pkg(boyue): add Boyue packages #699
Conversation
|
Here's the code health analysis summary for commits Analysis Summary
|
resources/assets/uad_lists.json
Outdated
| "dependencies": [], | ||
| "neededBy": [], | ||
| "labels": [], | ||
| "removal": "Advanced" |
There was a problem hiding this comment.
| "removal": "Advanced" | |
| "removal": "Expert" |
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Stock launchers are specifically mentioned in the FAQ as apps that should be tagged as Advanced. The app adjustment screen might be important enough to change the classification, but the most important of the features in this screen (A2 refresh mode) can be activated system wide via Quick Settings. As far as I have searched, nobody seems to tweak the other options.
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Might need a change.
Modern Android features are not as independent as they used to be, and too tied together to be removing gallery/launcher/cloud/keyboard/browser/settings.
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Might need a change.
As in we may want to change the Wiki or all removals of launchers?
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Modern Android features are not as independent as they used to be, and too tied together to be removing gallery/launcher/cloud/keyboard/browser/settings.
If that is the case for newer devices, then the guidelines in the wiki should be changed, yeah. But for these particular apps and Likebook devices, I don't think this is a problem.
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Might need a change.
As in we may want to change the Wiki or all removals of launchers?
As in, we may want to change whatever is outdated in practise. I'll just quote what I said in the other comment.
OEM features, regardless of open source alternatives, are deeply rooted in the OS and will throw errors left and right if you start removing core functionality like a file manager that is tied to the file system.
Cameras being advanced is pretty nuts too.
It kills your facial recognition, document scanning, flashlight package, it messes with OEM Find My Device features, it messes with all sorts of apps that Google is putting out like Circle to Search.
Even an OEM Phone package having a video calling feature, it is looking for the OEM Camera package.
OEM Gallery app? Photo editing? Cloud? Your Android flavour has a preference to look for its own packages and not third-party ones (obviously).
It WILL look for them and it WILL cause temperature increases, RAM increases, CPU increases, and battery drain increases -- regardless of whether you're actually video calling or not, the package will still do background error checking, probably even while not in use. As well as losing literal core and potentially SAFETY functionality.
There are levels of bloat OOB.
Facebook? Tips? Actual bloat.
Diagmonagent? Android System Intelligence? Spy bloat.
Camera? File manager? 🤔
| "dependencies": [], | ||
| "neededBy": [], | ||
| "labels": [], | ||
| "removal": "Advanced" |
There was a problem hiding this comment.
| "removal": "Advanced" | |
| "removal": "Expert" |
There was a problem hiding this comment.
I am not sure about this one. Removing the file manager does not break any important functionality in the device and it can be replaced by another alternative which will not look as nice on e-ink but will have all the same functionality or more. Following the FAQ, it looks like it should be classified as Advanced.
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Removing the file manager breaks the functionality that allows you to manage your files. 🤔
Same reason Camera would likely be expert.
There was a problem hiding this comment.
But you can restore the functionality by installing another file manager, either before removing the stock one or later using adb install. I could add a note in the description reminding users to do so.
Also, the Downloads app in this device (com.android.downloads.provider.ui, tagged as Advanced as well) also works as a file manager, after enabling the "Show internal storage" option. This could also be noted in the description.
There are a few camera apps tagged as Expert (like com.tcl.camera and com.motorola.odm.camera3), but the majority is tagged as Advanced.
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Yeah, I'm not going to argue with you about whether a file manager is core functionality or not.
But for the sake of argument, what do you personally think cameras should be tagged as?
Your downloads example is irrelevant as you're point at the "ui" part of it which isn't needed for com.android.providers.downloads.
"com.android.providers.downloads": {
"list": "Aosp",
"description": "Downloads Manager\nProvider for downloaded files.\nContent providers encapsulate data, providing centralized management of data shared between apps.\nhttps://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/content-providers.html",
"dependencies": [],
"neededBy": [],
"labels": [],
"removal": "Unsafe"
},
You don't need download manager to browse your downloads, but guess what you do need. A file manager.
OEM features, regardless of open source alternatives, are deeply rooted in the OS and will throw errors left and right if you start removing core functionality like a file manager that is tied to the file system.
AnonymousWP
changed the title
|
Maintaining that the following should be Expert due to the contradictory nature of the package descriptions: accountmanagement
byreader
filemanager
Sounds weirdly deceptive. It's an OEM file manager, not a mod of one. |
I wrote that description because there is no information anywhere about what the app does. Here is the entire section for this app in the manual:
So my only guess is that it has something to do with note syncing because two of the three services have "note" in their name and there is a "Notes" section in the default e-reader app. But even in this section, I don't see any option to create a new note or to sync from somewhere else.
I wrote that description based on the idea that the user would prefer using another reading app like KOReader instead of the default one, and would also want to replace the launcher since they are the same app. This is what the e-ink display settings page looks like:
I consider most these to be "obscure or minor functionality", and as I mentioned, I could not find anyone on e-reader forums talking about these functions on this device. The only exception is A2 refresh, which can be enabled via Quick Settings. If there's a problem with the "not many alternative launchers" line, I can add a recommendation for Simple Ink Launcher or ReLaunchX in the description.
I wrote that description because it is literally a file manager for e-ink displays. It doesn't do anything special other than being in black and white.
I don't disagree with your statements that disabling system applications without regard could be dangerous, but I think that this is a device-by-device situation. I tagged these apps this way because I tested each of them and did not notice any adverse effects, so I believe they are safe to be removed. |
|
Right, it's always great to get information about new devices for the uad_lists, too. And it's totally fine that there isn't anything else online other than what you've found and tested yourself. My comment was more that, if there is any mystery about it, then it's Expert removal. If you can extract the APK, feed it into hybrid-analysis or the other APK one that looks cool, then there's more to look at. From here, it looks like Notes is a potential feature in accountmanagement, but given the name of it and what it actually looks like, it looks like it's the device's account management, literally. The invalid 400 error code is a mystery within a mystery. I love using Obtainium and importing OSS apps through it too, but this needs to remain user-friendly. This is a black-and-white file manager that is designed for an e-ink display to save battery and allow it to do what it needs to do efficiently. |
renanglr
force-pushed
the
feature/boyue
branch
from
82eaa9c
to
da3752f
Compare
|
I'll be honest, your complaints about replacing apps being a security risk makes no sense to me in this case. This is a device running Android 8 (with a security patch level of January 2019), and it is possible that most of these devices out there are still running the Android 6 that shipped with them. Replacing the stock apps with FOSS alternatives is probably better for security. But whatever. I've pushed an update to my branch with some clarifications to the descriptions and a reclassification of (I force-pushed twice in order to rebase the feature branch to main.) |
This list of applications comes from a Boyue Likebook Mars e-book reader running Android 8.1 (OEM firmware version 3.1.1). The descriptions should be accurate for all Boyue devices, however they have recently rebranded themselves as "Meebook" and their new devices are using applications which look identical to the ones used in the Boyue devices. I do not know if they changed the application IDs after rebranding.
renanglr
force-pushed
the
feature/boyue
branch
from
da3752f
to
44fba8f
Compare
|
I tried to be nice and encouraging with the last one and even asked you to upload the APK (couldn't even manage that).
You provided two alternatives, one of which were last updated mid-2019. 🤣
This is what I'm getting at, FOSS or not, when they're BOTH 6 years old, the non-OEM is likely to be worse across the board. Your git frustrations have nothing to do with my opinion regarding the removal list.
Since you didn't provide the APK upload, instead you can let us know what happens here in logcat when you tap the Accounts Management button. |
|
I think you're just talking past me at this point, I'm sorry, I won't be bothering anymore. |
All good, you were having a tough time taking any constructive criticism. Was it the Expert removal suggestion? |
|
This discussion has gotten way too much past the point, both of you. Instead of fighting it out (I understand both of you may get frustrated), would have been better to gather opinions from a third (or even fourth) user. This is also discouraging people to open PRs in the future perhaps. |
|
Absolutely agreed. It occasionally occurs that for more unknown devices, without an online presence, we may request additional assistance from you. The request for additional assistance may occasionally look like this:
How not to reply to the requested additional assistance to improve the project with your contribution:
How not to follow-up:
|
This list of applications comes from a Boyue Likebook Mars e-book reader running Android 8.1 (OEM firmware version 3.1.1).
The descriptions should be accurate for all Boyue devices, however they have recently rebranded themselves as "Meebook" and their new devices are using applications which look identical to the ones used in the Boyue devices. I do not know if they changed the application IDs after rebranding.