Legallity of FydeOS

Watercooler
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ChromeOS Flex is legal to use on any PC. Google doesn’t allow to use Chrome OS on PCs other than the official Chromebooks.

One Major difference between ChromeOS Flex and ChromeOS is the android support, which we get here in FydeOS. So, what’s in FydeOS: ChromeOS Flex or ChromeOS?
I read somewhere that the author advised not to use your primary google account for using ChromeOS on a non-official ChromeBook as we are violating google’s terms and conditions.

By logging in with our primary google account and then installing GApps, is there a possibility of account blocking by Google for downloading android apps on device other than a chromebook?

What is FydeOS? A linux based OS that updates with every version of ChromeOS Flex?

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There are lots of important questions raised here, trying my best to answer them:

  • Whatever the * FydeOS is, I can be 100% certain that FydeOS is NOT Chrome OS, nor Chrome OS Flex.

  • Chrome OS and Chrome OS Flex are Google’s commercial operating system offerings, based on the open source project Chromium, which contains many other smaller open source projects, each of them having its own open source licenses. Yes, operating systems are complex.

  • FydeOS is also based on the Chromium project, plus many proprietary implementations to fill holes as well as to make the product towards commercial grade.

  • Chromium OS is the granddad, Chrome OS, Chrome OS Flex and FydeOS are children as well as siblings with different parents.

  • Using your Google account to sign in to FydeOS from Google’s perspective is identical to signing in a Chromium OS build.

  • Using your Google account to sign in to the “Open GApps” components inside FydeOS from Google’s perspective is identical to signing in an unofficial AOSP build with GMS.

  • Users always have choices of whether to use a Google account with FydeOS; if in doubt or just not feeling like it, we encourage users to use a FydeOS account or local account. We are not forcing users to use Google accounts.

  • Before configuring and using Open GApps, we have explicitly informed users about the nature of Open GApps, which reads “Open GApps does not provide you with any license for Google’s APKs included in the package. The Open GApps packages merely provide a convenient way to sideload APKs to your device. It is your own responsibility to obtain the proper permissions by e.g. buying an OHA-licensed device with pre-installed Google Apps and/or acquiring the applications from Google’s Play Store.” Once again, users always have choices whether to proceed or not. We are not forcing users to use Open GApps.

  • Whether or not the above violates Chromebook’s or Google’s ToS, we don’t believe it’s the case, nor can we find any evidence. If you believe otherwise, it’s best to share the evidence, not just spread FUD like “I read somewhere that the author advised not to XXX”

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just want to add that OpenGApps is not a new thing.

For android phones, millions of users flashed customed roms on their phones, like lineageOS (former cyanogen?).

and lineageOS later also don’t come /w GMS, and ask the users to install the open gapps or other similar GMS component (microG etc etc, depends on how you hate google’s service).

so as far as lineageOS is happily providing the GMS in that way,
fydeos have nothing to worry about.

ps cyanogen/lineageOS once was a public company, gathering IPO something, so using open G apps must be legal.

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