Why is the TOR Browser and Orbot app not available on F-Droid?
from BubblyRomeo@kbin.earth to privacy@lemmy.ml on 01 Jul 16:34
https://kbin.earth/m/privacy@lemmy.ml/t/1559314

So I went to F-Droid to download TOR Browser and Orbot app and I found them currently missing from the F-Droid catalog. Did something happen that I’m currently out of the loop?

#privacy

threaded - newest

shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip on 01 Jul 16:38 next collapse

They are on the Guardian Project repository which is no longer in the fdroid app by default to the best of my understanding. So you have to go at it yourself.

Also, orbot is shit, use inviZible to stay updated with the latest tor daemon releases

BubblyRomeo@kbin.earth on 01 Jul 16:48 collapse

They are on the Guardian Project repository which is no longer in the fdroid app by default to the best of my understanding.

Why and when did this happen?

Also, orbot is shit, use inviZible to stay updated with the latest tor daemon releases

Thanks!

shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip on 01 Jul 17:29 next collapse
Ulrich@feddit.org on 01 Jul 18:47 collapse

Guardian Project remains committed to producing free software. But for some of our key use cases, it is unfortunately not yet possible to address them without including some proprietary libraries in our free software apps. This means that the Guardian Project repository is no longer included in F-Droid by default.

monovergent@lemmy.ml on 01 Jul 18:52 collapse

Do TOR Browser and Orbot have proprietary libraries?

Ulrich@feddit.org on 01 Jul 18:55 collapse

I provided a synopsis, click the link if you want more details.

MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de on 01 Jul 17:32 next collapse

guardianproject.info/fdroid/

Basically, if the app developers bother to maintain their own repository, there is no reason for other f-droid repositories to waste storage and bandwidth on duplicating them and constantly checking to be sure its the latest versions of those apps that have been copied. This is a feature, not a bug, in systems like f-droid.

That said, f-droid could stand to add a directory for known-good repositories, or listings for apps that pull from such repositories without requiring you or I to manually type in a url or scan a QR code, but end of the day, its free softwaree maintained by volunteers.

Many apps on Linux work the same way; However, in my experience, once you’ve downloaded and installed an application’s .deb, tar.gz, whatever, it will offer to add its repositories to your package manager’s sources, whereas on Android, once you install an .apk, it stays that version until you install a newer version manually or let the Play store or whatever over-write it.

TurtleTourParty@midwest.social on 01 Jul 22:07 collapse

That said, f-droid could stand to add a directory for known-good repositories

Droidify has this

ter_maxima@jlai.lu on 01 Jul 21:00 next collapse

Use Obtainium, and try to get apps outside of F-Droid as much as possible. Their method of signing apps themselves introduces a huge single point of failure in the security chain…

Zerush@lemmy.ml on 01 Jul 22:27 collapse

No TOR browser for mobile, but you can use the TOR or also I2P network with InVizible Pro

<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/626b1fb3-d298-465f-b37b-0e322a5d6162.png">