Replicant (operating system)
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| Developer | Paul Kocialkowski |
|---|---|
| OS family | Unix-like |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Free software |
| Initial release | Mid-2010 |
| Latest release | 4.2 0004(September 2, 2015) |
| Package manager | APK |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux) |
| Userland | Bionic C library,mksh shell, native core utilities with a few from NetBSD |
| License | Apache License 2.0, GNU GPLv2, and various other licenses |
| Official website | www |
Replicant is a free and open source operating system, written in the C (programming language) . It is based on the Android mobile platform and aims to replace all proprietary Android components with free software counterparts. It is available for several smartphones and tablet computers.
The name Replicant is drawn from the fictional replicant androids in the Blade Runner movie. Replicant is sponsored and supported by the Free Software Foundation.
The Replicant project started in mid-2010 with an effort to consolidate various initiatives attempting to produce a fully free-as-in-freedom Android derivative for the HTC Dream. The original team consisted of Bradley M. Kuhn, Aaron Williamson, Graziano Sorbaioli and Denis ‘GNUtoo’ Carikli. The project quickly led to the writing of replacement code for the non-free parts that were required to make the HTC Dream functional. The first component to be replaced permitted audio to work without a proprietary library. Replicant originally provided its own FOSS application repository, which was later replaced by F-Droid.
The Radio Interface Layer, software that handles communication with the modem, was replaced by free code, thus making the telephony part usable. A library handling the GPS was then adapted from free code that was originally written for another phone and permitted the HTC Dream to have GPS working with Replicant.
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