What Android distribution was LineageOS created to succeed?

LineageOS was created to succeed CyanogenMod.

CyanogenMod was a widely used community-developed Android distribution based on the Android Open Source Project. In 2016, the company behind the related Cyanogen services announced that it was ending operations and shutting down infrastructure. The community project was then reorganized under a new name: LineageOS.

LineageOS released its first public builds in 2017 and continued the custom-ROM tradition of providing aftermarket Android software for supported phones, tablets, and other devices. It is developed by an open-source community rather than being the standard Android installation supplied by a phone manufacturer. Users generally install it by unlocking a device and flashing a compatible build.

The name change does not mean LineageOS is simply another manufacturer skin. OxygenOS, One UI, and MIUI are vendor-associated Android distributions or interfaces, while LineageOS is a community custom ROM built from AOSP and related components. It also does not automatically include Google apps; users may install compatible packages separately, subject to licensing and device support. The exact experience varies by device because maintainers create and support individual builds.