LineageOS is a free and open source Android operating system that can be used to replace the outdated Android versions that come with common Android smartphones from 2016, before this time, this operating system was known as CyanogenMod and Cyanogen OS.
I was looking at a donated Android tablet today and looked up the spec and noticed that the manufacturer long abandoned the model in their quest to sell customers newer devices and so there must be a use for this device other than just a web browser and its own pile of abandoned bloatware that it came pre-installed with.
It just so happens that there is an alternative to the build in obsolescence these manufacturers like to build in their devices, and that is LineageOS.
LineageOS is a free and open source Android operating system that replaces the version on the device with open source apps that do the same roles while bringing customisation that is not found on the stock Android as well as more enhanced security and encryption built in.
Android devices tend to be limited by the power of the device (CPU, memory, etc) so not all devices can run the latest OS versions for that reason.
The following table notes how each LineageOS version relates to the Android version.
LineageOS version | Android AOSP version | Status |
|---|---|---|
9.0 | 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) | Not supported |
10.0 | 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) | Not supported |
11.0 | 4.4.4 (KitKat) | Not supported |
12.0 | 5.0 (Lollipop) | Not supported |
12.1 | 5.1 (Lollipop) | Not supported |
13.0 | 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) | Not supported |
14.1 | 7.1.2 (Nougat) | Not supported |
15.1 | 8.1 (Oreo) | Not supported |
16.0 | 9 (Pie) | Not supported |
17.1 | 10 (Quince Tart) | Not supported |
18.1 | 11 (Red Velvet Cake) | Older but supported |
19.1 | 12.1 (Snow Cone) | Older but supported |
20.0 | 13 (Tiramisu) | Latest |
Out of interest, CyanogenMod has been out from the early days of Android. I used to have a T-mobile G1 (also called HTC Dream) that came with Android 1.5 (Cupcake) and the phone was obsolete in 6 months, which sucked because I was in a 2 year contract at the time. I used CyanogenMod to install 1.6 (Donut) and even 2.0 (Eclair) but the phone had some big issues, so I went to iPhone and never looked back.
CyanogenMod version | Based on Android |
|---|---|
3 | 1.5 (Cupcake) |
4 | 1.6 (Donut) |
5 | 2.0 (Eclair) |
6 | 2.2 (Froyo) |
7 | 2.3 (Gingerbread) |
9 | 4.0 (Ice cream sandwich) |
10/10.1/10.2 | 4.x.x (Jellybean) |
11 | 4.4 (KitKat) |
12 | 5.0 (Lolipop) |
12.1 | 5.1 (Lolipop) |
13 | 6.0 (Marshmallow) |
14 | 7.0 (Nougat) |
