Custom ROMs are fun. More than that, they offer ways to significantly extend the software life of phones. Manufacturer decides it no longer wants to support hardware? Hopefully someone out there will take up the mantle. But to do that, they need the kernel source code for a given device.
OnePlus has already made those files available for the OnePlus 3.
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No, the 2nd gen Moto E LTE doesn't have Android Marshmallow in the US, but the spiffy little phone did get the update elsewhere. Now Motorola has posted the open source kernel files for said release onto GitHub.
The files are for developers and tinkerers who can use the code to optimize apps or bring Android 6.0 ROMs to the device. General users can't make use of this code, but for Americans who bought this device, watching what the custom ROM community does with this code appears to be as exciting as waiting for Marshmallow is going to get.
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When a manufacturer open sources the code that makes their device work, it's an occasion worth noting. This is one of the strengths of Android, the availability of files that enable developers and tinkerers to create software that can replace the firmware that our devices ship with. It's one of Android's differentiating factors compared to iOS and Windows Phone.
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It's been a little over a month since Motorola began seeding a much-appreciated Android 6.0 software update to its mid-range model for 2015, the Moto X Play (codenamed Lux), at least in Brazil and India. And you know what that means: the required open source kernel files aren't far behind. Those files are now available on GitHub for anyone who wants a crack at them.
The original kernel files (for the Lollipop-based software available at release) were posted back in September of last year, not long after the announcement of the phone itself. As always, these files will be handy for any developer who wants to make customized versions of the phone's kernel or full ROMs.
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Motorola has uploaded kernel source files for the DROID Turbo 2 (Kinzie) to GitHub. Here developers and tinkerers alike can download the code and dive inside to get a look at what makes Android 6.0 work on the device.
General users won't benefit from downloading the files directly themselves. They may, however, gain something from developers who use this code to improve their apps. This access also increases the likelihood of seeing custom ROMs.
In short, if you don't know what these files are, they're of no use to you. But if you've been waiting to get your hands on them, have at the source link below.
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Last week Motorola released the code necessary for developers to dive into the underpinnings of the Android 6.0 update for the Moto X Pure Edition. Now the company is pushing out those files for last year's flagship, the 2014 Moto X. These follow the Android 5.1 code that hit GitHub in July.
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When Motorola unveiled this year's flagship Moto X, it didn't stop at just one device. Here in the states, we have just the Moto X Pure Edition. But in certain other countries, you can also get the Moto X Play. This is a less expensive phone with significantly more battery life and a smaller screen. Now Motorola has made the kernel source code for this device available on GitHub. Tinker away, tinkering types.
Okay, it's not entirely true to say that the X Play isn't coming to the US. It's just going to sport a different name and a bunch of Verizon logos.
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The first Android 5.1-based kernel Motorola released was for the LTE version of the 1st generation Moto G. This week it has released the source files for the less speedy 3G-only model, codenamed Falcon.
Developers, you know what to do. The zip comes in at 132 MB. You can download it from GitHub at the source link below. After that, feel free to make all the recoveries, ROMs, and other things we Android nerds get excited about. Other Moto G owners will sit back and wait.
After pushing out over-the-air updates to Android 5.1 to AT&T and Sprint HTC One M9's here in the US, the manufacturer has now posted the open source kernel files. It has also shared fresh builds for the same phone in Taiwan. You can find them over at the HTC developer center. Downloads come in at over 500MB.
These files come after their counterparts for the unlocked One M9. They enable ROM creators to better support HTC's flagship, and they can be a help to other developers as well. As for everyone else, there's nothing much to see here.
Fire OS is a solid operating system if all you need is the ability to consume Amazon content in various forms, but it just doesn't cut it for the nerdier stuff we pickier types get off on. In some ways, it's a shame, because Amazon puts out solid hardware at affordable prices. On the other hand, there's the option to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, and flash something more exciting onto the tablet.
Before this can happen, though, custom ROM developers need to bring their offerings over to each particular model, and before that can happen, Amazon needs to release enough code for them to work with.
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