# LANGUAGE translation of https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/android-and-users-freedom.html # Copyright (C) YEAR Free Software Foundation, Inc. # This file is distributed under the same license as the original article. # FIRST AUTHOR <EMAIL@ADDRESS>, YEAR. # #, fuzzy msgid "" msgstr "" "Project-Id-Version: android-and-users-freedom.html\n" "POT-Creation-Date: 2024-01-01 05:25+0000\n" "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n" "Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n" "Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n" "Language: \n" "MIME-Version: 1.0\n" "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=CHARSET\n" "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n" #. type: Content of: <title> msgid "Android and Users' Freedom - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h2> msgid "Android and Users' Freedom" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><address> msgid "by Richard Stallman" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "To what extent does Android respect the freedom of its users? For a computer " "user that values freedom, that is the most important question to ask about " "any software system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "In the <a href=\"https://fsf.org\">free/libre software movement</a>, we " "develop software that respects users' freedom, so we and you can escape from " "software that doesn't. By contrast, the idea of “open source” " "focuses on how to develop code; it is a different current of thought whose " "principal value is <a " "href=\"/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html\">code quality rather " "than freedom</a>. Thus, the concern here is not whether Android is “<a " "href=\"/philosophy/free-open-overlap.html\">open</a>,” but whether it " "allows users to be free." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Android is an operating system primarily for mobile phones and other " "devices, which consists of Linux (Torvalds' kernel), some libraries, a Java " "platform and some applications. Linux aside, the software of Android " "versions 1 and 2 was mostly developed by Google; Google released it under " "the Apache 2.0 license, which is a lax free software license without <a " "href=\"/licenses/copyleft.html\">copyleft</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "The version of Linux included in Android is not entirely free software, " "since it contains nonfree “binary blobs” (just like Torvalds' " "version of Linux), some of which are really used in some Android " "devices. Android platforms use other nonfree firmware, too, and nonfree " "libraries. Aside from those, the source code of Android versions 1 and 2, as " "released by Google, is free software—but this code is insufficient to " "run the device. Some of the applications that generally come with Android " "are nonfree, too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Support the <a href=\"https://fsfe.org/activities/android/\">Free Your " "Android</a> campaign." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Android is very different from the <a " "href=\"/gnu/thegnuproject.html\">GNU/Linux operating system</a> because it " "contains very little of GNU. Indeed, just about the only component in common " "between Android and GNU/Linux is Linux, the kernel. People who erroneously " "think “Linux” refers to the entire GNU/Linux combination get " "tied in knots by these facts, and make paradoxical statements such as " "“Android contains Linux, but it isn't Linux.”(<a " "href=\"#linuxnote\">1</a>) Absent this confusion, the situation is simple: " "Android contains Linux, but not GNU; thus, Android and GNU/Linux are mostly " "different, because all they have in common is Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Within Android, Linux the kernel remains a separate program, with its source " "code under <a href=\"/licenses/gpl-2.0.html\">GNU GPL version 2</a>. To " "combine Linux with code under the Apache 2.0 license would be copyright " "infringement, since GPL version 2 and Apache 2.0 are <a " "href=\"/licenses/license-list.html#apache2\">incompatible</a>. Rumors that " "Google has somehow converted Linux to the Apache license are erroneous; " "Google has no power to change the license on the code of Linux, and did not " "try. If the authors of Linux allowed its use under <a " "href=\"/licenses/gpl.html\">GPL version 3</a>, then that code could be " "combined with Apache-licensed code, and the combination could be released " "under GPL version 3. But Linux has not been released that way." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Google has complied with the requirements of the GNU General Public License " "for Linux, but the Apache license on the rest of Android does not require " "source release. Google said it would never publish the source code of " "Android 3.0 (aside from Linux). Android 3.1 source code was also withheld, " "making Android 3, apart from Linux, nonfree software pure and simple." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Google said it withheld the 3.0 source code because it was buggy, and that " "people should wait for the next release. That may be good advice for people " "who simply want to run the Android system, but the users should be the ones " "to decide this. Anyway, developers and tinkerers who want to include some of " "the changes in their own versions could use that code just fine." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Fortunately, Google later released the source code for Android 3.* when it " "released version 4 (also with source code). The problem above turned out to " "be a temporary aberration rather than a policy shift. However, what happens " "once may happen again." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "In any case, most of the source code of various versions of Android has been " "released as free software. Does that mean that products using those Android " "versions respect users' freedom? No, for several reasons." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "First of all, most of them contain nonfree Google applications for talking " "to services such as YouTube and Google Maps. These are officially not part " "of Android, but that doesn't make the product ok. Many of the free " "applications available for earlier versions of Android have been <a " "href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-android-controlling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/\"> " "replaced by nonfree applications</a>; in 2013 Android devices appeared which " "<a " "href=\"https://www.greenbot.com/new-google-play-edition-devices-lack-photo-gallery-app-use-google/\"> " "provided no way to view photos except through a nonfree Google+ app</a>. In " "2014 Google announced that <a " "href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/06/android-wear-auto-and-tv-save-you-from-skins-and-oems-from-themselves/\">Android " "versions for TVs, watches and cars would be largely nonfree.</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Most Android devices come with the nonfree Google Play software (formerly " "“Android Market”). This software invites users with a Google " "account to install nonfree apps. It also has a back door with which Google " "can forcibly install or deinstall apps. (This probably makes it a universal " "back door, though that is not proved.) Google Play is officially not part " "of Android, but that doesn't make it any less bad." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Google has moved many basic general facilities into the nonfree <a " "href=\"https://blog.grobox.de/2016/the-proprietarization-of-android-google-play-services-and-apps/\">Google " "Play Services library</a>. If an app's own code is free software but it " "depends on Google Play Services, that app as a whole is effectively nonfree; " "it can't run on a free version of Android, such as Replicant." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "If you value freedom, you don't want the nonfree apps that Google Play " "offers. To install free Android apps, you don't need Google Play, because " "you can get them from <a href=\"https://f-droid.org/\">f-droid.org</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Android products also come with nonfree libraries. These are officially not " "part of Android, but since various Android functionalities depend on them, " "they are part of any real Android installation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Even the programs that are officially part of Android may not correspond to " "the source code Google releases. Manufacturers may change this code, and " "often they don't release the source code for their versions. The GNU GPL " "requires them to distribute the code for their versions of Linux, assuming " "they comply. The rest of the code, under the lax Apache license, does not " "require them to release the source version that they really use." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "One user discovered that many of the programs in the Android system that " "came with his phone were <a " "href=\"https://www.beneaththewaves.net/Projects/Motorola_Is_Listening.html\">modified " "to send personal data to Motorola.</a> Some manufacturers add a <a " "href=\"https://androidsecuritytest.com/features/logs-and-services/loggers/carrieriq/\"> " "hidden general surveillance package such as Carrier IQ.</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "<a href=\"https://replicant.us/\">Replicant</a> is the free version of " "Android. The Replicant developers have replaced many nonfree libraries, for " "certain device models. The nonfree apps are excluded, but you certainly " "don't want to use those. By contrast, CyanogenMod (another modified version " "of Android) is nonfree, as it contains some nonfree programs." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Many Android devices are “tyrants”: they are designed so users " "cannot install and run their own modified software, only the versions " "approved by some company. In that situation, the executables are not free " "even if they were made from sources that are free and available to " "you. However, some Android devices can be “rooted” so users can " "install different software." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Important firmware or drivers are generally proprietary also. These handle " "the phone network radio, WiFi, bluetooth, GPS, 3D graphics, the camera, the " "speaker, and in some cases the microphone too. On some models, a few of " "these drivers are free, and there are some that you can do without—but " "you can't do without the microphone or the phone network radio." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "The phone network firmware comes preinstalled. If all it did was sit there " "and talk to the phone network when you wish, we could regard it as " "equivalent to a circuit. When we insist that the software in a computing " "device must be free, we can overlook preinstalled firmware that will never " "be upgraded, because it makes no difference to the user that it's a program " "rather than a circuit." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Unfortunately, in this case it would be a malicious circuit. Malicious " "features are unacceptable no matter how they are implemented." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "On most Android devices, this firmware has so much control that it could " "turn the product into a listening device. On some, it controls the " "microphone. On some, it can take full control of the main computer, through " "shared memory, and can thus override or replace whatever free software you " "have installed. With some, perhaps all, models it is possible to exercise " "remote control of this firmware to overwrite the rest of the software in the " "device. The point of free software is that we have control of our software " "and our computing; a system with a back door doesn't qualify. While any " "computing system might <em>have</em> bugs, these devices can <em>be</em> " "bugs. (Craig Murray, in <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/aug/12/politics\">Murder in " "Samarkand</a>, relates his involvement in an intelligence operation that " "remotely converted an unsuspecting target's non-Android portable phone into " "a listening device.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "In any case, the phone network firmware in an Android phone is not " "equivalent to a circuit, because the hardware allows installation of new " "versions and this is actually done. Since it is proprietary firmware, in " "practice only the manufacturer can make new versions—users can't." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Putting these points together, we can tolerate nonfree phone network " "firmware provided new versions of it won't be loaded, it can't take control " "of the main computer, and it can only communicate when and as the free " "operating system chooses to let it communicate. In other words, it has to be " "equivalent to circuitry, and that circuitry must not be malicious. There is " "no technical obstacle to building an Android phone which has these " "characteristics, but we don't know of any." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Android is not a self-hosting system; development for Android needs to be " "done on some other system. The tools in Google's “software " "development kit” (SDK) appear to be free, but it is hard work to check " "this. The definition files for certain Google APIs are nonfree. Installing " "the SDK requires signing a proprietary software license, which you should " "refuse to sign. <a " "href=\"https://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantSDK\"> " "Replicant's SDK</a> is a free replacement." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Recent press coverage of Android focuses on the patent wars. During 20 years " "of campaigning for the abolition of software patents, we have warned such " "wars could happen. Software patents could force elimination of features from " "Android, or even make it unavailable. See <a " "href=\"https://endsoftpatents.org/\">endsoftpatents.org</a> for more " "information about why software patents must be abolished." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "However, the patent attacks and Google's responses are not directly relevant " "to the topic of this article: how Android products partly approach an " "ethically system of distribution, and how they fall short. This issue merits " "the attention of the press too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Android is a major step towards an ethical, user-controlled, free software " "portable phone, but there is a long way to go, and Google is taking it in " "the wrong direction. Hackers are working on <a " "href=\"https://replicant.us/\">Replicant</a>, but it's a big job to support " "a new device model, and there remains the problem of the firmware. Even " "though the Android phones of today are considerably less bad than Apple or " "Windows phones, they cannot be said to respect your freedom." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h3> msgid "Footnote" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><ol><li> msgid "" "The extreme example of this confusion appears in the site " "linuxonandroid.com, which offers help to “install Linux [sic] on your " "Android devices.” This is entirely false: what they are installing is " "a version of the GNU system, <em>excluding</em> Linux, which is already " "present as part of Android. Since that site supports only <a " "href=\"/distros/distros.html\">nonfree GNU/Linux distros</a>, we do not " "recommend it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "" "First published in <cite><a " "href=\"https://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/19/android-free-software-stallman\"> " "The Guardian</a></cite>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't have notes. #. type: Content of: <div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S NOTES*" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. There are also <a " "href=\"/contact/\">other ways to contact</a> the FSF. Broken links and " "other corrections or suggestions can be sent to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, #. replace it with the translation of these two: # #. We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality #. translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. #. Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard #. to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> # #. <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> # #. <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of #. our web pages, see <a #. href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations #. README</a>. #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please see the <a " "href=\"/server/standards/README.translations.html\">Translations README</a> " "for information on coordinating and contributing translations of this " "article." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Copyright © 2011-2016, 2021, 2023, 2024 Richard Stallman" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "This page is licensed under a <a rel=\"license\" " "href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons " "Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't want credits. #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S CREDITS*" msgstr "" #. timestamp start #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Updated:" msgstr ""