Google to make Android OS development fully private: Here's why
What's the story
Google is going to take the development of its Android operating system fully private. The move was confirmed by the tech giant in a recent conversation with Android Authority. At present, some of Google's work on the public AOSP Gerrit is shared with users, but that won't be the case anymore. The idea behind the move is to simplify Android OS development without hurting external developers.
Project AOSP
AOSP: The open-source foundation of Android
The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is the open-source base for all Android devices, no matter the manufacturer. For the last 16 years, Google has been working on this Android version with third-party developers. However, the company itself does most of the AOSP development to keep it alive as a platform and open-source project. This way, developers/OEMs can use a single version without tracking unfinished future work just to keep up.
Development branches
Google's 2-pronged Android development strategy
Google has two main Android branches: the public AOSP branch and its internal development branch. The former is open to all, while the latter is limited to companies with a Google Mobile Services (GMS) licensing agreement. Most of the components, including the core Android OS framework, are developed privately in Google's internal branch. This switch to trunk-based development minimized discrepancies between the two but didn't eliminate them.
Merge conflicts
Merging patches: A challenge for Google
The differences between the public AOSP branch and Google's internal branch often result in merge conflicts. For example, a patch enabling screen magnifier functionality for the navigation bar and keyboard can trigger a merge conflict due to different list lengths between AOSP and Google's internal branch. Such challenges have forced Google to bring all Android OS development into its internal branch, simplifying its development process.
Open-source commitment
Google's commitment to open-source despite shift
Despite the shift to private development, Google has confirmed its commitment to publishing Android's source code. The change doesn't mean Android is going closed-source. The company will continue releasing the source code for new Android releases as well as Android's Linux kernel fork, which is licensed under GPLv2 and requires source code releases. However, the frequency of public source code releases for specific Android components may change with this new approach.
Minimal impact
Impact on users and developers
The change in Android OS development won't affect regular users much as it simplifies things for Google. However, it won't speed up OS updates for phones either. App developers are not affected by this shift as it only relates to platform development. Platform developers and companies releasing forked AOSP products may also see little change as they usually base their work on specific tags or release branches—not the main AOSP branch.