🚨Instead of using an RSS reader to track apps, checkout Obtanium - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JiN37bn0OE8.html. Obtanium automates the tracking and updating of apps, all while having a great-looking interface.🚨
You raise some great issues about Fdroid however consider this as an argument for Fdroid: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OGr4H7QLVRs.html (Simple Mobile Tools sold it's users) Fdroids "slow" deliberate update process turns out to be feature not a bug. Fdroid can protects it's users from non-foss addatives even when the Devs betray their userbase. People who would use obtainum or an rss updater to blindly update in this case would be at the mercy of the Dev who quietly sold them out. Fdroid at least has a reputation for being strict about the apps and even the updates they allow. This is why they don't allow apps that update themselves. P.S. I currently use obtainium (thanks to your videos) with apps I think are more trustworthy but I also use Fdroid for reasons like this. I just wanted to make this counter point so people can make the most informed decision they can. A mixed approch works for my threat model / risk tolerance.
Thanks for your content! I've recently installed GrapheneOS and your videos have been very helpful in that process and further navigating this new system. I'm trying to find one of your more recent videos where you mention another app that allows for tracking apps from Github or other sources. That won't be F-Droid or the likes, neither the one you're talking about here - I think... Did I dream that video? Or was it only a comment of yours in response of a viewer? Ate you able to help on that one?
It does have some security concerns that could lead to issues, I cover some in this video - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IzpVI4zaso0.html
Here's the "getting started" mobile privacy guide I mentioned towards the end of the video. If you're new to all this, it should help you get going - sideofburritos.com/docs/setup-guides/mobile-privacy/ GITLAB Thanks to "hei bugs" in the comments, you can use the following method to add apps that host their code on GitLab: Example - AuroraStore URL: gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore Append "/-/tags?format=atom" to the end of the URL RSS Feed URL: gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore/-/tags?format=atom With AuroraStore when I downloaded the APK from GitLab I noticed it ended in ".zip". Using your file manager on your device, rename the file and remove the ".zip" so it ends in ".apk". There's no need to extract the file, renaming it allows you to install it like a standard APK.
I also have this problem. I downloaded the aurora zip file from gitlab and changed the .zip to a .apk on the file manager and also got the "problem parsing" message. On the same page on the aurorastore gitlab theres also a .apk link under changelog and that seems to work fine. Its not the same file as the original .zip though as it seems theres more in this one
Another important contribution - thank you. At least from my perspective, each new video you post teaches me something that I either didn't know or had sketchy knowledge of. I do find Droid-ify miles better than F-Droid, much faster downloads (in UK) and the interface is smarter and more efficient. I've set up the RSS feed but, wow! I might 'lose the will to live' installing the feeds for all the apps I use :) You are right though, this is the way to go, direct updates from the developer. Once again, you are covering topics and practical solutions that I've no seen elsewhere. I'm always open to new content on the subject of privacy - and to be honest, I can understand that some people will struggle with some aspects. But so what! Anything worth learning is always a challenge.
You're welcome! That's pretty much how I make my videos, "wow, I didn't know this, I should make a video", haha. I should have mentioned the struggle of adding all the apps, it took me a few days of "ugh, this is annoying I'll do some more tomorrow". I'm glad to hear they come across practically and are useful (even if it's a PITA :) ).
A FOSS developer here, why would you want to do that instead of the appstores? Can't we just make an Open Source App Store that does that and make the UX much easier? If so, I can do that.
The way F-Droid repository hosts the apps has some security concerns. I go into them a bit more in my other two F-Droid videos and this blog has a spectacular write-up on it - wonderfall.dev/fdroid-issues/ accrescent.app/ - From what I've read, this app is already on the track for a secure/private app store. They won't be doing the less than ideal things the F-Droid repository currently does (ex. signing apps with the F-Droid key instead of developers). It's looking promising so far (still in the early stages).
Brilliant dude. Do you suggest GrapheneOS using this method vs. F-Droid and Aurora, or is a stock new Android phone that is never signed in with a google account using your RSS method reasonable enough from a privacy standpoint for the average person?
GrapheneOS for sure A stock android phone will have google services installed at a system level + a bunch of other stuff. For the average person, I would suggest GrapheneOS + sandboxed google play services, and just use the play store for all apps. Even that is a huge win from a privacy + security perspective. The RSS method + Aurora is great for someone who wants to put in some extra time, but using GrapheneOS with Google Play Store makes you better off than 95% of the people out there using a stock android OS install. All these extra custom things are just trying to close in on that last 5%.
Wow thanks for this great video. It is a genuine step by step clearly shown, unlike most that do leave some steps out. Perfect for a raw beginner. I'm heading over to your website to read your guide on setting a phone up from scratch. Thanks again and I'm happy to buy you coffees to save me time and stress trying to work all this out :-)
You're welcome! That was one of the main reasons I started making videos. Most guides seem to skip a bunch of steps. I was tired of following step-by-step tutorials, that weren't step-by-step, haha. I hope the guides work well for you, I try to include all steps 🤓.
Great, thank you! New subscriber here too! I would like to ask if you or somebody else found a solution for apps that are on sourceforge, aps like Openfoodfacts, Osmand+ that can be downloaded only from Gplay and F-droid and Signal. Is there a solution for these to be added to Read You app? Do you have other feeds like News in Read You app? Also is it preferable to choose Read You app over a solution like Obtainium?
This is the biggest hurdle. I have to uninstall the old app and lose all its data. Not every app supports export/import settings. I wish you could force install using adb at least. Another problem are the nightly builds in the RSS feed, that would annoy me after a while.
It is, and that's the best way to do it. I had to add 20, and I would do 3-5 per day before getting annoyed at the process. I also didn't realize I had so many apps until I started manually adding each one, haha.
Best practice would be to manually verify them. This post has some details on how to do that - privsec.dev/posts/android/f-droid-security-issues/#conclusion-what-should-you-do
@@sideofburritos Thanks. I was hoping the initial install would ensure future APK's were legit, and that link cleared that up too. I did something similar by comparing hashes between 2 apk sources. Since I know the F-Droid source won't have a matching signature, I was hoping the hashes might. But they don't. I figure if an official website is compromised, then their Github may be as well. But nothing is perfect.
When downloading the app apk's from github, I did encounter some that only offered the f-droid apk. I was confused and, seeing no other option, installed them. Otherwise, I love this new feed. It's already alerted me to updates to apps. Simple-tools, from which I use their keyboard app, has now enabled users to increase the keyboard size which is great for my fat thumbs.
Hmm, which app was that for? Some developers probably upload the APK to github that they upload to the F-Droid repo. I'm curious if it's the same key or not on both APK's. Glad to hear the feed is working well! Very nice, that's a pretty handy feature. I don't know how many keyboards offer that.
Example .ompl file to use if you want to build out your app feed on your computer then import into Read You: --- Read You Thu Aug 11 12:20:04 MDT 2022 ---
Is there a specific reason why you recommended Droid-ify over Neo Store or Aurora Droid in your previous videos on F-Droid? At a quick glance, I can see that Neo Store needs more permissions than Droid-ify, but it has a button to update all apps at once. Aurora Droid (with Aurora Services and a Magisk module) can update apps in the background, but I have not tried this myself. Is Droid-ify more secure? Neo Store and Aurora Droid seem easier to use than Droid-ify.
From what I understand Droid-ify + Neo Store are the same thing. From what I can find Droid-ify is getting rebranded to Neo Store. I don't know for sure, but looking at the releases on the Github repo 0.4.3 was the last Droid-ify release, and 5 days ago Neo Store is being used as the name in the most recent release - github.com/NeoApplications/Neo-Store/releases. So what I think is that the release 5 days ago is just the updated version of Droid-ify, but they don't have any good explanation on the Github page I could find confirming that. I prefer Droid-ify/Neo Store just for the fact the project seems more active than Aurora Droid. The last Aurora Droid release was 2021-03-26.
@@sideofburritos Okay, good to hear that Neo Store and Droid-ify are the same thing. Aurora Droid's background auto-updates sound too good to be true though. Would you know if installing Aurora Services and Magisk module (which gives privilege to auto-update) is insecure? For me, usability is extremely important as well. I think that usability is key in order for privacy to spread to the masses. I highly appreciate your videos!
I really like this idea and solution, but there is no way it will work for me - it creates too much overhead work for routine updates (2-4 hours a month distributed into MANY 2 minute tasks). I would like to see an app store designed around this same idea though. It wouldn't even be very hard to create ... I will put this on my future project idea list.
Hmm, I've been using this for a few months, and it has been no where close to 2-4 hours. The initial setup is tedious, but after that it's quick. Each time I get a notification the download and install takes ~2 minutes. I get around 3 updates a week - 3*4*2 = ~24 min a month for me with 17 apps in ReadYou.
Great video Josh. It is a lot of work to setup, plus manually downloading and installing each apk. However, using RSS to get updates is brilliant! As others have said this just cuts out the middle man. Also, what could be better than getting an alert from the Dev itself letting you know that the latest update is ready. Someone else asked about the "burner" app on your phone.... can you share with us, all the other FOSS apps that you use and why you use them, specifically on your daily driver - Pixel 6. Thanks!
Thanks! Yea, it's definitely a lot of work and took me quite a few days to finish manually adding them all (I would get annoyed and do some more the next day). Great idea! That would be a fun video to go through what's currently "in my pocket".
March 10 2023, I just tried the long press the Read You text and it did Not bring up the way to save/export, it brings up a dialogue box titled Switch with the RSS item Read You in it, clicking it does nothing. So how do we save now?
Thanks for all the vids on graphene! got my pixel setup today. So everything that u would normally download from fdroid, you just get straight from github right? I watched your other video about it as well but dont really understand it i think. So the fdroid(droid-ivy as well?) add some code to the download, while if you download it from the source(github) thats not added right? Maybe i have not understood your video well enough. Sorry for that in advance. I have been watching a lot of videos about graphene lately. cheers
First: I can follow your content very well, though I have been down the custom rom rabbit whole for about three years, which certainly helps. Also, your videos are incredibly helpful. Thank you. Second: I just wanted to relay, I have already found an advantage from using this method: You keep in touch with the app developers. This made me notice, that I had an app installed that hadn't been updated in two years.
Great video! I'm actually finding the journey towards better privacy and security quite fun. Also, I try not to use too many apps in the first place to try and limit my screen time. Just one question, I'm finding that long pressing the "Read You" text is not opening the .opml backup. Have you ran into this issue? Thanks!
That's good to hear! If you enjoy the process it makes things MUCH easier. It looks like they moved it into the settings. Click the gear in the top left corner -> accounts -> "Read You local" and at the bottom there's an option under advanced for "Export as OPML".
I love this idea and am implenting it with success. One question though, AntennaPod for instance does not list an apk on their github, its a zip file with that I'm guessing is uncompiled files. What to do in this case?
Glad to hear! I'm not officially recommending this method, but it's an option. I would suggest further research before implementing it yourself. APKMirror has an RSS feed you can follow for apk updates - www.apkmirror.com/apk/antennapod/antennapod/. In the case of AntennaPod you could follow the "AntennePod App Updates" feed on that page and then update your app whenever you receive a notification.
I'm confused now, if I buy a new Pixel and install GrapheneOS, should I install Droid-ify instead of F-Droid? New to all this and this channel. Can't tell if a particular video is relevant to GrapheneOS or not.
Hi there, the best option is to use the RSS method in the video you commented on. But if you're choosing between F-Droid or Droid-ify, use Droid-ify. I would also suggest checking out this guide, I put it together to make things a little easier to understand instead of sorting through videos - sideofburritos.com/docs/setup-guides/mobile-privacy/
Thanks! It looks like they moved it into the settings. Click the gear in the top left corner -> accounts -> "Read You local" and at the bottom there's an option under advanced for "Export as OPML". Is that where you're going to save the file?
No, it's not supported. The group is very particular about the devices they support due to a lot of devices lacking adequate hardware - grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices
@@sideofburritos thank you for take the time, so I can download the app from their site? I am just do all settings and new with Android, GrapheneOs, till now, I am more on your site and video's then on the official site GrapheneOs, thank you!
If it's not secure to download app:s from third parties as F-Droid you should have "verified" the apk which you didn't when you used RSS Feed instead. You should even have done that in the video to show people how to do that.
This is EXACTLY what I wanted out of my GrapheneOS experience. Am fumbling thru this with you. Thank you!! Still trying to make sense out of “com.Amazon.mshop.android.shopping” I’ll ween myself there too, but I need it short term.
