Wordpress-android: Can't build for Fdroid

[ghost]

Because the published source code omits certain 'secrets', functionality that uses, for example, OAuth, Fdroid maintainers can't build.

Can something be done ?

[maxme]

The WordPress app is strongly linked to wordpress.com functionalities (wordpress.com hosted login, Reader and Notifications for instance). App can be built without these secrets (using gradle.properties-example, see the README.md for build instructions) but only used for self hosted sites (ie, users won't be able to login to their wordpress.com account and get push notifications or access the reader logged in interface).

We're now giving developers the possibility to get OAuth access token for _testing purposes only_ - see http://developer.wordpress.com/docs/oauth2/ so you can't distribute the app with OAuth access token in Fdroid.

One solution could be to create a specific gradle task that build the app without wordpress.com functionalities and "secrets" requirement.

[ghost]

Thanks for your answer.

Is it now impossible to connect to wordpress.com without OAuth ?

Can you provide a build option to exclude private parts in the next releases of Wordpress app ?

[maxme]

It's not in our current plans, but feel free to submit a pull request.

[stefan-niedermann]

any news? its very annoying to not be able to use wp via f-droid :sad:

[PanderMusubi]

Latest build on f-droid is version 2.7.1 from 12 April 2014. Perhaps one of the people involved in that build could please revive and update that?

[easyKL]

WordPress-Android team decide to include non-free libraries like Crashlytics, it's impossible for F-Droid to proceed with newer builds.
No, no option for download in apps.wordpress.com/mobile/ other than play$tore

[PanderMusubi]

Could someone contact the WordPress team? Perhaps they see the benefit of helping a Crashlytics-free build for the smaller F-Droid community. Perhaps that could be by offering a build parameter.

[fazlerabbi37]

Well it's 2020 and many (for reasonable cause) are not using Google Play and many are de-Googling their Android. I would hope that WordPress-Android team would consider providing a FLOSS version without the non-free libs and figure out a way to use WordPress Android via F-Droid.

[stefan-niedermann]

Maybe offering a own f-droid repository would be a easy first step?

[fazlerabbi37]

Maybe offering a own f-droid repository would be a easy first step?

not sure what do you mean by that. mind clarifying a bit?

[stefan-niedermann]

Everyone can setup F-Droid repositorys.

Every F-Droid user can add those "unofficial" repositorys to their sources (go to "Options" in your F-Droid app).

This allows organisations and people to distribute for example proprietary apps via F-Droid - The apps won't show up for everyone by default but Wordpress could just post a hint / button / url on their download site so every F-Droid user can add this repository to their F-Droid app.

Have a look at https://forum.f-droid.org/t/known-repositories/721

For example i am currently using Firefox Fenix via https://gitlab.com/rfc2822/fdroid-firefox because it also has proprietary dependencies and can't be on F-Droid directly, too. another sample is "Tagesschau", a german public news broadcasting app similar to british BBC.

Technically it's basically just a Git repository with some meta infos and the apk-files.
It has the advantage to provide updates, changelogs etc. compared to a blank "Download .apk"-button on the website.

[fazlerabbi37]

That could be another very helpful option and I think would not need a lot of change in Android app itself but I would still request the devs to consider a separate build without the non-free libs. I am sure many and I for one would really welcome it.