Bluprint: F-droid app-standards

blueprint
#1

Like Google and Apple f-droid has his standards which have to be fulfilled to be able to get into the store.
I would propose to add at least a second more enhanced f-droid standard.
This standard should contain some more advanced goals a program have to fulfill.
Maybe with this standards fulfilled, these apps get stored into a second repository.

Following are some ideas that could be set.

  • Backup functionality

    • add some server storage (Nextcloud, Owncloud, DAV, sftp,)
    • encrypting backup
    • All app has to have an import and an export of their settingx to xml with encryption (preferred setting)

  • Navigation (if aviable)

    • allow to use maps from osm instead Google

  • basic

    • allow to see changelog inside f-droid
    • update the app at least all 6. Month
    • has a help menu or a wiki which describe basic usage

https://forum.f-droid.org/t/bluprint-f-droid-system-management/5143/2
https://forum.f-droid.org/t/blueprint-enhance-f-droid-with-developer-supporting-tools/5145/2

#2

Those standards are interesting, but I think hard to enforce on all the apps. I don’t have any stats on this but my gut feeling is that most of the authors of apps on F-Droid don’t get any money from their work on those apps. Features and updates depend on their time available to improve their app, but enforcing rules like these imply a lot of work.

Besides, forcing an app to be updated every 6 months doesn’t necessarily make sense, for instance a flashlight app doesn’t need any update.

Forcing a backup feature with encryption is not a trivial task, and would require a lot of work to ensure it works in all cases properly.

I agree completely that we need to strive for better programming, but in my point of view, forcing those standard would drive developers away from F-Droid.

#3

I think the F-Droid standards are fine as they are. :thinking:

#4

It’s not meant to remove other Apps that not support this new standard. It’s only meant to have a kind of quality control and maybe a bit of motivation for app developer If they think of kind of Achievement they could reach.

Yes, at the first glance it doesn’t seem like a good idea to have a all 6-month minimum release. But this is not a final set of Idea. You could also say, that all those Apps that have the right to use wireless connection in any way have to fulfil these.

#5

That’s exactly what we need to hold in play our multitudinous staff of reviewers.