this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2026
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Android

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YSK: if you're onto custom roms, theres a list of "bootloader wall of shame" (github.com)
submitted 21 hours ago by RelativeArea1@sh.itjust.works to c/android@lemmy.world
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Note: repost just for heads up

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[–] lka1988@sh.itjust.works 17 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

I find this blurb on Pixels interesting:

OTAConfigNoZeroTouchPrebuilt is an app on Pixels that checks for a carrier lock. When a Pixel first connects to the internet, this system app will immediately check if the device is carrier locked. If it's not or is locked to a carrier that doesn't restrict unlocking, it will retrieve a token from Google's servers which will allow bootloader unlocks. If the token cannot be received, then the bootloader cannot be unlocked. This means if Google's servers ever go down, you will not be able to unlock your Pixel's bootloader, as it won't have the token.

Mostly because unlocking the bootloader and rooting my Pixel 9 Pro was the very first thing I did to it before installing my SIM card (yes, I still use a physical one). I also skipped the wifi setup.

Edit: in all seriousness, this is a handy list.

[–] toothpaste_sandwich@thebrainbin.org 14 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

Are we sure about the Fairphone? I set one up with LineageOS the other day and had no issues, nor did I have to register anywhere, as far as I can remember.

[–] oblivion96@discuss.tchncs.de 31 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

On Fairphone, for every OEM unlock you need a working internet connection, and for the first OEM unlock you need to get an activation code from Fairphone using your phones IMEI/serial number. So I'd say this classification is correct. I also have a Fairphone and everything worked without problems, but it is still 100% controlled by Fairphone even on already sold devices.

Not sure about older Fairphones. I have a FP5.

See https://www.fairphone.com/de/bootloader-unlocking-code-for-fairphone

[–] toothpaste_sandwich@thebrainbin.org 6 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I must be misremembering then! Thanks for the correction.

[–] oblivion96@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 19 hours ago

tbf, I'm not sure about older Fairphones (I have a FP5 and I needed to do that)

[–] RelativeArea1@sh.itjust.works 14 points 19 hours ago

considering that fairphone decided to include an unnecessary option on their site to "request for an unlocking code" even tho their devices can be easily unlocked via dev mode. I kinda understand the thought of the github author/s that it would just take a board meeting and deciding to enshittify their product, the possibility of it is super low but not zero.

[–] Browse8474@lemmy.world 5 points 16 hours ago

They also have anti rollback, You cannot lock the bootloater if current rom security version is older than the one it had before.

They do warn of this but still bad as it makes the phone a brick if you do lock it.

[–] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Mentioning Apple just seems redundant? iPhones don’t have custom firmware, at least not current ones. I think you could install Android on a 3GS, but it wouldn’t be current.

No one’s buying an iPhone to unlock the bootloader, they’re doing it because it’s what others have, they use other Apple tech, or they want a decade of updates (that lose features).

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 27 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

They don't have custom firmware because it's locked down, not because of their product line's existence.

If iPhones were as easy to mod as Pixels, then the sheer amount of potential users would probably mean a custom firmware would be swiftly developed.

So yeah, we should name and shame them, even if Apple has no interest in opening the gates.

[–] deadcream@sopuli.xyz 7 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

iOS itself is closed source so unlockable bootloader wouldn't make modding it much easier. Custom Android roms are based on AOSP which is easy to modify and can be used with existing properietary drivers extracted from official firmware. Alternative OSes for Android phones exist but their users are tiny minority even in custom ROM community. Porting a Linux-based OS to an iPhone and making it fully functional would be a humongous task.

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (2 children)

Wouldn't both the Asahi Linux project and the prior examples of android managing to be ran on iPhone 5 models and below be solid examples to the contrary?

[–] Untamed_Star@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 hours ago

i think there are some jailbreaks for the iphone and not the ios but a similar problem since they will stop being manifactured eventually.

[–] Untamed_Star@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 4 hours ago

Really hard not impossible. Even then we're decades away from even starting anything like that. Last jailbreak for ios was in ios 17 i believe? iOS is at 26 rn it did switch from 18 to 26 tho. Apple literally hired all the jailbreak devs to patch the exploits. There aren't even exploits that would help you personalize the phone and have better privacy since ios 18 and maybe a bit of early versions of 26. That's why I changed my phone when I messed up my password and had to update it.

Also the android on early iphones doesn't even work fully, it's a start yes but yea. And apple just also killed hackingtosh (mac in non apple machines) when they stopped to support intel. They could reverse ingenier the arm chip or whatevs, asahi has already done some reverse engeniering in the Apple m1 chip.

I don't think you have to jailbreak mac? idk i've never used one. So ye if we were to get custom stuff for ios it would take a lot years to even get a jailbreak and more years to get anything else and for that point almost anyone would be using that version of ios since you can't "downgrade".