The problem is not simply the rules on any particular app store. The problem is app stores. Let users curate their own programs.
Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
81–90 of 92 posts
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#82Wonder if they'll block Firefox next since that (like many) allows you to download and install an apk just by opening it
This is intended functionality. How do you think malware can spread if the browser does not install it automatically ?
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#83Google has become toxic nowadays. Fck you Google! They won't stop here, honestly. You can see them fighting Root-Access with their Hardware Attestation, too. Here we go: it will just be another walled Garden at one Point ... just like Apple.
Android used to be cool, customizable and user-oriented. Nowadays it's just another pile of crap. Too bad they keep on ruining it. I would advise everyone who can live with losing some Apps to move to a Linux Smartphone: this is basically the only way to keep our Freedom with our Phones.
Hopefully this recent Action of Google is helping the Linux on Smartphones Community to reach the tipping point, finally. I cannot stand this bullcrap any longer. Like I said: Fck you Google!
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#84Wonder if they'll block Firefox next since that (like many) allows you to download and install an apk just by opening it
According to the article this seems allowed: > [...] This restriction does not apply to code that runs in a virtual machine or an interpreter where either provides indirect access to Android APIs (such as JavaScript in a webview or browser). Also blocking Firefox to install an APK would be anti-competitive, because Google's own Chrome also allows APK installations.
>Google's own Chrome also allows APK installations
For the time being.
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
And they try, but Google makes you root your device to install a service level apps to handle that stuff in the background. Sorry if I'm appearing snarky but that's the whole point of this thread. Google obstructs third-party app stores. https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.fdroid.fdroid.privileged...
This used to be true, but as the comment you've responded to ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31424242 ) explicitly explains, since Android 12 you don't need to root your device and install the service level app. There's a new API specifically to allow apps like F-Droid to update apps they've installed, F-Droid just didn't get around to using it yet: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidclient/-/issues/2316
On further reading, that new API seems to only allow updating apps which also support that new API. There might be a good technical reason for that, but it's a barrier to entry that Google doesn't have as a first party.
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#86Wonder if they'll block Firefox next since that (like many) allows you to download and install an apk just by opening it
According to the article this seems allowed: > [...] This restriction does not apply to code that runs in a virtual machine or an interpreter where either provides indirect access to Android APIs (such as JavaScript in a webview or browser). Also blocking Firefox to install an APK would be anti-competitive, because Google's own Chrome also allows APK installations.
They (like most big tech) don't care because they know nothing will ever be done about it
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
Dev should publish TC via Fdroid. I always check for Fdroid versions first. Fdroid are more honest about app perms and policies than Google are.
Total Commander isn't open source. Since it's freely available, Ghisler could set up an Fdroid repository. I for one would pull it from there if that were an option. Fdroid is very close to being the "brew" or "apt" of the Android world, being able to pull updates from multiple sources.
Is there a directory of such sources available online somewhere? The only sources I know are Fdroid itself, Guardian Project and IzzyOnDroid.
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#88Google sucks !
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
Total Commander isn't open source. Since it's freely available, Ghisler could set up an Fdroid repository. I for one would pull it from there if that were an option. Fdroid is very close to being the "brew" or "apt" of the Android world, being able to pull updates from multiple sources.
Is there a directory of such sources available online somewhere? The only sources I know are Fdroid itself, Guardian Project and IzzyOnDroid.
Re: Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
This used to be true, but as the comment you've responded to ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31424242 ) explicitly explains, since Android 12 you don't need to root your device and install the service level app. There's a new API specifically to allow apps like F-Droid to update apps they've installed, F-Droid just didn't get around to using it yet: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidclient/-/issues/2316
On further reading, that new API seems to only allow updating apps which also support that new API. There might be a good technical reason for that, but it's a barrier to entry that Google doesn't have as a first party.
I think the apps don't have to explicitly support that specific API, they just have to target a modern Android version. Google technically doesn't have that restriction, but nevertheless imposes the same restriction on the Play store.
(Not saying it's appropriate to impose the "devs must update apps for each Android version" requirement this way.)