this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2024
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F-Droid

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F-Droid is an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform. The client makes it easy to browse, install, and keep track of updates on your device.

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Why do fdroid main repo keep apps that has not been updated in 12 years ? Isn't it more logical to move apps that has not been updated in more than three years to the archive ? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by the_rogue@sh.itjust.works to c/fdroid@lemmy.ml
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Like i use an older version of android and every new app on fdroid works for me and keeping the main repo full of abandonware isn't a good idea and will hold fdroid back on being a good app store . And its not like the apps are deleted or anything if someone needs them for whatever reason they can find it on archive and not everyone have to load it all when using the main repo which is better for users and those who host mirrors as most of do use the newer apps instead of abandonware and Is there a specific reason they do this ?

I asked this on their IRC but i didn't get any reply and then i got logged out and IRC doesn't show previous chats is there any way to get in touch with them as i think doing this will benefit everyone . I don't have much experience using gitlab and i don't think that is the place to discuss things like that . Also if anyone could get in touch with them about this and keep me updated that'll be appreciated as i am trying to keep my internet accounts small and don't wanna make a github or matrix acc solely for this so if anyone could help that'll ve appreciated. Also does fdroid have any presence on lemmy ?

The old apps i was talking about from top of my mind :

Anysoft keyboard : malayalam, GL TRON, Open Wnn legacy, random ass chinese named keyboard idk how to type it , wifi keyboard, Tibetin keyboard etc. there is a lot so i can't type all of em out.

EDIT : I am talking about unupdated apps not old apps whuch are still updated.

EDIT : No one is asking to wipe the apps from all existence just merely asking to move them to archive where its more suitable and so all of us don't have to load all of it when using the main repositery .

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[–] pr06lefs@lemmy.ml 28 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If you require developers to update apps that still work just to keep them on the store, you're going to lose apps for no reason. Not every app needs updates to keep working.

[–] Curious_Canid@lemmy.ca 18 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If an app still works, it doesn't matter whether or not it is being maintained.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's amazing to me how people have been indoctrinated when it comes to updated/maintained.

If it ain't broke...

I use apps from 10 years ago still.

[–] billgamesh@lemmy.ml 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

especially if there aren't obvious security concerns. Rather use an android text editor from 6 years ago if it works well than a trash one that's updated once a month and has a million features i don't care about

[–] zwekihoyy@lemmy.ml -1 points 7 months ago (2 children)

everything always has a security flaw. this is horrible logic

[–] billgamesh@lemmy.ml 3 points 7 months ago

right... but so what? in a relatively sandboxed environment without network access. If I wanna play a random game, it's there. If I'm using an old phone, old apps are there. I think it'd kill fdroid more to have only 10 new apps per category. Maybe you could maintain your own repo with only fresh updates

[–] 56_@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 months ago

no...? If an app doesn't load content from un-trusted sources, (files, websites, sms messages, etc.), then there isn't really anything to worry about. It is also just as likely for something newly developed to contain a vulnerability as something developed a long time ago. Or even more likely, as there has been less time for people to discover vulnerabilities.

[–] GravitySpoiled@lemmy.ml 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Why? I can't find a reason in your post.

Especially your suggestion of 3 years is very short.

But: the latest release date/ month should be directly visible in the apps, or at least you should be able to filter them.

[–] the_rogue@sh.itjust.works 0 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Its not going anywhere tho just to the archives. And also read again if you can't find any readon in my post

[–] Steve@communick.news 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

keeping the main repo full of abandonware isn’t a good idea and will hold fdroid back on being a good app store.

That's the only thing you wrote that sounds like a reason. It's really just a speculative assertion.

That's not to say you're wrong! I actually do agree with you. In the long term. When their are millions of abandoned apps, and the main repo is hundreds of megabytes, and take several min to update each time, that would be a real problem. Yes. Pruning would be advantageous; And quite trivial to implement. Today though? It's hardly the most pressing issue to F-Droid adoption. But sure why not.

[–] the_rogue@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 months ago

Isn't that a point enough to consider what i said ? Idk how to solve every issue on fdroid but i have seen so many critics of them point this out .

[–] GravitySpoiled@lemmy.ml -1 points 7 months ago

Why?

[–] dislocate_expansion@reddthat.com 12 points 7 months ago

Maybe add to the caveat if it's internet connected? I kinda like some old apps that don't require network access and don't really need an update (think guitar tuners, the frequency of a note hasn't changed and as long as the underlining OS API still runs then I don't see much of a problem)