Nonfree components added

[IzzySoft]

The last version (v1.6.11) added nonfree components, namely GMS and Firebase. Was that intentional – or (hopefully) just a mistake that can be reverted?

[MahmoudMabrok]

I have added Firebase as Backend to store users score and make scoreboard and get rank around the world.
I have been tried to make it with PHP but not succeded to make it.

[MahmoudMabrok]

but Firebase is free.

[IzzySoft]

but Firebase is free

It's not OPEN. And it's on Google servers, thus potentially tracking your users (as it's not open, you can't check the code to make sure – especially not what happens server-side – and you are not free to use it with your own server). Further, it requires a network connection to work, making it harder to use your app while being offline.

[MahmoudMabrok]

you can use the app offline, need connections only to upload your score.
Later I will work to use an alternative to Firebase.

[IzzySoft]

Thanks @MahmoudMabrok – that's good to know, both of it 😃 It always hurts me seeing a good open source project getting tainted by proprietary libraries.

Besides: If you wish you can link here for an alternative installation source. Can be used with the F-Droid client. Updates are available there within 24h of your placing them here at Github (and the client will inform its users). And for distraction-free viewing of the video, may I recommend this link? 😄

Thanks for all, and keep up the good work!

[MahmoudMabrok]

Thanks for your great efforts.

[IzzySoft]

Thanks for adding the link! ❤️

[MahmoudMabrok]

I have been removed Firebase from my App @IzzySoft

[IzzySoft]

That's good news! I saw the new APK was just uploaded an hour ago, so it should be fetched tomorrow to my repo and I can verify. Oh, correction: It was already removed 6 days ago, and my scanner confirms it – congrats and a big thanks! Do you want to go for the official F-Droid repo then? Need assistance with that?

[MahmoudMabrok]

what I need to go to official F-Droid repo?

[IzzySoft]

First step would be filing an RFP (Request For Packaging). Giving the proper details, your repo would be scanned by a bot which then e.g. confirms there are no proprietary libraries, precompiled JARs etc. used. Metadata would be reviewed (description, links), you'd be asked if you could setup fastlane or triple-t structures for screenshots and localized descriptions (which is optional, but strongly recommended, see here for details; you wouldn't need to use those tools but using the directory structure they define, so screenshots etc. can be picked up automatically). Then someone of the team would try to build your app – and if that succeeds, it will be listed with the next index build. For a more detailed description, you can see my article F-Droid for advanced users and developers.

Disclosure: I'm one of the maintainers there, so I can assist you. I would e.g. prepare the metadata template for you (most of it is already setup in my repo, so that's just a little copy-pasting).

[MahmoudMabrok]

Thanks for your help, I will do that later ISA as I have exams these days

[IzzySoft]

Take your time, first things first. Just ping me if you need assistance. Good luck for your exams!

[MahmoudMabrok]

Thanks for the support.

[IzzySoft]

@MahmoudMabrok where did the APK go to? My updater just reported it cannot find it anymore. Without you providing it, I cannot update it in my repo.

[MahmoudMabrok]

I am sorry for that, but I have started to add link of Google Drive as adding apk repo will be larger size and add more load for cloning repo.
The link is https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iU-WgufHMAELKOmClhW2Z18Miyef4f4v/view

[IzzySoft]

Sorry to disappoint you, but my updater doesn't work with that. Why not tagging your releases and attaching the APK there? I'm fully with you that "inside the repo" isn't the best place, but IMHO releases/ is 😉

[IzzySoft]

Thanks for the tag, @MahmoudMabrok – will you also attach the .apk to it, and keep this up for future releases? Currently I had to disable auto-updates for your app (and it's stuck at v2.1.3 on my end because of that), but I'd really prefer having them active and fetch new versions as soon as you released them 😃

[MahmoudMabrok]

I added it as an asset to release sources.zip it contains APK.
Is aab -android bundle - supported with your platform?

[IzzySoft]

Nope, it's not, sorry. And neither are ZIP files; so why zipping the APK if you can attach it as-is? Besides, I don't even see the sources.zip…

[MahmoudMabrok]

I uploaded the apk but Github added it as source code.zip

[MahmoudMabrok]

[IzzySoft]

Aren't those two the archives Github adds by default (zipping/tar-gnuzipping the entire tree)? Could you try attaching the APK again?

[MahmoudMabrok]

I will try it later as I am busy now with my graduation project.
I AM SORRY.

[IzzySoft]

Sure, first things first (all the best for your graduation!). Just ping me here when I shall check again. Thanks!

[IzzySoft]

Can we congratulate to your graduation? And any chance for the APK then? 😃

[MahmoudMabrok]

Yes you can 😃, I am sorry for not maintaining the project.
but i do not work in app nowadays.
what you need so i can prepare it?

[IzzySoft]

Then I hereby do 🎉

I'm no dev, so I cannot build the app myself. If you have the latest APK and could attach it to its corresponding release, that would be great. After that, if you no longer develop/maintain the app, maybe add a corresponding note to the Readme, and archive the project?

[MahmoudMabrok]

I am sorry for being late to response to you dir.
what you exactly you want from me?.
@IzzySoft

[IzzySoft]

Uh, lost track – indeed quite a while ago… Could you attach the last APK to the currently only left tag here? There's no APK anymore. And us non-devs cannot compile ourselves. Thanks in advance, @MahmoudMabrok!

[MahmoudMabrok]

I will try to add APK tomorow ISA, if i could not i will make a folder and put apk inside it. @IzzySoft

[IzzySoft]

Yeah, ugly as it is, inside the repo would do as well. Thanks!

[IzzySoft]

Just saw the APK. Would it be possible to use the (signed) release build instead of the debug one? Just if it's not too much trouble. Thanks!