Alternate app stores for Android

[Feathers McGraw]

https://github.com/k9mail/k-9/wiki/ReleaseNotes

A bit complicated, as 4.8 is specifically for android 4.4, 4.409 is the current stable version, and there are other, newer test builds in their Google code page.


I think that it might just be too much work for many developers to keep things up to date on these other app stores, considering the smaller audiences they bring.

Sent from my dlx using Tapatalk

Fair point. Presumably, there's no reason it has to be compiled separately for each repo though? Compile once and upload to all would do? Is there a reason why F-droid couldn't use the Google Play .apk?

Feathers

[claydoh]

Sure, but I think the developer has to submit the apk, so it is up to them to provide the software to the various stores.

Fdroid has the latest stable K9, the version 4.8 was put in the play store specifically for KitKat users because (iirc) 4.40something was broken for android 4.4, and is not considered a stable release. If you are not running Kit Kat, you get 4.409 from the Play Store.

[Feathers McGraw]

Sure, but I think the developer has to submit the apk, so it is up to them to provide the software to the various stores.

Fdroid has the latest stable K9, the version 4.8 was put in the play store specifically for KitKat users because (iirc) 4.40something was broken for android 4.4, and is not considered a stable release. If you are not running Kit Kat, you get 4.409 from the Play Store.

I didn't realise that the apks are self submitted! Interesting.

Yeah, I actually started looking into it because after I upgraded to KitKat, K9 wasn't displaying emails properly (couldn't see the top few lines). I quite like the new K9 look, it's more touch friendly.

Still waiting for CM11...

[Feathers McGraw]

I think this is an OK place to ask this question, since it's relevant to the OP, but I don't mind moving it into another thread if you'd rather not clutter a sticky!

Anyway, I re-flashed CyanogenMod and didn't flash Gapps this time, I want to see if I can go without it (and without as much proprietary software as possible). I think the answer is generally yes, but my plan has come unstuck slightly:

I was hoping to use ChatSecure (formerly Gibberbot) to use Google's messaging service without Hangouts installed. I've installed it before and connected fine, but it seems that's only possible when all the Google framework is there on the device.

So, I reluctantly pulled the .apk's from the latest Gapps and installed the bits I thought I needed (basically the bits in /system/priv-app/) ...no dice, when I try to add a Google account I get a message saying "there was a problem connecting to the Google servers".

So, have you lot tried using a FOSS-only Android? What do you use for messaging (Hangouts/WhatsApp kind of thing, but FOSS)?

I can see a few Jabber clients in the repos but the drawback is that most people I know either use WhatsApp or Hangouts, which are incompatible with the open standards :/

The only non-free apps I have on the device now are SlideMe and GPS Status, which I need to provide GPS tracking for OsmAnd.

Feathers

[Feathers McGraw]

I flashed this:

http://goo.im/devs/paranoidandroid/r...207-signed.zip

It seems to have done what I wanted: given me just enough Google stuff to sign in to their services, without having all the intrusive bloat. I can now use my Google account with ChatSecure , but I don't have the play store.

Google keyboard with continuous input is back, something I use all the time and was missing.

So I've got rid of some of the proprietary stuff that was annoying me, and I still have the bits I actually wanted, which is an improvement. Baby steps...