"PDF Reader" (also other applications) wrong permissions

I tried this app (also “APV PDF Viewer” and “VuDroid”) and wasn’t able to open any PDF.
I lost a lot of time until I realized that these applications doesn’t have the proper permissions.
I then installed “Document Viewer” which has “read the contents of your shared storage”
permissions and I was able to read PDF files.
What’s the purpose of a PDF reader that can’t read the /sdcard?
I’m not asking for /data just /sdcard.
The most bizarre thing: these applications can navigate the root filesystem, but when you enter /sdcard they fail because they aren’t in sdcard_rw group.

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Old apps from 2011 and 2013?

Searching in F-Droid client would yield you apps sorted by last update, like Koreader or Librera Pro or MuPDF Mini…

Did you search from the website? Well… first I recommend you to use the client and get timely app updates and new apps.

But yeah the website search has some issues…

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I used the website because it provides an important information: size.
I just wanted a PDF reader. Why should I install a package that is 10 times the needed size?
I found one usable.
It would be nice if those apps are fixed or F-Droid just adds a warning about the lack of usability.
BTW something I don’t see is a rating.

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And you don’t like to read the size in the Client because?

Feel free to…those are old apps…unmaintained…but if you found one that’s unusable please open an issue: F-Droid / Data · GitLab so we can Archive it and others don’t stumble :wink:

We don’t track the users…there are no F-Droid accounts…ratings are…what exactly? Vetted by whom? No…

You can take a look at the latest 3 versions update dates…open Links->Source and see if the repo has activity and “stars” and maybe form an opinion…not wait for others :wink:

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Really complex to access, I didn’t even know it was there, “tap app, tap versions, tap a version”. Way faster using my desktop.

Well, I don’t feel as confident to go an open an incedent, this is why I’m asking here :wink:

But to post here I had to register … Why not allowing ratings for people in the forum?

Ok. But this doesn’t sound good when you are in a hurry.

Thanks for your ideas.

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I guess, is this something that you constantly watch out for? Do you look before updating too?

If you don’t open we don’t know, so another user gets a non working app :frowning:

Funny, because an user on a free for registration forum is so much trustable… :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

In a hurry maybe you don’t care about app sizes, again…open the client, search PDF install the newest app…done…because you where in a hurry!

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Not always, but if the same functionality is provided by various applicactions, yes I check it in this case.

Nope, I asume the application didn’t increment too much.

Done.

Isn’t it moderated? and BTW it looks like it has some sort of “user clasification”, the system could allow ratings only for users that seems to be humans (not bots).

You are rigth. But downloading an app that doesn’t even work (three times, not just one) wasn’t something I expected.

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You looked at APK size yet not at “last update 2011” ? :slight_smile:

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Perhaps a small tid-bit to keep in mind as well, some of these “older” apps are written for older versions of Android. One neat thing about F-Droid is the support for older devices, as opposed to Google, who is trying to mandate that everyone update their phones by forcing higher API levels for apps placed on the store.

The relevancy of this comment comes into play because it depends on what versions of Android the app was written to as to what permissions they needed at the time. Android 4.3 allowed SDcard access, while 4.4 did not, then the rules changed again for Android 5.0. This particular app was written for when Android Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) was brand new, so probably was written to support earlier Android versions, such as Honeycomb, when SDcard weren’t really a “thing”. :smiley:

It certainly can be frustrating at times if you are searching through the apps and pull up a dud, but at the same time that can be part of the fun. :smiley:

But, thanks to users like you, who try the apps out, and see the old/shortcomings, and report it, these apps can be flagged and moved to the archive instead.

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At least here, in Argentina, I got the impression that isn’t Google who pushes higher API levels. I think the main problem is the low skilled programmers doing Apps for commercial use. To ilustrate: I was using Android 4.4.2, but in december I found the App I used to get a 2x1 cinema discount stopped working. It wasn’t my phone, but the App failing on older Android versions. The App didn’t change its API level requirement, but was useless on 4.x. And a lot of Apps released lately aren’t designed for old API levels, when they do nothing important that can’t be done at Android 4.4.2 level. The number of Apps increased dramatically during the last year. Even the official App used for COVID-19 control needs Android 5.0 (and I’m sure is poorly developed, the first versions used a “secret” that was the API example, just base64 encoded :weary:), the App from my telephone company, insurance company and even the stupid Mc Donald’s App all needs Android 5+. All developed here.

This pushed me to flash my phone. Now I’m running Android 7.1.2. Funny thing is that I didn’t install any of those Apps yet :sweat_smile:

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