Probably already exists.
^Unobtanium^Obtainium
^Unobt^ObtI hate the constant updates. I hate the end-of-life OS forks. I hate the limited programming languages. I hate that there's this complicated gatekeeping, where you have to jump through a bunch of extra hoops to install a program if it hasn't been blessed by some specific official organization. And I hate that all the mobile phones come locked up (if not to a mobile carrier, then to an operating system, only able to be maintained by a specific 3rd party, and the device becomes a useless brick once that specific 3rd party stops supporting that specific operating system on that specific device).
Regular computers work much better. A common architecture. Run any OS built for that common architecture. Run any program that has executable machine code for that common architecture. You can install a different OS when the old one is unsupported. You can keep using the hardware until the hardware dies, not just until the company who made it drops that hardware's support. Common hardware components so every OS doesn't have to support every different individual model of computer. No gatekeeping of the programs you can install. No extra hoops. Just a machine that can run whatever you want it to.
I just want a computer in my pocket. I don't want all the extra bullshit.
The desktop has some mitigations against this. PWNing your mobile device could completely wreck you in a lot of ways.
I switched from android to iphone because someone 0-day'd me. I'm not saying it can't happen on iOS or something; just less likely - and mostly because of these restrictions.
I'm 28. I started using computers on a regular basis when I was ~9 years old, playing RuneScape. Since then, I've spend probably 10s of thousands of hours on the internet - downloading torrents, signing up for sketchy Russian websites, doing online banking, testing experimental software downloaded over HTTP from a .xyz domain. I graduated high school, went to a technical college for compsci, graduated, worked in helpdesk, desktop support, IT management, and more recently DevOps. I develop software using all sorts of package managers, and used hundreds of thousands of unvetted software packages that arrived as dependencies.
Not once have I, or anyone I've been responsible for, been hacked. No crypto, no viruses, nothing. What the heck are you guys doing getting your Android phones hacked???? Like I only use a modicum of common sense these days, but I guess I've just been lucky and have been the odd one out. I still enjoy reading HN arrivals about security though, so maybe I just have always been slightly more security conscience?
In any case, this is just a stream of consciousness / gut feeling comment. Don't put too much weight into it, I haven't.
On the other hand, it's true that some people find out their credit score is trash right before buying a house, or that their name is involved in terrorism when applying for a visa, etc.
The original argument was that one would never know.
Isn't that more than a typical sandbox what you're asking for?
The GrapheneOS developers said they're working on a feature where every app could be run in its own VM, like on ChromeOS: https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/20647
> some folders, no camera or mic etc. I understand that app permissions do the same
The "some folders" part is already true for Android. Apps can't blanket access files/folders of other apps (save for ones stored in "external storage", which has also been scoped down in the recent releases: https://source.android.com/docs/core/storage/scoped).
> more convenient than having to define granular permissions each time you install an app
It isn't Android that makes this inconvenient. It is the app developers that cause "prompt fatigue" (by showing permission requests repeatedly) or "blackmail" by refusing to work until permissions are granted. A new sandbox mechanism is unlikely to change much.
That's why spoofing should be an option. You want GPS? Timbuktu. You want my camera? Here's a close up video of a saggy scrotum. You need access to my contacts? Here's an address book with the contact details for all the funeral services within a 50 mile radius.
You can do that. Pretty easily. Having to manually update software is pretty annoying though, so why not automate it?
Did we all forget Bonzai Buddy?
That model doesn’t work for most people. Most people want the latest version at all times, and don’t want to have to sysadmin their phone.
pretty sure you can do that, just use non android/ios mobile os
kali linux,ubuntu mobile os is up there, no one force you to use android/ios system
> "Just let me download and run an application"
You can download an ".apk" file and just install + run it, like an ".exe" or ".msi"
That's a bit of a handwavy explanation, there's more to it than that, but that's the gist of why you can't "directly" run apps on Android.
More important parts of the installation process is configuring the default permission set for the application, creating its linux user and it's data directories. (In Android every app runs under its own linux user, and by default only has access to a specific data directory created for that app, to access other directories you need broader filesystem permissions). But this could technically still be done at runtime.
The bigger problem requiring installation would be features where the OS needs to start the app up - notifications, or app's background processes. Although even there some kind of temporary installation at runtime could work...
The belief that all mobile devices are this locked down is Apple's greatest trick.
I don't even think it is premeditated by the Company's leadership. But the users and ecosystem evolved in a way where this level of fandom and narrative are great for them.
I'm not being sarcastic. the average smart phone user have been dumbed down by corporations so they don't even need to add technical walls to their walled garden, as to avoid regulation. if google don't prevent you from installing apks, they will never face the court decision apple just received. but users won't act in a way they lose their 30pct fee either.
As we are talking about Android:
- Play Store: makes sure developers don't do nefarious stuff with the user's data. Yes, for us power users some restrictions are simply wrong, I agree. Use an alternative store for that. But what it does well is optimizing performance: instead of 1 apk with 4 ABI supports (or 4 apk with 1 ABI support each), it can use app bundles to serve you only what your device needs. Also, the Play Store learns what parts of the app are commonly used and contributed this back to make performance improvements for all other users (I was amazed the first time I heard about this). - F-Droid, any other store: ensures your privacy/no-restriction/etc needs are covered.
What they all have in common: your app gets updates! Do you want bugs to be there forever? Do you want to go through 100 apps and manually install updates? Please, no one wants to do that. On your Unix machine you also don't manually check all updates using your package manager, and what changelog each has.
It literally doesn't. F-droid has its own repo format, whereas this app gets releases from github releases directly.
We all put far too much faith in the github.com TLS cert.
This was literally my first ever Flutter app and it honestly sucks.
I made it before I found out that Obtainium exists.
Even so, I'm glad I made it, because I learnt a lot while making it.
It is unlikely that it will be finished or even worked on any time soon.
rocketvole•10mo ago
Cyphase•10mo ago
Cyphase•10mo ago
noname120•10mo ago
aaviator42•10mo ago