FOSDEM Schedules

February 4, 2011 in News, Reviews by CiaranG | No comments

It seemed like a shame that although there are two choices of FOSS application to keep track of the busy FOSDEM schedule on your phone, you were told, or indeed forced, to use proprietary software to get your hands on them. Well no more – they’re both in the repository now.

FOSDEM

Option one is the dedicated FOSDEM application, as seen in the first screenshot.

On my device, this had quite a few visual flaws – half chopped off text in the lists, and even in the main logo.

Also, a greyed-out button tells me I need to press a ‘Search’ hardware button I don’t have in order to search Hint: the SDK docs explain how to do search properly.

On the other hand, being a dedicated app it’s easier to use, packed with detailed information and works very well.

Giggity

Option two is Giggity, which is a more generic solution. Although it comes preloaded with the data for this year’s FOSDEM, it’s a generic schedule viewer that can load and display xcal/Pentabarf XML files for any kind of event.

This one could save you from having to have a different app for every conference you attend.

Summary

Both apps can remind you of upcoming events you’ve favourited. Each application has its strengths and weaknesses – maybe you should grab both to be on the safe side. Search for ‘FOSDEM’ in the FDroid client, or get the APKs direct from here and here.

Repository Client 0.20

February 1, 2011 in Repository by F-Droid | 2 comments

The latest release of the FDroid Repository Client, version 0.20, is now available. You can get it from the repository page or, if you already have an earlier version installed, just update.

The main changes since the previous official release are:

  • Signed repository index. Although all the applications in the repository are cryptographically signed, and also verified by an md5 sum before installation, the index itself was not previously. It is now. The client is still compatible with unsigned repositories, and will automatically upgrade to using a signed version where available.
  • Faster repository updates – the signed repository index is a JAR file, and is therefore compressed. For the main FDroid repository, this makes it a fifth the original size.
  • Fixed a crash that happened if you rotated the screen while a repository update was in progress!
  • New language – Serbian. As the application is developing rapidly, the translations may lag behind on new features for a while. If you want to help translate into your language, see here.

If you have problems or feature requests, talk to the issue tracker or visit #fdroid on FreeNode.

Repository Client 0.17

January 17, 2011 in Repository by F-Droid | 3 comments

The latest release of the FDroid Repository Client, version 0.17, is now available. You can get it from the repository page or, if you already have an earlier version installed, just update.

The main changes since the previous version are:

  • Search – this has started to become an essential feature as the repository grows. Use the Search option on the menu on the main screen to search for applications.
  • The Updates tab now shows the number of updates available on the tab itself.
  • Various minor bug fixes and improvements.
  • A warning if you attempt to install an application with a different signature to the version you already have installed. (This will be explained fully in an upcoming post about signatures).
  • Settings, disabled by default, to allow the client to show applications with various types of ‘antifeatures’ – for example, applications that include adverts. There are no such applications in the repository currently, but this would allow us, or someone else, to include them in a repository later, while still allowing you to opt in to seeing them.
  • New languages – French and Swedish. As the application is developing rapidly, the translations may lag behind on new features for a while. If you want to help translate into your language, see here.

If you have problems or feature requests, talk to the issue tracker or visit #fdroid on FreeNode.

Sokoban

January 6, 2011 in Apps, Games, Reviews by F-Droid | No comments

No prizes for guessing that Sokoban is an implementation of the classic game Sokoban. Unless you’ve never heard of it of course. I’ll assume that’s the case, otherwise this would be a very short review.

Sokoban is 30 years old, and is a puzzle game that involves moving your character around and pushing multiple things onto targets. Originally the things were boxes (Sokoban is Japanese for warehouse man) but in this version they’re some kind of shiny red gem. Sounds simple? The tricky part is that these things get in each others way, and your way. In practice, it’s hard, and in the process of completing the first 67 levels I’ve declared many of them impossible and closed the application in disgust before going back and trying again later. Clearly it’s addictive too.

This version has a total of 354 levels to play through – the only question is whether you can complete that many without either frying your brain or smashing up your phone.

The graphics are nothing to write home about, and the menu screens are particularly sparse (standard Android buttons and nothing else) but this doesn’t matter at all. The game plays perfectly, with nice touches such as zooming in and out with the volume buttons, and undoing a move with the back button. You can move with the direction buttons/pad/whatever-new-fangled-thing-your-phone-has but it seems much easier to use the other option of just dragging your finger around the screen.

Definitely give this one a try if you like puzzle games.

Vital Statistics

You can install it from the FDroid repository client, or download the APK directly if you prefer.

Repository Client 0.14

November 15, 2010 in Repository by F-Droid | No comments

The latest release of the FDroid Repository Client, version 0.14, is now available. You can get it from the repository page or, if you already have an earlier version installed, just update.

The main changes since the previous version are:

  • Background updating of the repository index, and notification of updates to your installed applications. (Both of these features must be enabled on the preference screen).
  • Control over caching – all downloaded applications can be cached on the SD card – again, you need to enable this on the preferences screen.
  • Now in Italian and German, as well as English.

As the application is developing rapidly, the translations may lag behind on new features for a while. If you want to help translate into your language, see here.

If you have problems or feature requests, talk to the issue tracker or visit #fdroid on FreeNode.

ConnectBot

November 4, 2010 in Apps, Reviews, Utilities by F-Droid | 2 comments

ConnectBot is an essential tool for the sysadmin on the move, or the stationary sysadmin on the beach. It’s a fully functional SSH client packed with useful features, including:

  • Multiple concurrent connections that stay open in the background
  • Port forwarding
  • Key management, for password-less logins

A clever feature is ‘URL Scan’ which grabs anything that looks like a URL from the terminal and presents a list where you can click to open it in the browser.

Ideally you’d use this with a physical keyboard, both for speed and screen space reasons. Even so, it’s perfectly usable with a virtual keyboard and there are plenty of customisable features to make life easier in that scenario.

ConnectBot is extremely useful to have around, especially in an emergency, and is actively developed. Highly recommended.

Vital Statistics

market://search?q=pname:org.connectbot

Available in the Android Market (scan/click the QR code opposite) or, of course, via the FDroid repository.

The Donate Pledge

October 22, 2010 in Opinion by F-Droid | 2 comments

A while back I read about the Paid App Pledge over at Android Guys. I didn’t want to sign up to that – the last thing I want to do is encourage more hidden source code.

The intention is a good one though – encouraging more high quality software on the Android platform. Not that I think there’s a shortage of it, but more is better.

With that in mind, here’s my alternative pledge:

Any time I can afford to do so, I’ll take a look at the FOSS apps I’m using on my phone that I haven’t donated to yet. Then I’ll make a donation to the one I use most.

As well as financial donations I’ll make the effort to contribute in other ways too. That can include reporting bugs, suggesting features, or contributing code. Everything helps.

Care to join me?

Missile Intercept

October 22, 2010 in Games, Reviews by F-Droid | 2 comments

Missile Intercept is a game modelled on the classic Missile Command, complete with retro-style graphics. You’re defending three cities at the bottom of the screen from destruction by incoming enemy missiles.

The gameplay changes somewhat due to the touch screen interface, because you aim your counter-missiles by simply touching the appropriate point on the screen – no need to manoeuvre a crosshair around. In addition to this though, are two non-standard things – your counter-missiles explode immediately where you target them, which means you don’t need to account for the time they take to get there, and also you seem to have a virtually unlimited supply.

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F-Droid Repository Alpha

October 20, 2010 in Repository by F-Droid | 8 comments

Following on from the earlier post (read first if you don’t know what this is about), you can now try an alpha release of the software. There’s a lot of planned functionality still missing, but it’s fully functional and useful.

Source code for the application is on Gitorious and you can install the current binary release, via the Repository page.

A quick overview – open the FDroid application, press the menu key, and choose update. The lists should then be populated with the FOSS apps already in the repository. Stuff you already have will be automatically detected, and put in the ‘Installed’ tab, and the rest will go in the ‘Available’ tab.

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MathDoku

October 16, 2010 in Apps, Games, Reviews by F-Droid | No comments

I’ll start by saying that I hate Sudoku, it always struck me as very tedious, and I’ve never heard of KenKen, the variation on which this game is apparently based. In case you’re clueless too, it’s like Sudoku but bits of the grid are boxed off and have to ‘solve’ the simple arithmetical puzzle for that box. If that doesn’t make sense, look at the screenshot – the three squares at the bottom right are boxed off and have to add up to twelve.

On a 4×4 grid, the smallest you can have, it’s pretty easy. You can choose any size from there up to 8×8, which is, let’s just say slightly tricky.

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