Trying out /e/OS with Easy Installer on a Fairphone

01 Nov, 2024

I have tried out many privacy tools since starting this blog. I do find it's easier to write about these experiences when they are in recent memory, rather than having to rely on older, cryptic notes. So, occasionally I will jump ahead and write about a current project, side-stepping the blog's original goal of documenting my experiences with privacy tools in chronological order.

One recent project was all about finding a good replacement privacy smartphone for my youngest child. I've written about the right age to begin with smartphones—twelve—and, recently, about how I've tried to set up an Android phone without a Google account. Eventually, we ended up with /e/OS on a refurbished Fairphone.

Today, I want to describe how easy it was to install /e/OS, an alternative operating system for smartphones, using their Easy Installer software.

/e/OS history

I've been following the e Foundation since their early beginnings in 2017. The name is terrible, not least because searching for a term in your browser beginning with a '/' doesn't work. The organisation now goes by the name Murena, but to me, the distinction between /e/, e.foundation and Murena is murky.

I've been criticised in the past for promoting /e/OS. Critics argue it is a glorified fork from an older operating system called LineageOS, and that it is not secure. While /e/OS can be installed (or 'flashed') on many older mobile devices, which is great for people on a budget, most of these devices cannot be safely locked afterwards. An unlocked phone in the wrong hands is a security problem.

Having said that, the criticism aimed at the e Foundation and its founder Gaël Duval is not justified. In the early days of discoveries about digital privacy, the welcoming communication on /e/ platforms and its simplified approach enabled me to have an early go at a privacy tool at a time when I understood little and was primarily worried about breaking my phone.

Their core vision has always been to give easy access to mobile privacy tools to the broadest possible range of users. They do this by simplifying some decisions and basing /e/OS around an /e/ account login, for example. While /e/OS has not revolutionised the mobile landscape as much as they'd hoped, I do admire that they at least acknowledge the barriers that stand between regular users and privacy tools, and that their goal has been to try to create a bridge between mainstream OS experiences and a privacy-focused OS.

Many developers and promoters of privacy platforms miss this crucial point and fail to see how significant and scary that first step can seem to someone who is only familiar with Google or Apple systems. e Foundation got that part right at least, and it worked for me at a time when I felt very unsure about trying an alternative OS on my phone, which wasn't all that long ago.

Easy Installer

This brings me to my recent experience with /e/OS and their Easy Installer.

The advantage of /e/OS (or LineageOS) over other custom ROMS is that the operating system will work on a wide range of old smartphones. For most devices, the installation process is thoroughly documented, but it involves quite a few steps.

While on the lookout in the second-hand market for a reasonably priced smartphone for my youngest child, I happened upon a Fairphone 3+, a modular, ethically sourced smartphone, for an excellent price.¹

I remembered that e Foundation and Fairphone have an ongoing collaboration and looked to see if I could install /e/OS on the Fairphone. That's how I discovered the Easy Installer.

The e Foundation site lists devices compatible with the Easy Installer:

Easy Installer devices at time of writing: https://doc.e.foundation/easy-installer

This downloadable desktop program promises a quick, painless installation of /e/'s custom ROM by connecting your smartphone to your PC via USB. The catch is that it only works with a handful devices, the Fairphone being one of them.

Installation and operation

Installation of the Easy Installer software is simple. My desktop computer runs Manjaro Linux, so I followed these instructions. There are instructions for all major desktop operating systems on the website.

When you run the Easy Installer, you'll see this introduction page:

Easy Installer start screen

Your choice of cable is important here; it must be able to transfer data. I emphasise that because in my first attempt, I used the wrong type of cable, wasting time.

The Easy Installer will take you through the steps required to prepare your phone for the installation of a new operating system. The instructions are presented in an modern, user-friendly way.

The Easy Installer holds your hand more than the online installation instructions do, which is great for people with no experience of flashing a ROM on a smartphone. You're taken through the process one step at a time with a slideshow with 'next' buttons, and you're provided with a link to the FAQ on every page, in case something doesn't work as expected. I had to refer to the FAQ during one of the steps.

Once all smartphone preparations are completed, the installer will search for your device and begin the download and installation process. The rest is fairly straight forward, though I did experience one issue, which I will describe in the Problems section below.

On completion, your device will be rebooted and, in the case of a Fairphone, the device will be locked, a crucial step that was lacking before.

With e Foundation's all-in-one approach, you'll be invited to set up an /e/ user account, which gives you an e.email address and some online storage for backup and syncing (through a Nextcloud instance managed by the organisation), but you can safely skip this step if you are not interested in that.

After installation

While /e/OS comes with its own app store, I chose to install my two prefered stores, namely F-Droid the Aurora Store (the latter downloaded via F-Droid).

F-Droid is a repository of open source applications for mobile use. You'll be able find some familiar applications, such as the Tuta mail app, Nextcloud apps, Mullvad VPN and Aegis Authenticator, but you are also encouraged to try open source applications you're not familiar with. This can be a hit-and-miss experience, as I discovered when testing out F-Droid's offer of open source RSS news readers recently.

Aurora Store gives a user anonymous access to all Google Play applications, except for paid apps.

The /e/OS interface mimics iOS's interface. Application icons are found on the home screens, not in a separate applications menu, as is the case with Android. When you long-press on an icon, all the icons shake, allowing you to move, group and uninstall them. My kids like the interface.

Problems

The Easy Installer does not provide a back button on the individual instruction pages. To access previous information, you have to start again.

I experienced one issue that required use of the FAQ pages. To unlock our Fairphone, I had to enter its 'EMEI' number on the Fairphone website. This resulted in an unlock code, which allowed me to proceed with the installation. That could all have been explained or directed much better.

While most applications work well in an alternative environment like /e/OS, banking applications sometimes do not. This could be a deal-breaker for some, depending on how willing you are to move your online banking to your PC or laptop at home.

Conclusions

The /e/OS Easy Installer delivers on the promise of its name. If you are able to get your hands on one of the compatible devices, you should have a painless experience installing a Google-free mobile operating system, making this an ideal entry point for digital privacy beginners.

I enjoyed /e/OS for several years before moving onto CalyxOS and finally GrapheneOS. With the ability to lock the bootloader after installation on a Fairphone, /e/OS's Easy Installer provides easy access to an alternative mobile operating system for beginners and advanced users alike.