LineageOS

TAS Score: S3/3 — D5/5 — A3 / T2

Brief Description

The longest-running custom Android distribution. Successor to CyanogenMod. Supports 200+ devices. No Google services by default — clean AOSP-based experience with quality-of-life improvements.

Architectural Role

Base operating system layer — mobile. Widest device support of any custom Android OS.

Technical Autonomy

• Works without internet
• Stores data locally
• Does not require external accounts
• Allows data export (standard Android)
• Provides offline updates (sideload ZIP)

Philosophical Assessment (whose.world criteria)

Criterion	Status	Comments
Pause	✅	Your device, your OS.
Exit	✅	Flash stock or another ROM.
Recoverability	✅	TWRP/recovery, nandroid backups.
Visibility	✅	Fully open-source. Massive contributor base.
External Dependencies	✅	No mandatory external services.

Rating key: ✅ fully meets · ⚠️ partially meets or requires configuration · ❌ does not meet

Configuration (Minimal)

Install via:

1. Unlock bootloader
2. Flash custom recovery (TWRP or Lineage Recovery)
3. Flash LineageOS ZIP
4. Optionally flash GApps (not recommended for autonomy)

Related Recipes

• Mobile Apps

Alternatives

Alternative	Autonomy	Notes
GrapheneOS	A3 / T2	Stronger security. Pixel only.
CalyxOS	A3 / T2	microG included. Fewer devices.

---

Trajectory

Direction: stable Over a decade of continuous development. Largest custom ROM community. Volunteer-maintained — no commercial pressure. Steady device support. Signal assessment: | Signal | Status | Evidence | |——–|——–|———-| | License | ✅ | Apache-2.0, unchanged since CyanogenMod. | | Feature gating | ✅ | All features free. | | Self-hosting | ✅ | Nothing to host. | | Governance | ✅ | Community-governed. Multiple maintainers per device. | Signal key: ✅ opening · ➖ neutral · ⚠️ closing —

Sources

• Website: https://lineageos.org
• Documentation: https://wiki.lineageos.org
• Repository: https://github.com/LineageOS
• Docker image: —
• Community: https://reddit.com/r/LineageOS