OS GSI ROM on any Android Device

There has been an increasing demand for a privacy-centric, de-Googled ecosystem wherein all the Google apps are replaced with their open-source counterpart. Turns out /e/OS is able to checkmark all these requirements with ease. However, up until now, it was only developed for a handful of popular devices, leaving out the majority of users without being able to get a taste of this Google-free OS.

But now, we have a Generic System Image of /e/OS that can be installed on any Project Treble device [which are devices launched with Android 8+ out of the box]. So without any further ado, let’s make you aware of the steps to welcome abode this ROM onto your device as well as all the intriguing features that it beholds. Follow along.

What is /e/OS ROM Features of /e/OS List of Preinstalled Apps in /e/OS
How to Install /e/OS GSI ROM on any Android Device

What is /e/OS ROM

/e/OS is an installable open-source OS for smartphones, which is forked from LineageOS/AOSP, and is completely “deGoogled”, or in other words, without any Google Apps, Services, or Framework. In other words, to remove or disable any feature or code that is sending data to Google servers, or at least to anonymize those accesses and to offer non-Google default online services, including for search. In this regard, the ROM checks the following prerequisites:

Features of /e/OS

/e/OS is open source, which means it is auditable by anyone with code knowledge
The Google default search engine is removed and replaced by other services (see below in default apps and services)
Google Services are replaced by microG and alternative services (see below for more details)
All Google apps are removed and replaced by equivalent open-source applications. [The only exception being the Maps Application ].
No use of Google servers to check connectivity
NTP servers are not Google NTP servers anymore
DNS default servers are not Google anymore
Geolocation uses Mozilla Location Services.
It has its own hosting service, Murena Cloud, which consists of its own Drive, Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Tasks, and Office. It is built upon NextCloud, Postfix, Dovecot, and OnlyOffice.

List of Preinstalled Apps in /e/OS

Web-browser : a deGgoogled fork of Chromium, built from Bromite patch-sets, with specific /e/OS settings. It features an ad-blocker by default.
Mail : a fork of K9-mail for better user experience, some bugfixes, and support for OAuth, with OpenKeyChain for PGP encryption support
Message : a fork of QKSMS
Camera : a fork of OpenCamera
Dialer : default Android dialer application
Calendar : a fork of Etar calendar, that fixes crashes with calendar invitations
Contact : default Android contact application
Clock : a fork of Android deskclock application
Gallery : default Android gallery3d application
Filemanager : Android documentsui application
Sound recorder : default LineageOS sound recorder
Calculator : default Android calculator2 application
Keyboard : default Android keyboard
App Lounge is the /e/OS application installer that offers millions applications . Applications are accessed from Google Play Store (commercial apps), F-Droid (open source apps), and also Progressive Web Apps.
Maps : MagicEarth (as mentioned before, this is the only app that is not open-sourced)
PDF reader : PdfViewer Plus
Notes : a fork of NextCloud Notes to support Murena online accounts
Tasks : OpenTasks

So with this, you would have got a decent idea regarding /e/OS, let’s now make you aware of the steps to install its GSI ROM onto your Android device.