, but OneNote doesn't support importing OneNote folders from local directories or the Nextcloud Document Provider on Android. It also doesn't support exporting to a local directory on Android. Everything must be done through Microsoft's cloud.

Xournal++ is amazing on desktop and does everything I want. I absolutely LOVE how imported PDF pages are given their own individual pages. This is great because it allows me to export the drawings I've made atop the imported PDF as regular PDF files. With Obsidian's Excalidraw, importing a PDF just dumped all the pages onto a single infinite canvas, so the only way to export the drawing was by exporting the entire, lengthy image. I also love that Xournal++ allows me to export its .xoj files directly to my Nextcloud virtual folder in Windows. However, the Android mobile app is no longer supported. It's last update was four years ago. Also, its ability to open files seems to be broken. When using the "open file" option, I cannot navigate to any directory in the file system because it only allows me to browse Google Drive and my Gallery. So, importing .xoj files on my Android device is impossible with the Xournal++ mobile app. This makes Xournal++ unusable to me.

Linwood Butterfly is pretty good because it allows me to import and export .bfly files to and from my Nextcloud virtual folder on Windows. The interface is intuitive and simple. However, I do not like how it uses an infinite canvas when importing a PDF for the same reason I dislike Excalidraw. Other than that, Butterfly works perfectly fine. However, it is a bit annoying on Android. It crashes whenever I try to import a .bfly file directly from my Android device's Nextcloud virtual folder. I can get around this by first copying my .bfly file from my Nextcloud virtual folder to a local folder and then importing the copied file. This gets tedious, but it works ok. Exporting a .bfly file from my Android to my Nextcloud virtual folder works

Looking for a FOSS PDF Drawing / Handwritten Note-taking app that is lightweight and cross platform between Windows, Android, and Linux.

# My Previous Setup

My previous workflow for hand notes consisted of three apps: Google Drive, Obsidian, and Excalidraw. On Windows, I used the Google Drive Client to create a virtual folder (via Windows Shell Namespace Extension), and I had Obsidian use that virtual folder as my vault. This way, all data was stored in Google's cloud while being accessible to Obsidian. I could then draw on PDFs via an infinite canvas for note-taking.

On Android, I used DriveSync to synchronize my Google Drive to a documents directory, and I then pointed my Obsidian vault to that documents directory. I could then draw on PDFs and create hand-written notes with Obsidian's Excalidraw plugin.

# My New Setup

Instead of Google Drive, I now have all of my data stored on my personal, self-hosted Nextcloud server. This includes my notes and several gigabytes worth of family photos. I no longer use Obsidian because Nextcloud's cloud markdown editor serves as a good substitute. Nextcloud also has its own document editor, spreadsheet editor, and powerpoint editor. I don't need Obsidian's document-linking feature in my workflow, so Obsidian has no advantages for me.

# The Problem

Nextcloud's implementation of Whiteboard (based on Excalidraw) is horrible for note-taking. It is slow (likely due to my server's slow CPU), but more importantly it does not support importing PDFs. So, I need an alternative. I want to do all my handwritten note-taking in my personal cloud ideally, but there don't seem to be any good Nextcloud integrations or apps for this. I don't want to use Obsidian for two reasons: I don't want to install an entire app just for Excalidraw, and I don't want to have to sync my Nextcloud files to a local directory due to the aforementioned several gigabytes worth of family photos blowing up my Android device's limited storage.

# What I've Tried

So far, I've tried Microsoft OneNote, Xournal++, Linwood Butterfly, Saber, and Okular.

OneNote works perfectly on Desktop, but OneNote doesn't support importing OneNote folders from local directories or the Nextcloud Document Provider on Android. It also doesn't support exporting to a local directory on Android. Everything must be done through Microsoft's cloud.

Xournal++ is amazing on desktop and does everything I want. I absolutely LOVE how imported PDF pages are given their own individual pages. This is great because it allows me to export the drawings I've made atop the imported PDF as regular PDF files. With Obsidian's Excalidraw, importing a PDF just dumped all the pages onto a single infinite canvas, so the only way to export the drawing was by exporting the entire, lengthy image. I also love that Xournal++ allows me to export its .xoj files directly to my Nextcloud virtual folder in Windows. However, the Android mobile app is no longer supported. It's last update was four years ago. Also, its ability to open files seems to be broken. When using the "open file" option, I cannot navigate to any directory in the file system because it only allows me to browse Google Drive and my Gallery. So, importing .xoj files on my Android device is impossible with the Xournal++ mobile app. This makes Xournal++ unusable to me.

Linwood Butterfly is pretty good because it allows me to import and export .bfly files to and from my Nextcloud virtual folder on Windows. The interface is intuitive and simple. However, I do not like how it uses an infinite canvas when importing a PDF for the same reason I dislike Excalidraw. Other than that, Butterfly works perfectly fine. However, it is a bit annoying on Android. It crashes whenever I try to import a .bfly file directly from my Android device's Nextcloud virtual folder. I can get around this by first copying my .bfly file from my Nextcloud virtual folder to a local folder and then importing the copied file. This gets tedious, but it works ok. Exporting a .bfly file from my Android to my Nextcloud virtual folder works

flawlessly.

Saber is so close to being good. It imports PDFs onto their own pages like Xournal++, and it has simple interface for both its Windows and Android applications. Importing and exporting to and from both Windows and Android virtual folders is possible. But, the deal-breaker for me is that the Windows version for whatever reason cannot import its own files. After exporting an .sba file on Windows, it becomes immediately impossible to ever import it back into the Windows Saber application.

Okular is way too bloated for my use-case, and its suite of drawing tools is limited compared to the others listed here. Okular also doesn't have an official Android version.

# What I Want

I'm looking for an app that:

* Is cross-platform between Windows, Android, and Linux
* Can directly import from and directly export to Windows' Shell Namespace Extension virtual folders and Android's SAF Document Provider virtual folders
* Free, preferably FOSS
* Lightweight and focused solely on providing a suite of hand drawing tools
* Ability to import PDFs to individual pages within its document format

https://redd.it/1n2i2cw
@r_opensource

I built an open-source image resizer that's 100% private (runs in your browser) and has a killer feature: you can set a target file size (e.g., "under 500 KB").
https://github.com/killcod3/image-resizer

https://redd.it/1n2mbls
@r_opensource

Any solo developers who open sourced their SaaS?

I am thinking to opensource the project a desktop app) I have been working on that has been really helpful for me during my studies. In the past I have built and shared few small opensource libraries, but they didn’t get much attention apart from few stars on GitHub. I believe it’s mostly because I didn’t talk much about it online after releasing it and only added 1-2 features since I didn’t need to extend it beyond what’s supposed to do.

However, this desktop app is different and I believe it could be bigger and I have more ideas to add to it with right community.

Anyone managed build and maintained an open source community as a solo developer? I eventually want to get some commercial benefit from the app I built, but I want to hit the right balance. Any good resources or videos on this you can share would be very much appreciated as well.

https://redd.it/1n2pvv4
@r_opensource

Open-source optimization engine for LLM agents 🧠
https://github.com/Handit-AI/handit.ai

https://redd.it/1n2oxbg
@r_opensource

Open source dilemma in the EU too: many see benefits, too few contribute
https://www.heise.de/en/news/Open-source-dilemma-in-the-EU-too-many-see-benefits-too-few-contribute-10624536.html

https://redd.it/1n2xr5k
@r_opensource

Made a tiny library to collect user feedback in your app

I built a small Android library called EchoBox, a lightweight way to collect in-app feedback from users (emoji + message) without needing a backend.

The library is Jetpack Compose for now, but I might add XML support later if people are interested. Contributions are very welcome!

GitHub: https://github.com/amitcodr/EchoBox

https://redd.it/1n32vf9
@r_opensource

Any opensource dictation(speech to text) application for windows? Alternative for the 'Dictate' option in Word?

I searched for one on the net, but most of them seem to be for Linux, Macos and Android.

I know of Sayboard and Whisper in Android.

I have seen whisper installation setups and have tried it, but havent't seen one that can directly dictate into other open apps.

Are there any applications like that which can directly enter the dictated text into a word or text file?
Like, one which can directy dictate into Word or Libreoffice Writer?

Thanks in advance.

https://redd.it/1n32tcy
@r_opensource

I've created a program to record streams

Hi all, I've just published a new software called TeleVedi. TeleVedi allows users to record streaming channels in real time or schedule automatic recordings for later.

It is:

\- open source

\- free of charge

\- equipped with a simple and intuitive interface

\- compatible with custom streams and playlists

\- available in English and Italian

\- currently compatible only with Windows 10 and 11

You can try it at https://github.com/Messina-Agata/TeleVedi



Waiting for your feedback :)

https://redd.it/1n35qzo
@r_opensource