Re: grapheneOS app store - how to get a list of available apps ?

R.Wieser <address@is.invalid> wrote:

Theo,
 

I don't think there's anything special about TTS, it's just a regular
app?
In which case this is a general app store question?

 
Not quite.  Some of the ones I found (using DDG) install but won't work.
Others install and their own testing of the voice works, but I can't get
them to read something from an epub app I installed out loud (and there does
not seem to be an build-into-the-OS method to test for compatibility :-( ).

Hmm, some of the apps in the F-droid catalogue are very old.  I wonder if
that's a problem?  Do the apps say they are built for a recent Android?

Aurora Store: access to the Play app catalogue but without a
Google account. Individual apps may need Play Services but
Aurora doesn't.

 
It could not hurt to take on their website and see what they have to
offer..

I'm not sure there is much to see.  It's like Google Play only it
(optionally) uses a pool of shared Google accounts so you can install
without using Play Store or being logged in.  It does give you better
filtering based on GSF/non-GSF, privacy, trackers etc.

One thing though, apps can tell that they've been installed via the Play
Store or another method.  A number of banking/ecommerce apps don't like
being installed via an alternative way, or insist on having a Google account
on the phone before they will start.

IzzyOnDroid: another catalogue of FOSS apps

 
I do not know that one.  Will take a peek.

If you use an app like Droid-ify it combines the repos of F-droid,
IzzyOnDroid and some others.

There is some controversy with F-droid building their own apps, because
they sign them with F-droid keys not the developers' keys.  This means you
can't upgrade from F-droid built apps to developer-built ones or vice versa,
and there are some supply chain security concerns in case somebody got
access to the F-droid build servers they could tamper with a lot of apps.

There's also controversy with the F-droid client because it is designed to
run on ancient versions of Android and so doesn't have modern security
features. An alternative client like Droid-ify doesn't suffer from that.

Obtainium: installs/upgrades apps sourced from their individual
Github releases (no catalogue, you have to supply URLs)

 
Hmmm... How would I obtain (no pun intended :-) ) those URLs ?   Is there a
website (you know of) that functions as its catalogue ?

There's no catalogue, but for example you know that there's a Signal for
Android so you search for their Github repo:
https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android

That has a Releases section with .apks.  So you give the URL to Obtainium
and it checks for the latest releases and offers to install or upgrade when
new updates come out.

So when somebody recommends an app you can install and keep it updated
directly from the developer, rather than having to go via any catalogue or
store.  Other sources beyond Github are supported too.

Theo