3d ago

F-Droid warns Google’s sideloading rules will kill the project & several open-source apps

alternativeto.net

8 comments

I just counted. I have 46 apps installed from f-droid. Some of them I rely on daily.
It’s called “installing”.
“Sideloading” is a term created by app store owners to frame installing software from outside their walled gardens as shady/illegal/questionable/problematic/whatever.
No-one would say, “I’m sideloading this application” when not using your distribution’s package manager on your desktop or laptop computer. Why call it sideloading when installing software on your pocket computer, then?
- Preachh
Oh no... Will this affect AOSP forks like GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, LineageOS, etc? If it doesn't, could the alternative app stores just service those instead?
- Yes, but I believe many developers will just quit so there will be less maintained projects in general.
  Their userbase will shrink drastically if they won't certify themselves, or whatever the XXX google wants them to do
  
  Oof yeah, that makes sense... 😭
- It may not impact GrapheneOS directly.
  As well, the GrapheneOS team is already automatically removing the Play Store source stamp checks from installed apps, so that they don't actually have to remove any integrity check -- the thing Google is moving toward. It's a good start.
  EDIT: the top comment at the bottom of the page this post links to does a great job explaining why it likely won't be an issue.
- I can't say for sure but someone this morning wrote that it would affect those other oses. But yeah I don't really understand it enough myself to say with certainty

8 comments