cross-posted from: https://packmates.org/users/Wander/statuses/111280488886937575
The future of selfhosted services is going to be… Android?
Wait, what?
Think about it. At some point everyone has had an old phone lying around. They are designed to be constantly connected, constantly on… and even have a battery and potentially still a SIM card to survive power outages.
We just need to make it easy to create APK packaged servers that can avoid battery-optimization kills and automatically configure an outbound tunnel like ngrok, zerotrust, etc…
The goal: hosting services like #nextcloud, #syncthing, #mastodon!? should be as easy as installing an APK and leaving an old phone connected to a spare charger / outlet.
It would be tempting to have an optimized ROM, but if self-hosting is meant to become more commonplace, installing an APK should be all that’s needed. #Android can do SSH, VPN and other tunnels without the need for root, so there should be no problem in using tunnels to publicly expose a phone/server in a secure manner.
In regards to the suitability of home-grade broadband, I believe that it should not be a huge problem at least in Europe where home connections are most often unmetered: “At the end of June 2021, 70.2% of EU homes were passed by either FTTP or cable DOCSIS
3.1 networks, i.e. those technologies currently capable of supporting gigabit speeds.”Source: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/broadband-coverage-europe-2021
PS. syncthing actually already has an APK and is easy to use. Although I had to sort out some battery optimization stuff, it’s a good example of what should become much more commonplace.
Saw this post on [email protected], want to get some thoughts on it, because the idea seems a bit crazy to me.
Android = Google
People concerned with self hosting don’t want spyware on their servers.
What about a customized deGoogle’d AOSP distro like GrapheneOS then?
then the idea becomes ever less viable because only a handful of devices will be able to be used.
for the price of a Pixel you can buy a competent desktop PC that supports a real OS with networking tools, without an EoL cycle imposed by the manufacturer, with upstream kernel support, with replaceable and upgradable components and a long etc.
Works until google releases a locked down android and all new devices are forced on it. Slowly killing off the older devices usability.
Privacy on android is a closing door.
This is scary.