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đŸ“± GaĂ«l Duval a crĂ©Ă© /e/OS, le projet open source mobile qui nous libĂšre de Google & Apple.

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Key takeaways

News and Commentary

Overview

The episode presents GaĂ«l Duval—creator of the Linux distribution Mandrake and founder behind Murena / e/OS—and frames his work as a response to privacy and control problems in today’s mobile ecosystem dominated by Google (Android + Play Services) and Apple.

Core premise: “bio-digital” / digital independence

  • In 2026, the show argues smartphones have become “advertising fortresses” that track users’ behavior and convert it into data.
  • Duval’s motivation is both:
    • political/idealist freedom, and
    • the practical goal of building ethical, technically sound, and environmentally mindful products that keep users in control.
  • His philosophy is described as “bio of digital”, emphasizing:
    • no hidden trackers,
    • clean/open code,
    • design for durable and repairable hardware.

Why Murena exists (and the lesson from Firefox OS)

Duval explains that earlier open mobile OS efforts (e.g., Firefox OS) largely collapsed due to lack of app compatibility with the mainstream ecosystem.

He recounts pushing back on Mozilla’s approach: without native, real ecosystem support, performance and developer momentum would fail. Ultimately, he concludes that the key barrier is not only openness, but maintaining compatibility with the apps people already rely on—otherwise adoption dies.

How Murena/eOS is architected: Android fork focused on removing Google dependencies

  • Murena is positioned as an Android-based OS, but specifically based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project), not “full Android with Google’s layer.”
  • Duval emphasizes that “Android” in practice is often AOSP + proprietary Google Play Services (“binary blobs”), which are difficult or impossible to fully verify or contribute upstream.
  • Murena therefore:
    • removes/neutralizes Google dependencies where possible,
    • patches AOSP elements that contact Google infrastructure (e.g., connectivity checks, time sources, DNS),
    • replaces Google Play Services with MicroG, an open-source reimplementation of many Google Play Services APIs (Duval claims ~70–80% compatibility),
    • adds privacy defenses to reduce tracking and data leakage.

Privacy claims and features

The interview highlights the scale of data exfiltration:

  • Duval claims that on typical Android phones, around tens of millions of data points (≈12 million) go to Google every day (and fewer, but still significant, on iPhone).

Murena aims to cut these flows by default and then add:

  • “Advanced Privacy”
    • detects app trackers (listed and blocked),
    • disables permissions per app,
    • provides user control similar to “anti-tracking” systems.
  • Granular controls, including:
    • blocking trackers,
    • sometimes “fake location” features intended to mislead apps (e.g., examples involving gaming apps that depend on location).

Duval also clarifies that Murena is not meant to “escape justice.” It is not framed as a “hardened security OS” for criminals—rather as a way to correct the privacy imbalance ordinary users face under current commercial norms.

App ecosystem strategy: stores beyond Google Play

Murena includes an “App Lounge” store/launcher experience that combines multiple sources:

  • access to apps from the Google Play Store via user login (Duval recommends using a dedicated Google account),
  • plus alternatives like F-Droid and Progressive Web Apps.

The goal is to avoid dependence on Google’s monopoly while still allowing mainstream apps to function when needed.

Compliance and platform tightening (and EU regulation)

Duval discusses how modern Android/Google environments tighten security and distribution (e.g., Play Integrity, stronger checks, harder sideloading, and developer enforcement).

He argues European regulations such as the DMA/DSA are intended to reduce platform lock-in and enable competition, including more choice for app-store distribution. He interprets this as creating more room for alternatives like Murena—while stressing that Google and Apple still resist that competition.

Hardware durability and long-term value

Murena is also promoted with a sustainability angle:

  • phones intended to last around 10 years (durable/repairable),
  • plus OS longevity to match that commitment.

Duval mentions compiling EOS/e/OS for hundreds of phone models—citing support for ~250 phones—which requires per-model adaptation due to differences in kernel, firmware, and hardware.

Commentary on other alternatives (HarmonyOS, AI, and the future)

  • HarmonyOS: Duval says it appears innovative for “smart objects/IoT,” but app availability remains the central limitation, making it less of a credible global Android replacement today.
  • AI: he argues that “local-first” AI is difficult now due to compute, memory, and battery constraints. He expects hybrid approaches (phone + cloud) and more privacy-respecting inference patterns over time.

Presenters / contributors

  • Julien Le Per — host/interviewer
  • GaĂ«l Duval — guest; founder/creator behind Murena; former creator of Mandrake

Mentioned in discussion but not presented:

  • Nat Makarevic, Fabien / UNFR, Jacques Lemarois, Richard Stallman, George Marcha / “George Marcha”, François-Xavier, and others including Mozilla, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Snap, Uber, Zenley, plus MicroG creator Marvin.

Original video