Future of Sony Xperia Z5 Compact (suzuran) as an official /e/ device
Summary
TL:DR
It doesn't have one!
- The latest e R build is significantly behind upstream (unofficial) LOS build
- in
device_sony_suzuran
device tree - /e/ repo updated 04 Jul, 2021, upstream updated Nov 25, 2022 - in
device_sony_kitakami-common
- /e/ repo updated 07 Feb, 2022, upstream updated Nov 5, 2022, - in the kernel /e/ repo last updated 26 Aug, 2021, upstream on Sep 7, 2022
- vendor blobs upstream updated Jul 15, 2022. I don't have access to /e/'s
vendor_sony
repo, but I believe thelialac
andkitakami-common
directories will be well behind upstraem
- in
- Upstream has diverged significantly from the 'normal' LOS amd lineage4microg build process: using init scripts, patches,
remove-project
statements in manifests, adding bundled MicroG, F-Droid, and other components - Merging these changes into the /e/ source would be a significant amount of work, and /e/ does not have the resources (people, devices) to do this work.
We should therefore
- Give existing users plenty of warning that /e/ on suzuran will be "sunsetted" sometime relatively soon (probably Q1/Q2 2023). We should avoid repeating what happened to users of /e/ Nougat devices who were "left in the lurch" when /e/ stopped building and distributed updates.
- Advise users of the possible options for how to proceed, which are
- Stick with the current outdated /e/ R builds until R builds from /e/ stop
- Migrate to another custom ROM, including
- Upstream "vanilla" LOS build (19.1, 20.00)
- Upstream
microG
LOS build (19.1, 20.0) (same threads as "vanilla" builds - CustomLos4Microg
build, including Bliss Launcher, Bromite browser and upstreams of /e/'s other forked devices - Re-install stock ROM
- Devise, test and document a strategy for users to perform the migration described in option 1.2, and include the work on that in /e/'s plans for upcoming milestones
I am prepared to accept a lot of the blame for this state of affairs, having stepped back from being the maintainer for this device. I am also happy to help with step 3 (devising, testing and documenting the way forward)
Edited by Pete Fotheringham