Release app on F-Droid

[ghost]

Is in your plans to put the app in fdroid?

[glouvigny]

It is indeed a long term goal to have a version of the app published on F-Droid.

However from my limited understanding of its publication system as we are using React Native releasing a compliant build process is not straightforward.

Also the main version of app will likely include support of push notifications delivered by Google servers and this will have to be disabled on F-Droid builds.

If you don't mind this optional feature being present in the APK, you'd rather sideload the app once it's publicly released.

[ghost]

You could make your own repo for this app, it could be an option to get around this problem.

And using google to deliver notifications by Google servers, can't google have access to the notifications? Aren't there other open source alternatives?

[glouvigny]

You could make your own repo for this app, it could be an option to get around this problem.

I wasn't aware of that, sounds nice.

And using google to deliver notifications by Google servers, can't google have access to the notifications? Aren't there other open source alternatives?

What Google or Apple for iOS will see on their servers is an encrypted payload, the recipient device identifier and the moment the push has been sent. However, on the privacy level Berty's relaying servers are able to determine both ends of a message (the originating IP address, the target device). I'm not sure anything can be done around that, apart from using your own service or disabling push notifications altogether.

We also plan to let users host their own push server or chose a trusted third party, however it might trigger some warnings on Android. I don't remember the exact message but it be something like "Disable battery optimizations for the app".

Anyway, our main goal is to provide an easy to use app, with as few configuration as possible, that's why we are prioritizing development of push via Google over self-hosted solutions.

[ghost]

Yes it's the best way to avoid fdroid delays on updates..

I would prefer to disable the notifications add that option too

Or creating your own service

[linsui]

However from my limited understanding of its publication system as we are using React Native releasing a compliant build process is not straightforward.

We have many RN apps in F-Droid. Maybe 30% of the new apps are built with RN.

We also plan to let users host their own push server or chose a trusted third party, however it might trigger some warnings on Android. I don't remember the exact message but it be something like "Disable battery optimizations for the app".

Did you check UnifiedPush? It has been supported by some privacy messager, e.g. Element and FluffyChat.

[linsui]

Element can only poll in the past but recently they support UnifiedPush. Jami on F-Droid currently can only poll and it uses lots of battery if you want to get messages. They are also working on supporting UnifiedPush for better user experience. Session F-Droid can only poll so it's not supported upstream because of the bad user experience.

[maverick74]

I don't trust google play!
Can you please release this already?
thank you

[sudwhiwdh]

@glouvigny What does it need to make Berty accessible to people looking for secure and ethical messenger apps in F-Droid?

[glouvigny]

@glouvigny What does it need to make Berty accessible to people looking for secure and ethical messenger apps in F-Droid?

For inclusion onto the main F-Droid repository, someone needs to list incompatible libraries/components to remove/decouple first, then address those issues. Then make a build according to F-Droid's policies.

Alternatively, someone can upload to a third-party repository the build already created by our GitHub Actions workflow.

Core Berty contributors don't have enough work capacity to focus on this now.

[linsui]

someone needs to list incompatible libraries/components to remove/decouple first

Some gms and firebase libs need to be removed. expo-barcode-scanner also uses gms.

[sudwhiwdh]

Core Berty contributors don't have enough work capacity to focus on this now.

I can hear that you don't have the resources at the moment.
Maybe there are people out there who can support you in this?

And I would rather trust an official solution than an external repository that is not maintained by the Berty team.

[linsui]

And I would rather trust an official solution than an external repository that is not maintained by the Berty team.

You can open a PR instead of fork Berty.

[sudwhiwdh]

You can open a PR instead of fork Berty.

Sounds like a nice idea to contribute something.
I don't feel able to do it yet, because I don't have the technical knowledge.

[RageGamerBoi]

You could publish it to the 3rd party F-Droid repo: https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/ for now.

Then when you get a compliant build process working you could publish it to the main repos as well.

Their inclusion criteria is here: https://gitlab.com/IzzyOnDroid/repo/#what-are-the-requirements-an-app-must-meet-to-be-included-with-the-repo which Berty meets, and you can request it be added here: https://gitlab.com/IzzyOnDroid/repo/-/issues

[costinberty]

For the moment we are focusing on stabilising the app and launch it first on the App Store and Google Play. After this for sure having Berty Messenger on F-Droid is something we want and we will work on this in the future.

[GameOverFlowChart]

Let me add my reasons why I would like to see a F-droid version:

It will make it easier to discover the app, and it make you and the users less dependent from the Playstore.

If the app is added to the official F-droid repo, this will increase the trust to the app that's why it should be an aim to release in the official repo.

Update release in the official repo (and on the Playstore) can be delayed, that's why you should also make your own repo, this would also make you independent from the official repo.

So I would argue that in best case the app is released in both ways over F-droid, some other popular apps on F-droid are also doing this.

[trymeouteh]

Have not been able to use this app yet since it is not on fdroid.

I have a degoogled device and would like to try berty.