The cancellation of CyanogenMod had a great impact on the Android community, but the announcement of Lineage OS left us very relieved. In one way or another, all those years of work will remain available to those users looking for something different in firmware. The new project will need a little time to return to Cyanogenmod's level, however, on its official page you can already download the first images compatible with more than two dozen smartphones.
CyanogenMod is history. Some of its images are still stored on isolated mirrors, but the original project is dead and buried. Fortunately, several of those responsible for CyanogenMod decided to continue their efforts through Lineage OS. The plan is to offer users an Android experience superior to what manufacturers deliver with their devices, and at the same time not repeat the same mistakes that ended CyanogenMod. Personally I thought it would be months before we had news, but in cases like this I love being wrong. The first Lineage OS images are now available for download.
To tell the truth, users should not expect big changes beyond the new logo and the introduction screen. Technically Lineage OS is a direct continuation of CyanogenMod 14.1, which in turn is based on Android Nougat 7.1. The downloads page has more than two dozen entries, and on the list we find models like the Nexus 5, 5X and 6P, the Motorola Moto E, G and G4, the Samsung Galaxy S II and S III, the Sony Xperia SP, six Xiaomi variants, and the OnePlus One. All builds carry the label of nightly or experimental, and the user needs to pay special attention to code names. For example, the Moto E build is for Condor (first generation), and its installation is not recommended on Otus or Surnia.
If your smartphone does not appear on the list, don't worry. The next goal is to extend the list of compatible devices to more than 80, and publish weekly updates. Installation processes are similar to those of CyanogenMod (we cannot go into detail due to the specifics of each model), but those responsible obviously recommend backing up personal data and starting from scratch with a wipe.
