Android app on f-droid.org • page 1/1 • Lichess Feedback • lichess.org

Are there any plans to use f-droid.org for Android users to download the app.
It is the most common store for open source apps for android and could bring some extra players here.

Are there any plans to use f-droid.org for Android users to download the app. It is the most common store for open source apps for android and could bring some extra players here.

FirstAnxiety

#2

true if you support open source lichess app must be there

jperkins edited

#3

As a user of an android phone without play store integration:
Yes fdroid would be nice. The fdroid app can be used to update existing apps that were installed via fdroid.

I believe for lichess I just got it straight from the developer site. But as mentioned above updates are manual.
https://github.com/veloce/lichobile/releases

I went ahead and opened a feature request at the developer site for the app
https://github.com/veloce/lichobile/issues/1331
you may want to comment there to let the developer know you would like to see this feature implemented

As a user of an android phone without play store integration: Yes fdroid would be nice. The fdroid app can be used to update existing apps that were installed via fdroid. I believe for lichess I just got it straight from the developer site. But as mentioned above updates are manual. https://github.com/veloce/lichobile/releases I went ahead and opened a feature request at the developer site for the app https://github.com/veloce/lichobile/issues/1331 you may want to comment there to let the developer know you would like to see this feature implemented

MrBarnesMoustache

#4

If you use F-Droid, you can:

Install Aurora Store (https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/) which is an alternate to Google's Play Store and install the Lichess app from there.
Add the izzysoft repo: https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/repo to F-Droid, refresh and install Lichess from there.

The Lichess app will NOT make it to F-Droid as long as the F-Droid server is unable to reproduce the build:. See: https://f-droid.org/wiki/page/org.lichess.mobileapp and https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidserver/-/issues/60, which is a requirement for an app to appear on F-Droid if I understand correctly: https://f-droid.org/en/docs/Inclusion_How-To/

If you use F-Droid, you can: 1. Install Aurora Store (https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/) which is an alternate to Google's Play Store and install the Lichess app from there. 2. Add the izzysoft repo: https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/repo to F-Droid, refresh and install Lichess from there. The Lichess app will NOT make it to F-Droid as long as the F-Droid server is unable to reproduce the build:. See: https://f-droid.org/wiki/page/org.lichess.mobileapp and https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidserver/-/issues/60, which is a requirement for an app to appear on F-Droid if I understand correctly: https://f-droid.org/en/docs/Inclusion_How-To/

jperkins

#5

thanks for the updated information. I dont know what a Cordova app is, but apparently this has been an issue for awhile . appreciate the work arounds

Plus_4

#6

@MrBarnesMoustache
Your points are true. But that are no options to win new players from the open source friends.

@MrBarnesMoustache Your points are true. But that are no options to win new players from the open source friends.

Plus_4

#7

I am no developer. Is that a big problem with that Cordova?

MrBarnesMoustache

#8

No idea, but according to F-Droid FAQ: "We cannot build cordova apps directly, but recent version allows you to export the platform-specific code that can be build standalone using “gradle”. So for now we require this code to be present and up-to-date in the source repository." [0]

But, there is another issue apparently with the Lichess mobile app depending on OneSignal Push Service which has a non free modified MIT license [1]. Hence, because of this, it is not likely to hit F-Droid soon either.

According to this thread, if "the app can be built without proprietary deps, then F-Droid can automatically build newer releases without developer's interaction." [2]

So, from what I understand someone should try to build the Lichess mobile app without the proprietary OneSignal Push Service using the Gradle build environment and then have F-Droid reproduce this build.

[0] https://f-droid.org/en/docs/FAQ_-_App_Developers/#which-build-system-to-use
[1] https://gitlab.com/fdroid/rfp/-/issues/94
[2] https://github.com/veloce/lichobile/issues/409

No idea, but according to F-Droid FAQ: "We cannot build cordova apps directly, but recent version allows you to export the platform-specific code that can be build standalone using “gradle”. So for now we require this code to be present and up-to-date in the source repository." [0] But, there is another issue apparently with the Lichess mobile app depending on OneSignal Push Service which has a non free modified MIT license [1]. Hence, because of this, it is not likely to hit F-Droid soon either. According to this thread, if "the app can be built without proprietary deps, then F-Droid can automatically build newer releases without developer's interaction." [2] So, from what I understand someone should try to build the Lichess mobile app without the proprietary OneSignal Push Service using the Gradle build environment and then have F-Droid reproduce this build. [0] https://f-droid.org/en/docs/FAQ_-_App_Developers/#which-build-system-to-use [1] https://gitlab.com/fdroid/rfp/-/issues/94 [2] https://github.com/veloce/lichobile/issues/409