While Fire TV OS has traditionally been based on Android, the new OS is based on Linux to prevent sideloading of piracy-related apps.
Posted by deggy123@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 17 comments
spreetin@reddit
Me thinks that they are at least equally worried about privacy-related apps.
Shikadi297@reddit
Why bother, pirates will just buy other devices. And so will normal users probably.
MyNamesNotMatt@reddit
I’m confused. Isn’t a PC even more amenable to piracy?
omniuni@reddit
Android is still Linux based, this is likely just a fancy way of saying they ripped out more features.
TheWorldIsNotOkay@reddit
Yep. Based on everything I've read, Vega OS is built on the Linux kernel, but is even less "Linux" than Android. It won't be able to run Android apps or Linux applications, but only apps built specifically for Vega OS using React Native. And those apps will only be able to be installed through the Amazon AppStore, with no ability to sideload at all.
Saying that it's "based on Linux" is giving it far more credit than it deserves, and implying that it's not as restricted as it is very much designed to be.
SuAlfons@reddit
They also do not want you to run other launchers and app stores. The devices are subsidized by ads.
MyNamesNotMatt@reddit
Seems like someone with unlock it and run whatever they want.
trowgundam@reddit
Do they not have Plex? Because what do you think most people host on their private Plex servers? lol.
JGPH@reddit
Backups of CDs, DVDs, and BlueRays so that they don't have to pull them out to use them?
diogodiogodiogo3@reddit
Never buying one of those again, just their biggest selling point (not piracy, but being android)
Plenty-Light755@reddit
lennox671@reddit
The firestick is a popular way to get a cheap (and safer than random chinese ones) box on which you can sideload IPTV apps
borkyborkus@reddit
Probably pirated streaming services. The people that aren’t actually downloading the files are probably the lowest hanging fruit.
lKrauzer@reddit
Lemme guess, Debian-based?
the_abortionat0r@reddit
What are you even trying to insinuate? It could literally be any distro as the base and it wouldn't change anything here.
KnowZeroX@reddit
Amazon does have their own Amazon Linux.
matt-x1@reddit
I don't get it. You don't need apps for piracy. Preventing piracy means that the device needs to be fully offline. If it can establish any sort of network connection, you can do piracy.