My bad, GOG is absolutely the gold standard for DRM-free ownership. Personally, I buy on Steam for the convenience and the Proton support but I still collect every free titles on GOG

It’s why I treat everything cloud-based as a rental now. If I can’t install it locally and back up the data myself, I don’t really own it.

I self host so the data in the cloud is stored on my own equipment, yes it is still technically online but it saves a copy locally so you only need an active connection to sync new items.

I regularly use multiple devices and having that sync is vital. Even at work, I cannot install software but I can install browser extensions. This means I can use my instance for both personal and work. I have also set up most of my family with access, all for free!

Which phone and message app are you using? I also don’t see a way to view photos or files and which camera app?

Obviously GrapheneOS is the best way to go for privacy but if you do stick to OEM Android then make sure you’re using apps like the Fossify suite. I use their apps with all contacts and calendar synced via davx and self hosted on Nextcloud.

What about KeePass, where is that data backed up?

SteamOS and Proton are kind of paving the way. It’ll be interesting to see if Steam Frame can take that further, especially on mobile/ARM, and shake up the usual players.

Yes, Android is open source. But the thing is, Google’s clampdown on sideloading isn’t just about the OS code itself. It’s really about controlling the whole app ecosystem and making it harder for people to install apps outside of Google’s own channels.

Sure, folks can fork Android and make their own versions — that’s been happening for years with projects like LineageOS. But the tricky part is keeping all the apps working smoothly without Google’s proprietary stuff like Play Services. Without that, a lot of apps just don’t behave right, and the user experience takes a hit.

So basically, just having Android’s code open isn’t enough to keep it truly open and easy to use. The real control is in the ecosystem around it, and that’s what Google’s tightening grip is all about.

I get it. I spend more time in the CLI than writing, so I’ve been using tools to help structure my posts. Clearly, that ‘polished’ look just comes across as robotic slop here. I’ll stick to the raw technical details from now on. Thanks for the feedback.

Fair play, you’ve done a proper deep dive there. I’ll hold my hands up—I’m a sysadmin, not a journalist. I use tools to help structure my thoughts because my natural writing style is about as readable as a kernel panic. As for the ‘social media’ bit, the share buttons are a default plugin I haven’t stripped out yet, and Mastodon is the only place I actually hang out because it’s federated. I’m just a guy in a home lab trying to share some tech stories; sorry if the ‘robotic’ prose put you off

That is a fair point. ‘Sideloading’ is definitely a corporate term designed to make basic ownership of our devices feel like a ‘workaround’ rather than a right. I used it here because it’s the language Google is currently using to justify their crackdown, but you’re absolutely right—it’s just installing software. We shouldn’t let them control the vocabulary of our digital freedom.