Switching to E/OS permanently (Relocking / question)

Hi all,

I hope this message finds you well. I discovered this operating system through a TuxDigital Linux podcast. I had switched to fairfone 5 from Sony Xperia 1 mark ii and so i used my spare Sony to take E/OS for a test drive.

  1. However in the Sony operating system command line install guide (and a bunch of other phones) it only unlocks the Bootloader then install the e/os and it does not relock the bootloader. What kind of security risks are there; let’s say if you lose your phone and the Bootloader is not locked again ? is your data at risk ?

  2. My Fair phone 5, it’s running the aosp Android - I see that in the command line instructions of e/os install guide for FF5 that you unlock the Bootloader, install the e/os and then you relock the Bootloader at the end. Why do you / or why can you relock the bootloader (fastboot flashing lock) on fairphones and not on Sony ?

  3. and is it possible to (without losing funciotnality) relock the bootloader on Sony (and other phones) even though the install guides do not have that step there? or is it going to brick my device (or softbrick).

  4. Does high security apps like banking apps and other apps, can they work on the e/OS on the Sony when the Bootloader is not locked or do I have to stick to the phones that do relock the Bootloader like fairphone 4 or fairphone 5?

  5. I am still unsure about banking apps, does e/os sandbox all apps ?

Side story - how it all started (and de-googling):
I played around a little bit on Sony on E/OS just to see how it runs I have not yet fully set up all the apps on the E/oS Sony.
I am actually annoyed with all the security loopholes and all the shenanigans that Google does on their updates and security patches (and not letting all apps run in sandboxes) so what I actually want to do is to not use my phone like a laptop on day-to-day basis and do all the laptop things on the laptop and limit my phone use (if E/OS would support Boox Palma 2 or any epaper screen phone i would buy it right away). I don’t have too many applications that I have paid for on playstore and i want to shut down my google account and de-google myself completely.
I understand that it’s only a few games like Deadcells and streets of Rage 4 and terraria that i bought on the phone (and a few other apps over the years) and i am ready let that all go… in the last few months to a year i have been using duckduckgo for search and slowly using other services (other than maps (well i do have tomtom and Calimoto), the only thing is to change my email address on govt./official records, and subs. so i will give myself 1 year to de-clutter and doscontinue. Hopefully i will only have proton apps on the phone + 1 for media + 1 radio+ 1 Calimoto. and that is about it. fingers crossed!

regards.

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I’m using a Murena FP 5 with /e/OS preinstalled and my European banking apps work flawlessly, even the biometric/fingerprint reader is functional; I can’t help with the Sony though.

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This “discussion” tends to see both sides https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/n7yo7u/a_discussion_about_bootloader_lockingunlocking/.

With the ROM as downloaded, quite a high chance as the ROM has not been built with the intention of locking again.

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And all apps like mfa work as well? E. G. (Sucks to ask this question but like microsoft Authenticator, many companies use ms services)

Has anyone used any device without locked bootloader (like FP4/5, meaning any device other than these) and tell me if banking apps and mfa apps like MS. Authenticator works? Thanks.

I don’t use MS products, but my authentication apps work fine; Maybe try a different app with a higher privacy score (Exodus Privacy Report).

I was able to use MS-stuff at work with aegis authentificator, no issues whatsoever.
at that time my bootloader was locked, edit: I would not expect issues with an unlocked BL.
Just give it a try.
But no one will be able to give any guarantees.
See here for banking apps.
Some apps depend on gogol services, see here for (in)compatibilities with microG.

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