Publish APK with releases?

[IzzySoft]

Just curious: As your app is open-source (but not on F-Droid), mind to publish the .apk along with your releases/ so folks without Playstore can get it?

[rodrigo-brito]

What is F-Droid?

[IzzySoft]

Ui… Honestly? Though I guess you're kidding, from their homepage:

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.

But I've noticed it can be cumbersome to get your app into that catalog. So alternatively, you can add it to your releases. I usually pick up apps from there that are not listed with F-Droid, and integrate them with my repo, which is compatible with the F-Droid client. My auto-updater then syncs new releases you make (usually within 24h), so users get noticed of them via their F-Droid client – same way as you might be used to from the Playstore app.

Wouldn't that be something you're interested in? Adding the .apk file to your releases is pretty easy (once you know how to do that, which I have linked above, it's a minute at max). And you have your user-base increased – plus made the privacy-aware Google-refusers (like me) happy 😇

[rodrigo-brito]

Awesome! I did not know the platform, I started developing for android a short time.
I'll look at it later when I have time. The idea is great!

[IzzySoft]

I started developing for android a short time.

Ah, that explains why you did not (yet) hear from F-Droid.

In short, you can submit a request to them to have your app listed there. Until it finally shows up, that takes some time (for some projects, it took half a year to finally get listed). F-Droid then will clone your repo, compile your app from the sources, sign it with their own key, and publish it in their repository – usually whenever you add a new "tag" (i.e. declare a new release). The .apk then usually is available within 24h or later (can take up to a week sometimes).

You can go for that, as most "Google refusers" use their main repo. A long way to go, maybe, but a good choice nevertheless. Alternatively, or until you have reached that goal, attaching the .apk with your release (as I described in my previous post – easy to do and shouldn't take more than a minute) and letting me know when the first .apk has been attached would be all that's needed to get your app into my repo (currently the second-largest F-Droid repo with 150+ apps listed). My auto-updater would then pick it within 24h and publish it with your signature (I don't compile the apps myself), which would keep it compatible with your Playstore-release (so users can "cross-update" – useful e.g. if you have trouble publishing a new version on Playstore).

Once your app is finally listed with F-Droids "official repository", you can decide whether it should stay in mine or whether I should remove it. Just drop me a note – I of course respect your decision.

If you have any further questions on that, be welcome to ask! I will help as far as I can.

Btw: Congrats to your first app! The rating is impressive; only few apps reach that, especially those "first ones" (I know what I'm talking about, compiling Android app listings for more than 5 years now).

[rodrigo-brito]

Thank you for the information and the help. I will do it.

[IzzySoft]

Just let me know when done :)

[IzzySoft]

Hope you'll find the time … one day? No pressure, just a heads-up 😇

[rodrigo-brito]

Sorry, I forgot this issue. I will try provide it soon. Thanks for remember-me.

[IzzySoft]

Umm … hope it doesn't sound annoying, but what is "soon"? 😉