F-Droid...?

[arkhan]

This application meets the requirements for repositories added to F-Droid ...?

[biodranik]

No, I don’t.

[PanderMusubi]

As https://f-droid.org/forums/topic/maps-me/ has been closed, a new issue can be created at https://gitlab.com/fdroid/rfp/issues?scope=all&state=all in order to continue effort on the side of F-Droid packagers.

[rugk]

Done: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/rfp/issues/87

[rugk]

So @axet is currently removing (proprietary) (tracking) libraries (see gitlab.com:fdroid/rfp#87 (comment)). In case he might need some servers for the maps, you can now offer some… :wink:

[Raeitus]

Do we have any progress on this?

[rugk]

This issue can be closed! Hooray! :tada:

A fork is available on F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/packages/com.github.axet.maps/ (own servers, adjusted settings, …)

Thanks @axet!! :+1:

[paride]

@rugk good news, the last commit is 8 months old, I'm not sure the fork is actively maintained...

[Raeitus]

@paride the last commit of the fork is 28 Jan 2018

[LuccoJ]

Yes, I recently tried the fork as it landed on F-Droid, it works fine as far as I could see, aside from a problem with the TTS which I believe to be my own Android problem and not the program's, and it's modern enough to be a viable alternative to OsmAnd if you don't need all the power but do need ease of use and more snappiness for car navigation.

The "live traffic" feature doesn't work, but I assume that's a proprietary service that the Maps.me people wouldn't want to offer to a fork. I guess the button should be removed to avoid confusion. Maybe one day we'll have a decent, free, crowdsourced version of such a service.

[Raeitus]

@LuccoJ There is OpenTraffic, but I don't know if that project is actually going anywhere. Unfortunately, live traffic is a must have for me due to major traffic jams & construction where I live.

[dimqua]

I assume that's a proprietary service that the Maps.me people wouldn't want to offer to a fork

You are probably right, but we do not know for sure.

[LuccoJ]

@dimqua I don't know for sure if the universe exists or is just an illusion my mind creates, but Maps.me developers have made it abundantly clear throughout this thread that they do not appreciate F-Droid versions of the app (ones that respect F-Droid inclusion rules by disabling analytics by default, at least) using their servers with the theoretical possibility they might impact their servers' performance for other users of the app.

[PanderMusubi]

More external issues to monitor or help progress regarding traffic information are https://github.com/osmandapp/Osmand/issues/1432 and https://github.com/graphhopper/open-traffic-collection/blob/master/README.md

[WPFilmmaker]

Could a compromise be found?e.g. an official version is added to f-droid with a donation page that redirects to this project?

edit: I agree with those who said that the two versions should not be seen as competing, f-droid ones target a niche of users who don't want to deal with Google (also look at numbers google play vs f-droid).

[PanderMusubi]

Donation urls can be added to the listing in F-Droid, that is very common.

[TheCapsLock]

Please ; take care that this app has at least 20 trackers in it : https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/100886/ I DO NOT expect to see this app in FDROID regarding this point.

relates to #10576

[WPFilmmaker]

Wow I didn't know it had so many trackers.....one wonders whether google maps is more private than this one then :(

[biodranik]

It is possible to remove all trackers and compile a "clean" version.

[LuccoJ]

@TheCapsLock @WPFilmmaker and @biodranik technically the application isn't in F-Droid. What F-Droid has is a fork called Maps, and its description includes

Removed ads and binaries (peace and freedom)

Now that may not be very specific, but I've run it with TrackerControl enabled, performed some simple actions, and it found no evidence of any tracking. Unfortunately, Exodus can only analyse Play apps, or I'd try with that. In any case, many of the trackers listed look like they are probably based on proprietary libraries, so they are certainly not included in the F-Droid version.

[dimqua]

@LuccoJ https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/com.github.axet.maps/latest/

[LuccoJ]

Oh, thanks @dimqua. Honestly the thought it was on Play didn't even cross my mind. I'd say that answers the concerns...

[TheCapsLock]

@TheCapsLock @WPFilmmaker and @biodranik technically the application isn't in F-Droid. What F-Droid has is a fork called Maps, and its description includes

Removed ads and binaries (peace and freedom)

Now that may not be very specific, but I've run it with TrackerControl enabled, performed some simple actions, and it found no evidence of any tracking. Unfortunately, Exodus can only analyse Play apps, or I'd try with that. In any case, many of the trackers listed look like they are probably based on proprietary libraries, so they are certainly not included in the F-Droid version.

I checked an apk of Maps from fdroid using exodus standalone and found no evidence of having trackers embedded in it \o/

[WPFilmmaker]

Any update on this? Any chance to, at the least, switch to FLOSS alternatives thus reducing the number of trackers? The app is great but it kinda sucks that despite being opensource it seems more privacy invasive than closed-source alternatives (google maps,2gis etc.) :/

[tuxayo]

@WPFilmmaker I think there are two option:

• Use the app "Maps" from F-Droid and fund the work of the maintainer: https://liberapay.com/axet/
• Create a bounty here for MAPS.ME to have an official F-Droid flavor

[tuxayo]

As humble attempt to move this forward and contribute financially directly to MAPS.ME, a bounty has been started:

[tuxayo]

• terrible stuff happened to maps.me: https://telegra.ph/What-happened-to-the-old-MAPSME-12-20
• it got forked: https://organicmaps.app/
• it's in F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/app.organicmaps/

We can close this issue now :)

Thank you to those who bought Maps.me and ruined it. It actually unblocked the situation and allowed the app to get a new start. A horrible situation can actually be better than a medium terrible.

[Korb]

If the application is available in application stores, please add links to README.md. This will allow future users to go straight to downloading from their preferred store, rather than having to read threads and bug reports for links, or sift through search results in app store apps.