I’ve been a CyanogenMod user since CM6 for the HTC EVO. While I can’t claim to have contributed much directly to the community (I’m no developer and more of a sys admin kind of guy), I have installed CM on countless phones over the years - basically any friend or family member who sat their phone down long enough. As soon as it was available, I snagged a OnePlus One, and it’s still the phone I have today. While I was initially excited to see where the foundation of Cyanogen Inc. would take the project, I’ve become increasingly disappointed with the direction that things have gone (both CM and COS), and I think my next phone will likely be a Nexus device with stock Android. I’m fairly certain that this post won’t accomplish much (aside from starting a flame-war/trolling/what-have-you), but I thought I would post it just to see what might come of it.
What I initially loved about CM was the fact that it added a number of useful features to stock Android, it allowed a ton of functional customization, it seemed to be more efficient and stable, and it let me continue to update devices that manufacturers had artificially sunsetted. I was impressed by the fact that lead developers were more interested in code quality and security than by shiny features. Amidst the desire to make Android better, there was also a sense of perfectionism to CM as evidenced by the “don’t ask for ETAs” mantra - it would get done when it was ready, and I was always willing to wait.
When Cyanogen Inc. formed, I was curious to see how they planned to make money. I actually decided to be a bit bold, contacted Kirt and Steve via LinkedIn, and offered to share some of my ideas. One of my biggest suggestions was that they should do something to fill the gaping hole left by Blackberry. At that point (and even still today), no manufacturer had really been able to provide the enterprise-grade functionality provided by Blackberry and BES. MDM solutions were (and are) a double-edged sword that are really just a patch for the solution. Given the huge priority that Cyanogen placed on security, I thought it would be a good direction to take. I’ve sent a few other suggestions over the years (including attempting to get the OnePlus One on the shelves at Walmart when I worked at the corporate offices), but it never seemed to go anywhere.
Right now, when I wake my phone, I have a reminder that there is a system update ready for my OnePlus One that will install COS 13.1. This update adds “new mods for Cortana, OneNote, Microsoft Hyperlapse, Skype, and Twitter.” I have yet to hit install. My issue is far less that Cyanogen is working with Microsoft and more with the fact that the company, much like Canonical/Ubuntu, seems to have the not-invented-here syndrome. (Side note: here’s a great article from the Turnkey Linux team that serves as partial inspiration for this post https://www.turnkeylinux.org/blog/ub...-here-syndrome). Instead of offering new and useful features, Cyanogen is reinventing wheels and cramming the OS full of things that aren’t really at the top of anyone’s list for issues that could be solved or features that could be added. The innovation just seems to be gone. Most of the features that were exclusive to CM and drew me to the project are now part of stock Android. It makes me wish Cyanogen had taken up Google on their B offer.
Here are a few examples. Who remembers when ADW was the stock launcher of CM? I do. In contrast, who actually uses Trebuchet? I think it’s a featureless piece of junk. No gestures? No ability to hide icons in the drawer? No useful functionality that really sets it apart from other launchers? Why develop something new just for the sake of doing it yourself when it only provides basic functionality? Right up there with it is the File Manager application. There are plenty of other more feature-rich applications on the market, and I frankly never use the app provided by Cyanogen because it isn’t nearly as functional as something like ES File Explorer.
Similarly (but more egregiously), is the Browser application. Show of hands: who uses the browser provided in AOSP? No? Me, neither. Be it Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or something else, no one uses the browser built into the ROM. Why did Cyanogen feel the need to create another browser that lacks functionality, is rarely updated for security patches like mainstream offerings, and is basically just another piece of lint on everyone's phones? I fail to see the innovation, there.
I initially loved the idea of having a Cyanogen Account because it was pre-Google Device Manager. However, now that Device Manager exists, I don’t see a reason to use my Cyanogen Account because there haven’t been any additional additions to the feature set. I emailed Kirt and Steve once about potentially folding the WebKey project into Cyanogen and linking it to the Cyanogen account. That would provide remote access, remote file management, a remote shell, and countless other features (most or all of which could be made to work without needing root if baked into the ROM). How much would that add to the ROM and set it apart from other offerings? Neither Google, Apple, Microsoft, or Blackberry have anything close, and it would be a game-changer.
The Themes engine. Alright, so some may disagree with me, here, but I don’t really care about theming my phone or my computer. For me, that was cool back when Compiz/Beryl were the hotness for Linux. Now, I’m more interested in function over form. Why spend so much time building this thing when there are actually useful additions that could be made to CM/COS?
In conjunction to this, there are a number of features provided by CM that are now part of AOSP and make me wonder why I'm still on CM/COS. Google has added permissions management. They have included tethering. The majority of Developer Options are baked in. They switched the whole tap/long press to turn on/off/open settings feature in the notification panel. There isn't much to set Cyanogen apart, anymore.
Instead of just complaining, I wanted to start a list of things that I really thought Cyanogen would have provided by now (or would have at least considered). Some of these would provide Cyanogen with a revenue stream so they wouldn't have to keep cozying up to Microsoft, something that I'm sure most of us would appreciate (does anyone actually use Cortana?) I’d be interested to hear what other features the community would like to see added to CM/COS:
Right now, I’m at the point that I was at with Ubuntu about five years ago. Canonical had “improved” Debian into a bloated nightmare complete with in-house developed projects such as Unity, Ubuntu One, the Ubuntu Software Center, Mir, and others that no one asked for or wanted. If Distrowatch rankings are to be believed, Debian (and Mint) is now more popular than Ubuntu, likely as a result of Canonical’s decisions.
This is not a call to arms but rather a suggestion. Perhaps it is time that the community creates, by way of analogy, a Cyanogen Mint. Maybe we need to go back to the foundation of AOSP just like many users have done by going back to Debian. For me, at least, Cyanogen isn’t satisfying the same needs that it did two years ago, and I’d like to have a mobile OS or ROM that does. There are a lot of custom ROMs out there like Paranoid Android, AOKP, and OmniROM, but they are incredibly fragmented in the devices that they support, and none of them have the level of backing that Cyanogen gained. Perhaps as a community, we need to consolidate our efforts, focus on a common project, and bring forth a high-functioning ROM that can fill the void that Cyanogen no longer does.
What I initially loved about CM was the fact that it added a number of useful features to stock Android, it allowed a ton of functional customization, it seemed to be more efficient and stable, and it let me continue to update devices that manufacturers had artificially sunsetted. I was impressed by the fact that lead developers were more interested in code quality and security than by shiny features. Amidst the desire to make Android better, there was also a sense of perfectionism to CM as evidenced by the “don’t ask for ETAs” mantra - it would get done when it was ready, and I was always willing to wait.
When Cyanogen Inc. formed, I was curious to see how they planned to make money. I actually decided to be a bit bold, contacted Kirt and Steve via LinkedIn, and offered to share some of my ideas. One of my biggest suggestions was that they should do something to fill the gaping hole left by Blackberry. At that point (and even still today), no manufacturer had really been able to provide the enterprise-grade functionality provided by Blackberry and BES. MDM solutions were (and are) a double-edged sword that are really just a patch for the solution. Given the huge priority that Cyanogen placed on security, I thought it would be a good direction to take. I’ve sent a few other suggestions over the years (including attempting to get the OnePlus One on the shelves at Walmart when I worked at the corporate offices), but it never seemed to go anywhere.
Right now, when I wake my phone, I have a reminder that there is a system update ready for my OnePlus One that will install COS 13.1. This update adds “new mods for Cortana, OneNote, Microsoft Hyperlapse, Skype, and Twitter.” I have yet to hit install. My issue is far less that Cyanogen is working with Microsoft and more with the fact that the company, much like Canonical/Ubuntu, seems to have the not-invented-here syndrome. (Side note: here’s a great article from the Turnkey Linux team that serves as partial inspiration for this post https://www.turnkeylinux.org/blog/ub...-here-syndrome). Instead of offering new and useful features, Cyanogen is reinventing wheels and cramming the OS full of things that aren’t really at the top of anyone’s list for issues that could be solved or features that could be added. The innovation just seems to be gone. Most of the features that were exclusive to CM and drew me to the project are now part of stock Android. It makes me wish Cyanogen had taken up Google on their B offer.
Here are a few examples. Who remembers when ADW was the stock launcher of CM? I do. In contrast, who actually uses Trebuchet? I think it’s a featureless piece of junk. No gestures? No ability to hide icons in the drawer? No useful functionality that really sets it apart from other launchers? Why develop something new just for the sake of doing it yourself when it only provides basic functionality? Right up there with it is the File Manager application. There are plenty of other more feature-rich applications on the market, and I frankly never use the app provided by Cyanogen because it isn’t nearly as functional as something like ES File Explorer.
Similarly (but more egregiously), is the Browser application. Show of hands: who uses the browser provided in AOSP? No? Me, neither. Be it Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or something else, no one uses the browser built into the ROM. Why did Cyanogen feel the need to create another browser that lacks functionality, is rarely updated for security patches like mainstream offerings, and is basically just another piece of lint on everyone's phones? I fail to see the innovation, there.
I initially loved the idea of having a Cyanogen Account because it was pre-Google Device Manager. However, now that Device Manager exists, I don’t see a reason to use my Cyanogen Account because there haven’t been any additional additions to the feature set. I emailed Kirt and Steve once about potentially folding the WebKey project into Cyanogen and linking it to the Cyanogen account. That would provide remote access, remote file management, a remote shell, and countless other features (most or all of which could be made to work without needing root if baked into the ROM). How much would that add to the ROM and set it apart from other offerings? Neither Google, Apple, Microsoft, or Blackberry have anything close, and it would be a game-changer.
The Themes engine. Alright, so some may disagree with me, here, but I don’t really care about theming my phone or my computer. For me, that was cool back when Compiz/Beryl were the hotness for Linux. Now, I’m more interested in function over form. Why spend so much time building this thing when there are actually useful additions that could be made to CM/COS?
In conjunction to this, there are a number of features provided by CM that are now part of AOSP and make me wonder why I'm still on CM/COS. Google has added permissions management. They have included tethering. The majority of Developer Options are baked in. They switched the whole tap/long press to turn on/off/open settings feature in the notification panel. There isn't much to set Cyanogen apart, anymore.
Instead of just complaining, I wanted to start a list of things that I really thought Cyanogen would have provided by now (or would have at least considered). Some of these would provide Cyanogen with a revenue stream so they wouldn't have to keep cozying up to Microsoft, something that I'm sure most of us would appreciate (does anyone actually use Cortana?) I’d be interested to hear what other features the community would like to see added to CM/COS:
- WITHOUT root, implement NFC tag actions that are available with the screen off. For example, allow a user to unlock/wake their phone, turn certain settings on or off, switch to a different profile, or perform a set of pre-defined actions by tapping a NFC tag. Obviously, there would have to be some security mechanisms built in order to whitelist trusted tags so the functions can be used with the screen off, but I’ve always wanted to be able to set my phone down on a tag at my desk and have it automatically connect to my company’s WiFi, put my phone on vibrate, etc.
- Partner with an existing developer or independently build parental controls into COS.
- Make a Kiosk version for customers at coffee shops and the like.
- Create a mobile pay kiosk version similar to the Chili’s tablets since Cyanogen is known for security.
- Make a version tailored toward the elderly (lock certain features, provide a restricted set of capabilities that are easy to access, etc).
- As previously mentioned, build in WebKey or similar functionality that is tied to a Cyanogen account.
- Include Tor without needing root.
- Allow the ability to modify DNS settings.
- Develop AirPlay compatibility for the Cast feature.
Right now, I’m at the point that I was at with Ubuntu about five years ago. Canonical had “improved” Debian into a bloated nightmare complete with in-house developed projects such as Unity, Ubuntu One, the Ubuntu Software Center, Mir, and others that no one asked for or wanted. If Distrowatch rankings are to be believed, Debian (and Mint) is now more popular than Ubuntu, likely as a result of Canonical’s decisions.
This is not a call to arms but rather a suggestion. Perhaps it is time that the community creates, by way of analogy, a Cyanogen Mint. Maybe we need to go back to the foundation of AOSP just like many users have done by going back to Debian. For me, at least, Cyanogen isn’t satisfying the same needs that it did two years ago, and I’d like to have a mobile OS or ROM that does. There are a lot of custom ROMs out there like Paranoid Android, AOKP, and OmniROM, but they are incredibly fragmented in the devices that they support, and none of them have the level of backing that Cyanogen gained. Perhaps as a community, we need to consolidate our efforts, focus on a common project, and bring forth a high-functioning ROM that can fill the void that Cyanogen no longer does.
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