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Google have declared Droidscript is malware

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Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#151
post #14

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Time for one of these again. So... having read through their marketing material, this is an on-device tool that opens up what appears to be most of the Android application API to at least the user of the device, and potentially to any Droidscript applications they grab from other sources, and... maybe to other apps on the device? It's not clear from a quick read how extensive the runtime control is. So just right out…

I don’t get your point. Sideloading apps was always possible on Android even without a jailbreak. We’re not in Apple world, so it’s unclear which Playstore rules got broken here.

Side loading is an Android OS feature, not a Play Store feature. Can you sideload via Play Store apps? F-Droid isn't in Play Store, but APK Manager is, so I'm confused.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#152

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> wrapping every API with Javascript sounds non-trivial. I am not an expert in JS or the Android API, but I wonder if you couldn't do it automatically? If types line up closely enough, I would think that you could get a list of Android APIs (pull it from AOSP if you have to) and mechanically translate to a JS API.

If Android's JVM supports reflection, you could do it dynamically at runtime, and there are probably already JS+JVM integrations that would work.

Apache Cordova exposes APIs to JS.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#153
post #87
post #73

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>> "Can't you just make us a general-purpose computer that runs all the programs, except the ones that scare and anger us? Can't you just make us an Internet that transmits any message over any protocol between any two points, unless it upsets us?"[1] The War On General Purpose Computing continues. Far too many business models depend on selling general purpose computers as "appliances". They presume it is possible to…

The battle really parallels the larger right to repair debate. (Especially if we realize the latter is probably is better called the right to exercise control over purchased goods.)

The right to purchase.

It's become an issue of defining "purchasing". But companies don't want us to purchase appliances, they would be much happier if we could rent them.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#155

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I think one day there will eventually be a class action lawsuit filed against one of these companies for their opaque customer response process. How did it get this way? How did we allow it and for so long? I really don't know. Here we are, the community involved yet somehow this method of customer [non]interaction grew out from underneath us. *spelling edit: fire -> for

What are you going to do? Stop using Google products? Good luck.

Yes. Android and gmail are my last two to get rid of. I was wanting to play with mail in a box, but this morning had an alert on my phone demanding my birthdate within 14 days. So, I'll be expediting google out of my life within the next 14 days.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#156
The only thing approaching malware I've experienced on Android was delivered via Google's own ad network. Given what little happened after reporting said malware one can only assume that they apply a very different set of rules to app developers.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#157
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, Termux is the most used app on my phone and I don't know what I will do when they have to migrate to SDK 29. I will probably buy another phone and install LineageOS.

This is the first I've heard of Termux and now I'm curious what you use it for. Like are you SSHing into other environments?

https://www.passwordstore.org

Here is a popular CLI app to manage passwords. I use it on my desktop, laptop and phone.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. I also mind when things like my tractor or my car are locked down to prevent my ability to use a 3rd party repair shop, repair it myself, or make changes so the item better suits me: The person who fucking owns that computer. I think there's a very real risk that the concept of "ownership" is going to die if we continue in this fashion. Do you own a thing if you're prohibited, intentionally - by the manuf…

I still like my car to have an immobilizer, and locks on the ignition and doors. There is certainly some level of access controls that most people definitely want.

That's not what people are taking about, though. Certainly people want security features that make it more difficult for someone else to steal their car. But those features should be under the control of the owner of the car, not the manufacturer.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#159
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once there is no way to run Termux that will be the end of the line for me and I've been on the Android train since the G1 days. I am ok with installing it from F-Droid or adb as long as it remains runnable. (I guess I am in the bargaining phase) I don't think that I am ok with not being able to easily run my own executables since I rely on running a few Go utilities in the Termux CLI.

I'm personally planning to replace termux with a full chroot; my phone is rooted, so all I need is an app to give me the actual terminal emulator and I'm good. This would be fine for running the odd Go utility, but is likely to be insufficient if you're doing anything with the actual Android API (which termux has been great at). And of course, in the long term this is just another reason for me to hope the pinephone…

I am curious what root kit you use for rooting your droid? I’ve always been hesitant to trust 3rd party kits like that.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#160
post #130
post #103

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> this is the kind of app that would never have been legal at all on any version of iOS. Pythonista is a complete Python programming environment which provides access to camera, music, contacts, the network, and so on, and has been available for iOS since 2016. What specifically distinguishes Droidscript from Pythonista such that you think Apple would reject Droidscript? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pythonista-3/id1…

You can't use it to create a backup script to online backup your phone data. For good measure iOS also blocks all apps since they would lose iCloud revenue.

I’m sure they’ve already lost a lot of money to Google Photos’s previously-free photo backup.
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