AOSP Isn't Dead, But Google Just Landed a Huge Blow To Custom ROM Developers

Google has removed device trees and driver binaries for Pixel phones from the Android 16 source code release, significantly complicating custom ROM development for those devices. The Android-maker intentionally omitted these resources as it shifts its Android Open Source Project reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called "Cuttlefish." The change forces custom ROM developers to reverse-engineer configurations they previously received directly from Google. Nolen Johnson from LineageOS said the process will become "painful," requiring developers to "blindly guess and reverse engineer from the prebuilt binaries what changes are needed each month." Google also squashed the Pixel kernel source code's commit history, eliminating another reference point developers used for features and security patches. Google VP Seang Chau dismissed speculation that AOSP itself is ending, stating the project "is NOT going away." However, the changes effectively bring Pixel devices down to the same difficult development level as other Android phones. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Jun 12, 2025 - 20:00

AOSP Isn't Dead, But Google Just Landed a Huge Blow To Custom ROM Developers

Google has removed device trees and driver binaries for Pixel phones from the Android 16 source code release, significantly complicating custom ROM development for those devices. The Android-maker intentionally omitted these resources as it shifts its Android Open Source Project reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called "Cuttlefish." The change forces custom ROM developers to reverse-engineer configurations they previously received directly from Google. Nolen Johnson from LineageOS said the process will become "painful," requiring developers to "blindly guess and reverse engineer from the prebuilt binaries what changes are needed each month." Google also squashed the Pixel kernel source code's commit history, eliminating another reference point developers used for features and security patches. Google VP Seang Chau dismissed speculation that AOSP itself is ending, stating the project "is NOT going away." However, the changes effectively bring Pixel devices down to the same difficult development level as other Android phones.