LineageOS Changelog 17: March Security Patch, LineaGenuine, Improvements To Contacts Application & More

The folks over at LineageOS frequently take out time and update the community over the changes they have made to their project. It has been a month since the first Oreo 8.1 based builds of LineageOS were released, and now the LineageOS team have posted their seventeenth changelog which lists the major changes that have been made over the past month.

The major change made is the inclusion of LineageSDK. LineageOS recently released a SDK which allows developers to theme their apps based on the accent and background colour selected by the user. Developers can also use the SDK to configure several parameters of the device (such as display brightness, volume, network settings) when an app is launched. It's worth noting here that the LineageSDK is only meant for LineageOS 15.1 builds.

LineageOS have also added LineaGenuine which lets users make out whether they are using an official and certified build of LineageOS. In case the build isn't certified, the user is informed and measures are taken to prevent the misuse of the device. The complete changelog is given below.

Major changes made since February 25

• Lockdown added to power menu actions: lock the device and force the password input, disabling any biometric or smart unlock tools
• New focus indicator for Snap camera
• Contacts improvements:
  • Support for storing contacts locally
  • Added 2 new entries to the drawer menu: “my info” and “emergency info” linking to your account’s contact and health information available when the device is locked
  • SIM phone number is now automatically added to your account’s contact
• Added Cyan accent
• Dialer is now GDPR-compliant: phone number lookup is now disabled by default and there’s now a disclaimer in the relative settings page
• Files app now has a dark UI through the Styles API
• Jelly now has a dark UI through the Styles API
• March security patches have been merged (both 15.1 and 14.1)
• Chromium webview updated to version 65 (both 15.1 and 14.1)
• LineaGenuine (both 15.1 and 14.1)
  • Our new tool allows you to feel more comfortable knowing whether you’re running a certified build. In case the device is caught running an uncertified OS, this tool will warn the user and some measures will be taken in order to guarantee you the device’s resources aren’t being misused.

Today is April Fools' day and LineageOS decided to prank their users with LOSCoins - LineageOS's cryptocurrency. According to LineageOS, LOSCoins will be awarded to developers who upload a commit on Gerrit (a feature or a bug fix) and let the code be there. The longer the code is idle on Gerrit, the more LOSCoins the developer will earn. LineageOS went on to say that one of their developers managed to earn so well that he (or she) used their LOSCoins to buy a yacht.

LineageOS did a good job this year, but I think last year's mascot VoLTE, and AI-powered stable ROM builder Br0zip were hilarious. For kicks and giggles, I have included the VoLTE mascot below.

April Fools' 2017 mascot - "Where is VoLTE?"

What do you think about LOSCoins? Do you, like me, think that last year's br0zip and VoLTE mascot were better? Drop your opinion in the comments section below.

Source: LineageOS

Krittin Kalra

Krittin Kalra is a 20 year old Android freak. Striving for passions, chasing down his dreams and living a life without regrets is his sole mantra. A bit moody, he also does custom ROM reviews for AndroGuider. Currently pursuing his B.Tech, he aspires to follow his heart.