I've been wanting a PinePhone for about 2 years now. It's just that I want more power than the original and the Pro seems adequate hardwarte-wise but apparently SMS is spotty and the cameras don't always work, so I'm waiting.

My waiting has been interrupted since my Son gave me a Pixel 5A. It was a PITA for me, an utter novice at smartphones, to get into FastBoot and installing from 2 different distros failed and I hated booting to Windows, but now I have a De-Googled Pixel 5 and it isn't too bad. I think it will, teach me what I really need in a PinePhone.

Anybody got any tales of gotchas in De-Googled via Calyx?

I seriously doubt that.

I gave up on "privacy-focused" "alternative" ROMs a long time ago.
What does this one offer that LineageOS doesn't offer?
Simply not providing Gapps (or replacing them with MicroG or some such) isn't enough.
There are calls to Google servers in AOSP's source code and there's very very few (read: just 1 afaik) "alternative" projects that even bother to touch the AOSP base.

Do you have a gmail account? If so, you can forget about it anyhow, even if it isn't officially linked to your phone.

Calls to Google servers have no google identity, no location, and no phone data as well as are, or can be, filtered through Calyx firewall and VPN. Identity is spoofed. I could and may well in the future change to Lineage or Graphene, but all security and privacy is a juggling act to achieve an acceptable balance with functionality. NOTHING is 100%.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

But I agree on one thing: less is better than nothing.

Since you have yet to explain how VPN, identity spoofing, defeating wifi triangulation, and not using Google's known tracking apps, etc. can workaround those defenses there seems to be only 2 possible conclusions - Either you know something that so-called DeGoogled ROM builders don't, or they are all liars. In your considered opinion, which is it?

Could you comment on this fellow's comparison of Linux Phones and De-Googled phones?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EawS7CAUrf8

To anyone who wonders why OP brings this up 9 days later, here's the context from another thread.
Apparently they realised they embarassed themselves and gave up on the discussion, hoping to renew it here.
I already gave them all my arguments in that other thread (post #11).

I wouldn't call them liars. But building your own "de-googled" phone OS is hard work and they have to rely A LOT on the work of others - namely, AOSP.
Look at those few other projects built on top of a Linux kernel from scratch, you'll soon notice the difference.

The video is a bit too untechnical for me, forgive me for not watching all of it. But I noticed that just like you, this guy doesn't address the fact that AOSP is Google's project, and that it contains hardcoded calls to Google servers. So these are already the first two points where a self-proclaimed de-googled phone is NOT, in fact, completely "free of Google".

In my other thread I hinted at it, but here's a link to one post in the grapheneos subreddit that contains some further outgoing links, and answers.
I do not endorse GrapheneOS, I believe its main dev is a little toxic in his communication and misses a few important points in his efforts, but they do explain the differences.

I also do not claim that I'm an expert in these things - but I have grown extremely suspicious of the buzzwords "privacy focused" and "de-googled" which do not seem to be legally binding and are often just used to sell something.

Just FTR and public awareness I won't delete your post ondoho and anyone can judge for themselves how rigorous your explanations are or are not. I won't even ask you to explain what meaning "hard coded" has in light of open source, as I'd rather you abandon my thread - Oil and Water.

What makes you think you even could?

I certainly can be mistaken since I've never done it here but it is my understanding being the OP, I have that prerogative. However even if that isn't so that bears no reflection on my principles and intent. I'm perfectly willing to allow our posts to stand or fall as they deserve even though I sincerely doubt anyone can gather much useful Pro vs Con about CalyxOS specifically or De-Googled Android ROMs in general due to any discourse here so far.

Your understanding is wrong. This is a public forum, even if you start a thread, you don't own it. Every member can contribute to it as they see fit, regardless of how that makes you feel.

Why, so gracious!

Almost. I've never sought to know if it is possible to delete a post in a thread one created, nor do I grasp what is involved in reporting perceived personal attacks or off topic posts, because I despise any form of censorship and will never contribute to that end BUT I have seen posts removed and people "sent to sit in a corner" for a time as well as outright banned because of both moderator action. In some cases I am aware those were instigated by member complaints while others were apparently based on a moderator's whim. I won't ever do any of those things but to suggest an OP is powerless over posts is simply not so.

It really should be obvious, even just by the fact that I'm still responding to your posts in a gentlemanly manner despite their flirting with Off Topic and ad hominem, that how I feel doesn't affect how I decide to act. Currently what I feel is much of our conversation has grown off topic, adversarial, tiresome and serving no valuable purpose. I don't dislike you, hate what I imagine your politics to be, nor harbor any ill will toward you. I'd much rather find a way to move past all that petty crap and if possible learn something from you and maybe even motivate you to look deeper and refine your own conclusions and I don't care what direction that mighty take. Specifically if, knowing what you apparently know, you discover it's even worse than you imagined, I'd like to know that at least as much as I'd like to discover CalyxOS or any de-googling is effective.

Simply put, I am not invested personally in my conclusions. I have no fear or shame in being mistaken. I do have some of denial and staying mistaken after being appraised of solid evidence. One's choice of operating system just isn't a major issue worth fighting over. To be clear, I am invested in Linux, and I will defend my choice with substantial fervor, but I don't give a ratzazz what someone else chooses.

So unless you can demonstrate, for example, how open source can be hijacked while evading any discovery attempts, I may not be so quick to respond anymore.

UPDATE - Just FTR I'm quite happy with Calyx. I'd be a bit more comfortable getting around on Linux but security is very decent. I had worried a bit when I was forced to compromise some since my primary care provider uses and app that appeared to only be on Google Play. I found the .apk file on GitHub, installed it and monitored it closely. As far as I can tell so far there is no outgoing data to Google from that app nor anywhere else. There is lousy cell service at my home and in my room, none, so data is easily monitored for my phone since it must use wifi calling.

Yes You are Right about that.

Yes, and we're right about you being a spammer, and posting a hidden spam link which has been reported.

Thank you for sharing.