Android app isn't on F-Droid

[kalmanbencze]

From @redsteakraw on July 28, 2016 2:9

F-Droid is the free software app store for android, it is a collection of various open source apps including many OpenStreetMap apps. I would love to be able to download and use the app from F-Droid.

https://f-droid.org

Copied from original issue: openstreetview/openstreetview.org#22

[mvexel]

Hi all,

We are aware that we haven't pushed code out and we'll work to mitigate this. Thanks for your patience.

[james2432]

@davidak that's not true, even though the map display framework they use in the android app is not available, OSC allows you to retain copyright/control over your photos.

Mapillary owns the photo once it's submitted to mapillary, they can do what ever they like with it.

Read the two licenses and there is a difference in terms of legal rights.

OSC also has dedicated mappers that improves OSM data, where as mapillary gets the community to do it via "mapping events"

One example: OSC did turn restrictions in Canada and the USA(no one likes mapping those, but are very useful for touting.) Each service has their advantage and disadvantage

[rugk]

Mapillary owns the photo once it's submitted to mapillary, they can do what ever they like with it.

As discussed in https://github.com/openstreetcam/openstreetcam.org/issues/60, it's actually the same with OSC. They also reserve the right to re-license the photos. So both projects are at the same track here.

[IzzySoft]

Looking at the build.gradle, two-and-a half year after this issue was opened I still see no chance this can be included at F-Droid:

    implementation "com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:${ext.playServicesVersion}"
    implementation "com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth:${ext.playServicesVersion}"
    implementation "com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:${ext.firebaseVersion}"
    implementation("com.google.api-client:google-api-client-android:${ext.googleApiVersion}") { exclude group: 'org.apache.httpcomponents' }
    implementation "com.facebook.android:facebook-android-sdk:${ext.facebookApiVersion}"

WTF does this have to do with Facebook? Do you really expect people who value their privacy (and hence favor open source over proprietary stuff, and especially OSM over GMaps) will be happy with their data being transmitted to that Kraken (just as a reminder: that SDK transmits data before you can even ask the users agreement – namely right at the start of your app). In 2.5 years, you should at least have had the chance to remove that. Or is the privacy of your users irrelevant to you?

Then, a few lines later:

    implementation "com.crashlytics.sdk.android:crashlytics:${ext.crashliticsVersion}"
    implementation "com.crashlytics.sdk.android:crashlytics-ndk:${ext.crashliticsNdkVersion}"

No, thanks. Finally:

apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'

Guess we'll have to close the RFP, as in that state F-Droid cannot build this app. And seeing the history of this issue, it doesn't look like these issues will be solved in the next 2.5 years.

Please let us know then, when finally you got rid of those trackers, so we can take another look.

Apologies if this sounds harsh; it's rather bitter disappointment.

[Rudloff]

Note that the Facebook SDK might not be the biggest issue here (aside from privacy considerations) because it is open source. (But it uses a custom license that is probably not DFSG-compliant.)

Crashlytics and Play Services are definitely a blocker, because they are proprietary libraries.

[horatiuf]

Hi all, I am one of the Android developers who is working on OpenStreetCam.

The short answer to this request is that in the near future, 6 months or so, there will be no support for the app to be on F-droid.

The long answer is that in this period we are currently working to stabilize core features such as upload, player and camera by any means necessary, which includes refactoring, re-writing or bug fixes. This means that our resources are fully focusing on this and cannot look into this issues related to privacy which affect the app availability on F-Droid. When this is successful we will re-consider looking how to make the app available on this platform.

If you have any questions related to this feel free to post them.

[IzzySoft]

@Rudloff I doubt it is acceptable for F-Droid, see here, the blacklist has r'''["']com.facebook.android['":]'''.

@horatiuf

cannot look into this issues related to privacy which affect the app availability on F-Droid.

Oh, those privacy issues affect your app in general, not only on F-Droid. Sorry to read you find privacy negligible. I guess with that statement you scare away more than one (potential) user.

[tuxayo]

Now the bigger problem is that the app is not anymore libre/open source, see #153

[IzzySoft]

Someone should notify the folks at OpenStreetMap Wiki to update this page then, as "open source Android app" no longer holds true (I bet the same must be said for the iOS app). And yes, this definitely disqualifies it for F-Droid. Sad, but dead.

[mvexel]

The wiki page has since been updated to show that the Android app is proprietary. This doesn't seem quite correct either -- the fact that the source code is not easily available does not mean that the open source license does not apply. It should be, if you ask me, but it's not the letter of GPL.

For the record I am no longer affiliated with Telenav, just a concerned citizen, nor did I make the change to the wiki page.

[IzzySoft]

This doesn't seem quite correct either

Well, even that had been updated already, @mvexel – see the footnote there :smile: Amazing. And yes, I'm fully with you – but the source code not being easily available makes it impossible for F-Droid to build the app. And one shouldn't always stick to the letters too closely if that would mean losing the essence of it all. I see no reason to hide the code if the app is considered "open".

[tuxayo]

Crashlytics and Play Services are definitely a blocker, because they are proprietary libraries.

With the major release of v3.0.1, how to check if Crashlytics and Play Services are still required?

[mnalis]

look at build.gradle and look for com.google.gms. Yes, unfortunately 4.0 still requires non-free components to work

[hamishmb]

What's the progress on this these days? I'm not impressed with the lack of proper source code and the broken promises here.

[hamishmb]

Bump.

The website should.really be updated with a link to this repo. Also, if you aren't releasing the source any more, you should stop claim long to be a community supported open source project - we in the community can't support you in any meaningful way without source code.

[hamishmb]

The current version on Google Play is 5.2.1, and the latest release here is 5.1. It would be even better really if the development occurred here, instead of just the occasional code drop - again, that makes it easier for the community to get involved.

[mnalis]

The current version on Google Play is 5.2.1, and the latest release here is 5.1

It is even worse than that, since even it the APK under release is named 5.1, the source code itself on this github hasn't been updated since 4.0

[chrisdebian]

Is it worth looking at Mapilio? It's built on the open source code of Mapillary:

https://mapilio.com/uploader

Not sure whether the Android app is on FDroid, but the devs seem proactive, so may be worth asking.

Thanks,

Chris

[dex2000]

same problems like everywhere: https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/de/reports/com.mapilio.app/latest/