[Android General] Oswald Boelcke:
...why do I post this? Actually, I hoped to achieve less battery drainage without Google's well known tendency to permanently collect and transmit data. However, my initial observations don't prove extended battery life but I'm going to continue tracking the battery drainage and will eventually edit the respective post in this thread. At least, I'm already definitely able to state that I've less wakelocks, alarms, and running services than before. Furthermore, some of these crazy, weird indicated *alarms* and *launch* are gone.

Additionally, I'm monitoring the below mentioned microG-treads and recognise that quite a lot of people obviously have problems to get microG to run (honestly, as me too about six months ago, when I first attempted). Thus, I take the oportunity to provide my procedure how I've got microG to perform its desired duties.

If you're really interested into microG I suggest to read @Shadow53's post here.

By going "GApps free" I was able to achieve one of my decisive points to protect my own centre of gravity. However, monitoring the related microG threads I realised quite a few people have other motives for GApps free devices and seem not to have impediments for sharing and exchanging information with Google, obviously neither my personal way nor my consensus. For completeness, I like to share some of the other opinions to enable everyone to make up an own mind. Please find some posts here, here, or here. Additionally, @ale5000 provided a comparision between GApps and microG here.

It doesn't require bravery but only the strong will to get rid of all the useless Google services and activities despite the fact that I already succeeded in not selling my private data to Google at all by the use of some tools, policies, and procedures. Just to make it more clearly, I don't and don't want to use any of the applications provided by Google (except the Google Play Store (PS) for a very specific reason described below). I'm convinced there're alternatives to each of the Google applications around, which are respecting my privacy concerns and aren't necessarily so enormously blown up. Some aren't for free but I'm happy to support a developer and the development in regard to an excellent application; some of the applications you need to pay for on Google PS you get for free in same quality and "update level" e.g. at F-Droid.

Please allow me to mention a few of the applications I use but forgive me for not providing links to them; a simple web search will show you the way.

Email

: "K-9 Mail R2Mail2" in conjunction with "OpenKeychain";

Browser

: "Slimperiance", "Orfox" together with "Orbot";

Maps & Navigation

: "OsmAnd~";

SMS/MMS

: "chompSMS" and "Silence" (but no WiFi or mobile data access);

Weather

: "Avia Weather", "Das Wetter in Deutschland", "WarnWetter", "WetterOnline";

Messenger

: "Conversations" in conjunction with a XMPP-Jabber-account; Camera: the ROM inherent one;

Contacts

: ROM inherent but synchronised via home-WiFi with PC via "MyPhoneExplorer";

Calendar

: as for contacts before;

Music

: "VLC" (but no WiFi or mobile data access);

Launcher

: "Nova";

PDF-reader

: "Xodo Docs PDF Viewer" (Remark: I personally don't require the capability to open any Microsoft Office or Open Office file types on my phone).

If you think I forgot something just ask!

You might now ask yourself why I didn't just live without Google but moved to the microG project instead? I require following capabilities:

Fixing of the current location of my device both using GPS and/or WiFi or Mobile Data.

GCM Push Notifications.

Access to the Google PS, especially to have access to my paid applications, donations, and to beta programs of some applications I like.

Some of my preferred applications must have an indication that (a kind of) Google Play Services is available on the device in order to correctly function or even to be positively installed.

EDIT (2017-05-02): In regard to the use of the Magisk module "NanoMod" please refer to post #14!

First, I'm extremely happy with my "GAppsless" system - running smoothly without any problems and all functionalities I desired! I don't have benchmarks but personally I've the impression my current ROM is performing faster, smoother, simply better than with Gapps.

To achieve a location fix runs perfectly in all three modes (including energy saving mode just by WiFi or mobile network) and definitely much faster than with GApps; GCM push notifications work; BlankStore ran as advertised, all installed apps were indicated and available updates, download of apps or updates without problems, and as advertised paid apps or beta versions were not available. Latter was the one and only reason why I installed the Google PS as the only Google application. For the procedure please see below.

Installation was quite easily accomplished by simply following the OP of [APP] microG GmsCore - lightweight free software clone of Google Play Services by @MaR-V-iN.

First, I ensured I'd both the Titanium Backup (TB) APK file and the TB Pro-Key APK file on my external storage the booted into recovery (in my case TWRP). I create a NANDROID backup by TWRP and then clean flashed my favourite ROM (in my case: Resurrection RemixÂ® by @rodman01) i.e. wiped /dalvik, /cache, /system and /data (including internal storage - my Titanium backup is on external storage), factory reset. Flashed my favourite kernel, followed by flashing of Chainfire's SuperSU v2.76 (this is by my information the latest SuperSU by Chainfire himself. I refuse to go for the CCMT SuperSU v2.78, and I've issues with my kernel control application if I e.g. use phh's systemless SuperUser).

There no need any more to flash the Xposed framework through TWRP since @rovo89's version 3.1.1 of the XposedInstaller (this is true for my GT-I9305 and might be different to other devices/ROMs). In my case, the Xposed framework is absolutely necessary as my ROM does not support signature faking and I had to use the respective FakeGapps APK. Due to @Primokorn I became aware there are other tools like Needle or Tingle (just search for them) to get signature spoofing for Nougat (until we have Xposed).

Reboot into system.

Remark: Quoted from MaR-V-iN's above linked thread: "...You need a 4/5/6 ROM that is GAPPS-free. Either don't install them or remove them, if your ROM ships them. Please note that microG GmsCore might run on a cleaned stock ROM, but it might also brick it or cause random bugs. Be aware that only latest Android versions (4.4+) are regularly tested and thus prioritized over older versions when issues occur..."

Completed my desired initial ROM setup and installed the TB APK and the Pro-Key APK. Made the necessary TB setup especially the location of my backups. Restored XposedInstaller and all initially required applications via TB but definitely include F-Droid and the application with a root explorer of your desire, I'm personally using SD Maid - System cleaning tool by @Dark3n (all others were restored after installation of microG). Please do not restore or install any application, which require GCM push notifications, before having installed microG! Performed the setup for all restored applications. Installed the Xposed framework via XposedInstaller. Reboot. Installed the FakeGapps APK and activated it in Xposed. Reboot.

I followed this procedure (http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=42983611&postcount=306), downloaded the "android-checkin-1.0.jar" and "bla.bat" and generated an Android ID for my Google PS account. Please be advised about this information I received from @pupsidze: "Accounts created online does NOT work with this. I have registered an account via friend's phone and it worked like a charm..." This obviously means you must use an account that was formerly created through the Google PS on an Android device.

I downloaded following APKs on PC and moved them to my external storage:

microG Services Core

microG Services Framework Proxy

UnifiedNlp APK (This tool works for me; however, if you have problems there're two others available at this [URL="http://xdaforums.com/android/apps-games/app-g-unifiednlp-floss-wi-fi-cell-tower-t2991544"]UnifiedNlp - FLOSS Wi-Fi- and cell-tower-based geolocation thread by @MaR-V-iN as well as a link to a respective Xposed module). @Primokorn made me aware that you don't need to install UnifiedNlp.apk since it's already included into microG.

BlankStore Attention, you must manually grant "storage permissions" (thanks to @Primokorn

Install all of the above, then move into F-Droid to download the backends for UnifiedNlp as indicated in the above mentioned UnifiedNlp thread and install them. I'm personally using the two following backends: "LocalGsmNlpBackend" and "NominatimNlpBackend".

Follow step no. 4 of the installation instructions in the OP of [APP] microG GmsCore - lightweight free software clone of Google Play Services by @MaR-V-iN. For the setup of the "LocalGsmNlpBackend", I'm using the database of "Mozilla Location Service" because the download of the OpenCellID database quite often broke down. Please be aware that the download takes quite a few time due to the size of the database (only do via WiFi!!!), and choose before the areas you interested in in order not to "overload" your storage! At this point, I rebooted then went in "BlankStore" or as it appeared as "Android Market" on my app list.

When you open "Android Market" the first time, it requires you to enter the credentials of your Google account. Enter your Google email address, Google password and the Android ID you generated earlier. If everything worked as advertised all your already installed applications should appear in the "Android Market" after you hit "installed apps".

I suggest to now run the self check in the microG settings. Before you do, ensure that location is enabled in the ROM settings otherwise you want get a tick mark in the last row of the check. If any other tick mark is missing just recheck your settings and especially if all permissions are granted.

When I was at the point to restore my remaining applications via TB, I wasn't initially able to restore 6 out of my about 100-ish applications; a new installation of these applications failed, too. Just by accident, I checked the homepage of one of these apps (Öffi) and realised that one of its requirements was to have a pre-installed Maps Library v1; however, they also offered an AOSP version, which was running without GApps but microG. This was for me the first indication not to have Maps Library v1 but only v2 installed.

I discovered (again) @MaR-V-iN's NOGAPPS Project (NetworkLocation, MapsAPI, Blank Store) thread, downloaded and flashed the Maps API Flashable Zip. All resistant applications were installable afterwards and are running properly.

Conclusion: If some apps can't be installed it's most likely due to missing Maps Library v1.

Last but not least, I manually installed Google PS by downloading its latest version from apkmirror.com and renamed it to Phonesky.apk. (EDIT (2017-03-25): Please be aware that @ale5000 recomments here to use version 5.1.11. Personally, I use the method described here for purchases in Google PS.) Then I created a folder called Phonesky via my root explorer in /system/priv-app/ and set its permissions to "755 (rwxr-xr-x)". I move the renamed Phonesky.apk into this folder and change its permissions to "644 (rw-r--r--)". Rebooted and was done.

After the reboot, I noticed the following:

The formerly "Android Market" (BlankStore) was no longer available in the app list but a "Play Store".

A Google account was available under ROM settings => Accounts; however, synchronisation was automatically disabled.

Via Google PS, my Google account was accessible including all purchases I did.

At "My Apps & Games" no apps were indicated under "installed apps", under "all apps" all my installed apps were shown and the ones not installed but downloaded in the past. No "beta" tab was shown.

In my "donation apps" (e.g. Amplify) the donation was again indicated.

I went to my Google account on Google Play Store (on my PC) and walked my way through all of my applications by clicking on "install" despite the indication that it was already installed. Obviously the applications apk's were again "beamed" to my device (and installed (???) again occasionally with a timely delay of about an hour). However, eventually the Play Store on the phone indicated all applications now also under "installed apps", if applicable updates were provided, the tab "beta" was created and I was back into all beta programs I had formerly joined. Play Store runs exactly the same as before when I had Gapps installed.

Meanwhile I experienced that Play Store automatically synchronises all my apps by itself i.e. I learnt to be patient.

Please advise if you believe I missed something or in case of any question! Be aware, I took my time to conduct all of the above; didn't do it in a single step i.e. I was running more or less two operating systems on my device simultaneously and switch back and forth. Now, I'm only (and will only be) staying on my "GAppsless" ROM!

P.S. Before you install one of the "directly linked" apk-files recheck if it's the current version!

CREDITS: To everybody who I mentioned in this OP or the subsequent posts. If I forgot someone I apologise. Please let me know in this case or if you want to be more prominently given credit; I'm happy to immediately follow such a request!

EDIT (2017-04-14): Please find a more brief procedure below at post #8.

Off topic comments are allowed as long they are generally related to the overall topic, are in the general interest of the followers of this thread and add value to the thread. The ultimate decision rests with me as the OP!