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Add app to F-Droid catalogue

Open B0ycee opened this issue 11 months ago • 6 comments

Hi,

Please could you add this app to F-Droid. Far as I am aware there is no Wake on Lan app for current Android versions available on F-Droid so this would be a great addition.

https://f-droid.org/docs/FAQ_-_App_Developers/

Cheers.

B0ycee avatar Dec 13 '24 22:12 B0ycee

https://f-droid.org/packages/com.henrikherzig.simplewol/ — after connecting IzzyOnDroid F-Droid Repo.

Korb avatar Dec 17 '24 15:12 Korb

That will be acceptable for some, but as I understand, that is simply using the F-Droid app to install the compiled APK, and not the same as the true F-Droid catalogue where the APK is produced from known source.

B0ycee avatar Dec 17 '24 15:12 B0ycee

That will be acceptable for some, but as I understand, that is simply using the F-Droid app to install the compiled APK, and not the same as the true F-Droid catalogue where the APK is produced from known source.

@IzzySoft, is this really true? Does the F-Droid mobile app handle repositories so differently depending on whether they are the "official" repository or a third party repository, including yours? And does this really matter to the end users for whom the apps are made and made available in the F-Droid app?

Korb avatar Dec 18 '24 08:12 Korb

F-Droid sees other repositories as "3rd party", indeed – including IzzyOnDroid. And "official" is only theirs. Which is why only that is preconfigured with the official client – other than e.g. NeoStore, which has a lot of repositories already included so one only needs to enable them. The reason given is that only they can "guarantee" it's fully FOSS (I'd never "guarantee" such as that's impossible (you cannot know all libraries, and cannot detect what you don't know – if you maintain a library checker as I do, you know that), but they get pretty close to it), and they build from the source themselves (so do the rebuilders at IzzyOnDroid (IoD), see Reproducible Builds, special client support and more at IzzyOnDroid, which currently cover more than 30% of our apps).

If it matters to the "end users"? That depends on the point of view IMHO. Some even prefer IoD for its extra checks (which F-Droid slowly adopts in parts) and faster updates (usually within 24h of the devs' providing the APKs – compared to 2 to 5 days on average at F-Droid). And the fact that a "failed build" (by the rebuilders here) does not delay or even stop a release to become available.

APKs at IoD are "produced from known source", too: from the official releases of the resp. developers (for 30%+ of the apps confirmed by at least one of our rebuilders). Signed by them. So even if, for whatever reason, an "emergency update" would not reach our catalog in time, you can always go to the dev's release page and pick the APK yourself for update – that works, as it's the same (IoD just performs some other checks and makes findings transparent: libraries contained, results from VT etc). From F-Droid you can only do so if the app was established as Reproducible Build there (currently about 13% of their apps), as otherwise it's signed by a key they created. No cross-updates then.

True, F-Droid has the bigger team (34 listed members incl. at least 2 full-time paid vs. 3 at IoD and none paid), exists for longer (since 2010 vs. 2016), has more apps listed (~3.700 vs. ~1.200), has better funding than IoD, and the better known name (even has a Wikipedia page which IoD still lacks) – but "beauty and contact lenses lie in the eye of the beholder". Both co-exist, and I dare saying depend on each other (IoD uses parts of their software stack, while they use e.g. the tools for reproducible builds which were written by a member of the IoD team, and thus need our expertise in that field).

IzzySoft avatar Dec 18 '24 10:12 IzzySoft

For clarity, I believe the above confirms my original reply remains true. The IzzyOnDroid repo is simply distributing the APK published and signed by the author and it is not being compiled independently from source (or necessarily confirmed as a reproducible build) as is the case with F-Droid catalogue.

From what I understand, for some applications on IzzyOnDroid there is an effort to check the APK matches the source. I believe IzzyOnDroid may also have more relaxed inclusion criteria.

No doubt there are pros and cons, but I think we can all agree IzzyOnDroid is not the same as the request to add to F-Droid catalogue :)

B0ycee avatar Dec 29 '24 14:12 B0ycee

@B0ycee, so, subj — not planned?

Korb avatar Dec 29 '24 15:12 Korb

Could you clarify your reply? I don't understand it.

B0ycee avatar Dec 29 '24 15:12 B0ycee

@B0ycee may I recommend you to read again, and also follow the links?

The IzzyOnDroid repo is simply distributing the APK published and signed by the author

Replace "simply" by "after running a bunch of checks over them" (see: Ramping up security: additional APK checks are in place with the IzzyOnDroid repo)

and it is not being compiled independently from source (or necessarily confirmed as a reproducible build) as is the case with F-Droid catalogue.

More than 30% of the apps at IzzyOnDroid (IoD) are reproducible. There are multiple verification servers running those builds. At F-Droid it's about 13% apps which are RB. The others are built by F-Droid and signed with a key generated by F-Droid, not by the app's author – so cross-updates (e.g. for a fast security update) are impossible there. As IoD uses the APKs provided by the developers, cross-updates are indeed possible here.

I believe IzzyOnDroid may also have more relaxed inclusion criteria.

Not more relaxed, but slightly different.

but I think we can all agree IzzyOnDroid is not the same as the request to add to F-Droid catalogue :)

Depends on the point of view. IoD is an F-Droid repository (it currently even still uses fdroidserver as base). Rephrase to "add to the F-Droid.org catalogue", and I'll agree with you :wink:

IzzySoft avatar Dec 29 '24 23:12 IzzySoft

@herzhenr any chance of working on this so the app is properly in F-droid catalogue?

B0ycee avatar May 25 '25 18:05 B0ycee