Earliest next update in…

Posted on by Michael G

Author: paulali
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This Week in F-Droid

TWIF curated on Thursday, 03 Oct 2024, Week 40

F-Droid core

F-Droid and F-Droid Basic were updated to 1.21.0-alpha1 bringing a fix for a long standing pain point: background index updating. During Android’s development, Google restricted more and more when and how often apps can do their own thing in the background, and the old client codebase was still from 2016 or so. Development finally caught up implementing modern scheduling that’s shaped by the system and by you, its user, taking advantage of networks being available, idle times and more.

The full changelog since the last alpha0 is:

  • Rewritten repo updater to make background updates more reliable
  • Time of next scheduled update visible in settings
  • Fix case insensitive search containing diacritics (Thanks Tobias!)
  • Fix crash when deleting repo from repo details screen
  • Update anti-feature descriptions (Thanks Licaon!)
  • Add tethered net anti-feature (Thanks linsui!)
  • Ignore whitespaces when adding mirror repos (Thanks Tobias!)

Of note from that list, in Settings – Automatic update interval now there’s info about when the next update is scheduled, and it dynamically updates based on the frequency slider. Keep in mind that the Over Wi-Fi and Over data slider settings still govern over everything, so if you see “next: 2hr. ago” it means that the deadline was exceeded and the next time you are on the allowed network it will check for updates. But given that F-Droid supports delta-updates for a while now, this might change in the future, as each index update is just a few hundred kilobytes big making mobile data consumption a moot point.

Another change that you might want to revise, TetheredNet is now a separate anti-feature too. We explained last month how it came to be, and we ask you to toggle it ON in Settings – Include Anti-Features now until the upgrade bugs are fixed.

As usual we want you to give this update a good look so bugs can be shallow and a stable release comes sooner for everybody. To update to this alpha you can go into F-Droid details screen and either, expand Versions and manually upgrade, or go to the upper right menu and check “Allow Beta Updates”.

NOTE: A bug was found later in the development process and if you run both F-Droid and F-Droid Basic, only one can be updated to the latest alpha. The permission conflict was fixed subject of a future release.

Community News

Trevor Slocum, the developer of Xenia, Meditation Assistant and Boxcars, has some nice words to say “On the importance of F-Droid”. The 8 minutes long piece might shed some light from the perspective of an app developer, touching upon many themes we sometimes rant in these TWIFs too. Have a good read!

LabNex, Android app for GitLab, is a nice addition, from the developer of GitNex for Forgejo and Gitea, and being in development, we hope it will surpass the already old and crusty LabCoat. For good measure we also started to ‘bomb’ the developer with feature requests. 😁

Linwood Butterfly Nightly was updated to 2.2.0 and Linwood Butterfly will come by the time you read this TWIF.

Its developer, CodeDoctor, wanted us to highlight some of the new features like:

📁 New layer system
✅️ Improved multi select in file view
⚙️ New on startup settings
🔧 Restriction options for manipulating elements
🧰 Improved toolbar

Plus many more things that you can read about in the dedicated post.

While checking the pulse of the apps we also dug some missed updates, 12 years is not that late, right? Anyway, here’s the list:

Newly Added Apps

12 more apps were newly added
  • Anytime Podcast Player: The easy to use open-source podcast player for mobile and tablet
  • BedrockStation (Pro): Connect your PlayStation’s Minecraft to third-party servers
  • Exfilac: Simple, reliable, automated S3 uploads for Android
  • Findroid: Third-party native Jellyfin app
  • Kin Nai D: Let ‘Kin Nai D’ help you choose what you want to eat!
  • LinkDroid for Linkwarden: Quickly access your Linkwarden instance and share new links with it
  • LxReader: E-book reader
  • MusicSearch: MusicSearch is an app for browsing songs, artists, and anything related to them
  • Network Survey: Displays and Logs Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GNSS Network Survey Details
  • RidgeScout: A fully featured FRC scouting & data analytics tool
  • Share 2 Archive Today: Share a URL to Archive.today and Archive.is
  • Worm 🐍: Worm is worm, 🐍 wrom 🐍🪱

Downgraded Apps

1 app was downgraded
  • Aria2App was downgraded from 5.9.18 to 5.9.16 as its package size was bloated and we’ll rebuild the app to fix it.

Updated Apps

139 more apps were updated

(expand for the full list)

Autumn Cleaning

We continue the trend of looking at more apps from the past and moving some to the Archive repo.

You can read last week’s explanatory section for more details.

Special thanks to Aholic Gino for contributing the time to test most of these apps and help keep F-Droid repo fit. Users often complain about having too many choices of apps for some tasks (paradoxically) but more often complain that they need to swim between old apps that might not even work let alone have a future.

Archived Apps

157 apps were archived

(expand for the full list)
  • #FFF Info: Get all information about your climate strike
  • aagtl: Geocaching aide
  • Android SDK Search: SDK Search lets you easily browse the Android SDK documentation
  • Angel Player Live Wallpaper: Anime animated wallpaper
  • Aniki: A minimalist MyAnimeList client
  • Anonymous Messenger: A peer to peer private anonymous and secure messenger that works over Tor (Do try Briar, a p2p over Tor messenger)
  • AnySoftKeyboard: Lithuanian: Language pack for AnySoftKeyboard
  • AOKP.co: Wrapper for AOKP website
  • Apollo: Music player
  • AppAlarm Pro: App Alarm
  • Arch packages: Arch Linux packages browser. The application makes use of the official API
  • Ardroid: Remote control for Ardour
  • Audiometry Made Easy: Test your hearing capabilities
  • Baby Sleep Sounds: Play sounds to help babies sleep
  • Barnacle Wifi Tether: Ad-hoc Wi-Fi Access Point
  • BasketBuild Downloader: Download roms from s.basketbuild.com
  • Binaural Beats Therapy: Sound to brainwave harmonizer
  • blabber.im: is an Open Source XMPP/Jabber Messenger for Android (Both Cheogram and monocles chat have ported its unique features)
  • Blacklist Blocker: Block unwanted calls and/or SMS
  • Black★Rock Shooter: Animated Wallpaper: Black Rock Shooter Live Wallpaper
  • blippex: Client for a search engine
  • Blockinger: Tetris clone
  • Budget Watch: Help manage your personal budget
  • Calendula: Manage medical prescription#FFF
  • Car Report: Track your car costs
  • Chapel Hill Transit: Get information on Chapel Hill (NC) Transit
  • CLT 2023 Schedule: Conference schedule for the Chemnitzer Linux-Tage (CLT)
  • Colorpicker: Pick colors and display values
  • CommonsLab: Browse and contribute Wikimedia Commons
  • Cool Reader: E-book reader
  • CrimeTalk: CrimeTalk is a free educational resource for criminology
  • Cryptix: a minimalist unit/code converter
  • CyanogenMod Installer: CyanogenMod Install Helper
  • DailybRead: Find random books for you to read and download from a huge, free library
  • DashClock Widget: Extensible lock screen widget
  • DebConf Schedule: Program app for the DebConf conference
  • DEfO ECH Apps: Experimental fork of F-Droid to use TLS ECH with Cloudflare as the default host
  • DictionaryForMIDs: Offline dictionaries
  • Digitales Klassenzimmer: The digital classroom of the Hopp Foundation
  • Document Viewer Font Pack: Extra fonts for Document Viewer
  • Driibo: Client for Dribbble
  • Drinks: Search and display cocktail recipes
  • dvd: 📀 Download videos from anywhere
  • ElloShare: Share pictures via Ello
  • Episodes: Track TV shows you have seen
  • Eshotroid: Bus times in Turkey
  • Eventyay Attendee App: Events app to checkout nearby events
  • Eventyay Organizer App: Event management app for Organizers using eventyay platform
  • FasterGPS: Faster GPS fix
  • FfF Profile picture generator: Fridays for Future (Germany) profile picture generator
  • FON Access: Auto connect to FON network
  • FP1-EPO-Autoupdate: Automatically updates the EPO.DAT on the Fairphone
  • Fritter: A free, open-source Twitter client
  • FrOSCon: FrOSCon 2014 Schedule
  • Galbijjim Searcher: Search images from the web
  • GameBoid: Nintendo Gameboy Advance emulator
  • GameDealz: A non-official client for IsThereAnyDeal.com
  • GBCoid: Gameboy Color (Nintendo) emulator
  • GeoPaparazzi: Field survey tool
  • GigaGet: An open-source multi-thread download manager for Android
  • gophercle: a gopher client
  • Greater Sudbury Transit: Get bus departure and arrival times for Sudbury
  • Greentooth: Automatic Bluetooth disabler
  • Hashr: Calculate and compare checksum hashes
  • Helsinki Testbed Viewer 2.0: Weather maps
  • Home Launcher: Launch apps by swiping the home button
  • iFixit: iFixit: Gadget repair manual
  • ImapNotes2: Sync your notes with iOs devices and different accounts like Gmail and others (The new version is ImapNotes3)
  • Impeller: Client for the Pump.io network
  • Internet Radio: Listen to Internet radio stations
  • Inventory: This application is the Android Inventory Agent
  • JAWS: Just another Wi-Fi scanner
  • KeepingTracks: Keep track of your rail journeys
  • Last Launcher: Faster than Light
  • launch: fast, productive and easy-to-use launcher for android
  • LBRY F-Droid: Browser and wallet for LBRY, a free, open, and community-run digital marketplace
  • License: Search and read software licenses
  • LinuxDayOSM: Info on Linux day events in Italy
  • LocDemo: Get your geolocation from OpenWLANMap
  • MACsposed: Add support for MAC Address spoofing to Android 12 and 13
  • Messenger bypasser: Redirects “OpenFB Messenger” intents to the web chat
  • MetalabDoorWidget: Door status at Metalab Vienna
  • Micopi+: Create unique contact pictures
  • Mitzuli: Offline Translator
  • Mobile MSJ: Unofficial client for MSJ
  • MobileSWC: Watch sensors in Europe
  • MouseRemote: use your Android device as a laptop touchpad via local Network
  • MozillaNlpBackend: UnifiedNlp location provider (Mozilla)
  • Muspy for Android: Keep track of musicians
  • MyHackerspace: Hackerspace open/closed statuses
  • Nesoid: Nintendo NES emulator
  • Notely: your kaschuso in one simple app
  • NTPSync: Update the device clock
  • Open BART: A free and open source navigator for the BART system. No nonsense. No ads
  • OpenBoard: An opensource keyboard that does not spy on you! (FlorisBoard and HeliBoard are worthy succesors)
  • OpenGApps Downloader: Download OpenGapps zip
  • OpenLauncher: Launch applications and manage homescreen
  • OpenOtago: OpenOtago is an android replacement to Univeristy of Otago’s online resources
  • OpenRecipes: A privacy friendly personal cook book
  • OSRS Helper: View your RuneScape stats
  • Overchan: Browse multiple imageboards
  • Paper Wallet: Totally offline and secure bitcoin paper wallet
  • Pareu de Parar-me: Inform and collect information about racists police raids
  • Piwigo: Access photos in your Piwigo photo gallery
  • Preferences Manager: Edit app preferences
  • Puma: Client for the Pump.io network
  • QKSMS: Messaging app (QUIK SMS is a revival of it, Fossify SMS Messenger is nice too, and we talked before about Silence, encrypted)
  • QRStream: Transfer files and text via successive QR codes
  • raag: Music player app with YouTube audio downloader
  • radio reddit: Listen to music posted on Reddit
  • Rainwave: Client for music station
  • RMaps: Map viewer
  • Run Userinit: Run user init scripts after boot
  • SatPredict: An offline satellite tracking app
  • Save For Offline: Save websites locally
  • ScraperClub: Application for ScraperClub
  • ScummVM: Adventure game player
  • Secrecy: Secure file storage
  • Secret Codes: Secret code scanner
  • Seshat: A minimalist logger/tracker/journal
  • Shaman: FirefoxSync client
  • Share my number: Share your contact information with ease
  • Simple Dilbert: Comic strip reader
  • SimpleThermometer: Show current temperature
  • Sismics Reader: Feed reader
  • Slim Launcher – Fewer distractions, more life: Minimalistic launcher
  • Smarter Wi-Fi Manager: Set Wi-Fi state depending on nearby cell towers
  • SplitBills: Helps you and your friends to split your collective expenses
  • SpotiFlyer: Download All your songs from Spotify, Gaana, Jio Saavn, Youtube Music, SoundClou
  • Stoic Reading: Consolidation of Stoic texts
  • Tachiyomi: Manga reader
  • TD: Watch Twitch video streams
  • Toronto Transit: Bus information for Toronto
  • TPB Proxy: Access for Pirate Bay website
  • TriesteinBus: Arrival times for Trieste public transport
  • TunesViewer: University podcast access
  • Twidere: Microblogging client
  • Twidere Extension: TwitLonger: Extend tweets
  • Twidere X: Next generation of Twidere
  • UpVPN – Serverless VPN: A Modern VPN based on WireGuard
  • URL to PDF Converter: URL to PDF Converter allows users to convert any web page into a PDF file.
  • VDR-Manager: View the EPG and stream TV live from your VDR
  • Vlille Checker: Bicycle info for Lille
  • WarmShowers: A Community of Bicycle Tourists and Those Who Support Them
  • WeatherLog: Log temperature changes
  • Web Opac: Convenient access to 1,000+ public and academic libraries
  • Whale shark and sardines: Live wallpaper
  • Where am I?: Show GPS position on map
  • WikiAndPad: Note taker
  • WikipOff: Download and read Wikipedia offline
  • World Clock & Weather: Display local time and weather conditions
  • X Server: light-weight Android X11 X-Server
  • Xabber Classic: Instant messaging client (See yaxim below)
  • Xposed Downloader: Download Xposed Framework zip
  • yaxim: XMPP (Instant Messaging) client (Just install Conversations!)
  • YouTube Stream: Get YouTube Stream and open it with local application (Maybe VLC and other players can do this by now)
  • Ça reste ouvert: The collaborative map of the places and services opened during the confinement.

Thank you for reading this week’s TWIF, and for testing the Client alpha builds, special thanks to those using the Nightlies, FYI that install bug is now fixed! 🙂

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You are welcome to join the TWIF forum thread. If you have any news from the community, post it there, maybe it will be featured next week 😉

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