Last releases lack APK file about bookdash-android-app

[riggaroo]

Release 1.1.0 is available on the releases page.

[arthurattwell]

@IzzySoft Thanks for your input, even after all these years :-) I love your approach to privacy and FOSS-based app distribution.

I'm a volunteer Book Dash board member, specifically focusing on our digital strategy these days. Unfortunately Book Dash doesn't have the budget available to do more than minimal maintenance updates to the app at the moment. That means for now that we have to stick with what we have in place. If there's an opportunity to revamp the app in future, options that maximise FOSS and privacy will certainly be priorities for us.

[IzzySoft]

Good to read! So I hope you'll get that chance soon. As pointed out, children are especially at risk with those trackers, as they are practically defenseless and usually not even aware of the risks involved.

[riggaroo]

Will upload the next version that gets released. Didn't realise people wanted it there. 😬

[IzzySoft]

Great, thanks!

For some background: I love open-source (and use FOSS licenses for all my development). And I don't like being glued into some eco-system plus value privacy quite high (hence I've got no Google-Apps on my Android devices). There are more people thinking like that. Most of them use F-Droid as source for apps. So I have setup a compatible repo to be used with the F-Droid client, for FOSS apps not (yet) available via the official repo. You can find it here. .apk files I pick from Github, and the easiest way to do so is via the releases/ page. A script regularly checks for updates then, so users of my repo get update notifications and can keep their installations up-to-date directly.

Be welcome to direct your users to my repo as well then if they can't or don't want to use Playstore. There are not only those who don't want to use Playstore, but additionally those who cannot (due to local restrictions like "the big firewall").

[IzzySoft]

Thanks a lot, Rebecca! I've just triggered a manual update scan, so 1.1.0 is now also updated in my repo.

[IzzySoft]

Umm, on the latest release the APK is missing again. Would you mind attaching it?

[IzzySoft]

@riggaroo ^^?

[riggaroo]

@HeinrichWesson would you be able to upload the APK to the releases page here on Github?

[HeinrichWesson]

@riggaroo it seems I don't have permission to edit releases, only view them. If you can give me access I'm happy to upload the APK, otherwise I've sent you a mail where you can download the APK.

[riggaroo]

@HeinrichWesson I've given you access, let me know if it doesn't work. Thanks!

[HeinrichWesson]

@riggaroo thanks, that worked. APK uploaded!

[IzzySoft]

Thanks a lot, that worked out! Now I'd just wish it came without those trackers, especially as it's an app for children. Do you plan for a "pure FOSS" version? Crashlytics no longer being supported would be a chance in this regard 😉

[IzzySoft]

The last release again lacks its APK – looks like you forgot once more, @HeinrichWesson 😉 And may I ask once more for a build flavor without those proprietary libraries and trackers, for those valuing their privacy? Thanks in advance!

[IzzySoft]

PS: as I see you're using storage etc. from Firebase, maybe you'd consider appwrite or Supabase as replacements? And some FOSS (and more privacy-friendly) analytics alternatives?