[bri3d]

> It's still more open than AOSP

I don't think this is true at all? AOSP is completely open source modulo driver blobs (which Sailfish has too) and Google services.

One can make a fully functional system, modulo drivers, out of only open-source components using AOSP. It's not possible to do this using Sailfish; the compositor, UI libraries (Silica), and most of the "core" apps are still closed source.

[mrbn100ful]

The compositor is open (Lipstick) : https://github.com/sailfishos/lipstick

And OSS projet based on the SFOS core exist : https://nemomobile.net/, https://github.com/nemomobile-ux

[bri3d]

Ahh, thanks for the correction, it's the window manager that's closed (lipstick-jolla-home). Regardless, I will stand by my statement that a fully open-source build of AOSP is significantly more complete and useful than a fully open-source build of Jolla.

If we're going to start counting forks, we get to count LineageOS and GrapheneOS for Android, and then the goalposts really move.

[fabrice_d]

A pure AOSP distribution is now lacking a lot of basic apps. Distributions like LineageOS or GrapheneOS fill the gap with their own, but pure AOSP is totally unusable.

[ktosobcy]

I kinda wish NemoMobile would be default UI… current SailfishUI with force gestures is (for me) highly annoying…

[dadoum]

If I remember correctly a lot of AOSP core apps have been discontinued though.

[microtonal]

I think people got too used to bundling by Apple and Google. For most of the core apps there are good and open source alternatives available.

The main point is that AOSP as a system (modulo firmware) is open source and SailfishOS is not. Also, even though Sailfish has an Android compatibility layer (though only for official devices), compatibility is most likely always going to be worse than 'real' Android.

That said, I hope that Jolla Phone becomes a success, more competition is good. Hopefully being funded better will move them to fully open source the base system.

[mrbn100ful]

Yes and most people don't realize that the current "AOSP" apps are the LineageOS apps.

A true AOPS image is missing most core Apps.

[lern_too_spel]

The Email app had been forked into K-9 Mail, which later became Thunderbird for Android. AOSP Browser no longer made sense to develop after Chromium was ported to Android. And so on. The barebones applications in AOSP have been succeeded by better open source apps outside the AOSP repos. It doesn't make sense to maintain them when nobody putting together an Android distribution would choose to use them over those alternatives.

[charcircuit]

Because no one was using them. Everyone was replacing them and shipping other apps. AOSP is very modular and customizable letting you configure what apps get included in the OS.