Hi everybody!
It's my first post here, I'm quite a noob at all these Android things, but I got my HTC Hero last year and have been using it quite a lot since then.
I'm also fond of FLOSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software), and I always try to find an open source equivalent to what I'm using. That's how I switched to Ubuntu Linux 6 years ago and never came back to Windows
I've been looking on the Web, reading Android news websites, and I realized they never talk about open source software being developed for Android phones. At most, they will talk about free (as in beer) softwares, but most of the time these are ad-supported or quickly become ad-supported if they're popular.
For instance, I looked for a music player (cause the one offered by HTC is quite slow and poorly reads OGG music -- yes I'm also in open formats!), and I could only find ad-supported free-ish softwares (MixZing player for instance)... but no open source choice!
On Linux, there are dozens of music players, and of course they're all open source, so you just choose the one you like the best, and even if it doesn't suit you perfectly, you can modify it or develop a plugin for it!
I was wondering if all that was because of the Android Market. Could it be possible to push an open source application on the Android Market? Would it be accepted?
Anyways, to summarize: Is there an open source community on Android?
Thanks in advance!
I'd say yes, you can find many oss in android market, but generally the source is in devs personal page. For instance my apps are open-source, the rom hackers generally give out their source, and more. However i don't know if there are oss apps for all categories...
Hi!
Thanks for your answer! (and congrats for the supertux port )
I'm pretty concerned about the multimedia part... So far:
MixZing Player ==> Ad supported, closed sources
Tune Wiki ==> Ad supported, closed sources
Astro Player ==> Commercial software, closed sources
Cubed ==> Closed sources
etc.
The only one I see was Rock On, which used to be closed sources until the project was discontinued (now the sources are available on github I guess).
As for the other softwares, a lot of them are created by people who think they're going to be rich by selling 0.99 USD softwares... therefore all these softwares are (obviously) closed-sources!
not to be a smart ass but, as long as it works, does it really matter if the source is available?
Yes FOSS is great but if there's a closed source app that does the job I'll use it, there's nothing wrong with closed source vs open when it comes to functionality
Of course, it's mainly a philosophical/ethical topic.
But to give you an example, MixZing recently decided to add an ad-supported system. In the initial release after this system was applied, ads were displayed every 10 seconds, it became almost unusable!
Of course, because a lot of people complained, the MixZin developers changed that. Yet, it's still heavily invaded with ads everywhere...
Another thing is that if you like a software but think it lacks a functionality, with open source you can add it. Of course, it requires technical skills, but the most important thing is that it is possible. With closed source, the only thing you can do is to send a feedback to the developers, then cross your fingers and hope that your request will be implemented in the next version.
A last thing: if the software is discontinued (e.g. the main developers lack of time to keep maintaining the software), the source is available for anybody to maintain it. With closed sources, well... use your software until the next Android update tells you it's too old to run on your system!
By the way, I should twist my fingers 7 times before typing anything: the main developer of RockOn created a project called ^3 (Cubed) which is open source as well, and which has evolved a lot since the last time I checked it! It might become my music player of choice!
I personally use Music Mod. I'm not sure if it's open or not, it's based on the stock music player.
As for open source vs not, I use the best tool for the job. I've used Linux for 11 years and Unix for years before that but I'm no source code tree hugging hippy..
There are many open source software.. I'd have to guess most on code.google.com are open..
arcMedia is based off ffmpeg and so should be OSS
(appbrain playing up today so link here)
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/multimedia/arcmedia_jpez.html
I have a WordPress site that I am wanting to enclose in an android app and I wanted to see if there was a way I could use some sort of a wrapper for this? I looked at feed.nu and it is good, but it does not allow me to use all the functionality of my WordPress site.
Thanks,
Adam
One of the key aspects of Android is its open-source nature, and one of the biggest players in the open-source community is GitHub. What better way to tie that all together than for GitHub to release an Android app? So here it is
GITHUB
" GitHub is the best way to collaborate with others.
Create, manage, and discuss issues and stay up to date with an integrated news feed for all your organizations, friends, and repositories.
View your issues dashboard to stay connected with all the issues you've reported, been assigned, or participating in the discussion on. You can also view and filter a repository's issue list and bookmark it for quick access."
As you might expect, the entire application is open-source, and GitHub has invited users to take a look through their app's repository to see exactly how the application was built. Fitting right in with the latest Android style, the GitHub app uses a nice implementation of the Android UI guidelines (AKA "Holo"), which should be a good basis for other application developers to derive their own application themes from.
The GitHub application requires an account to use, but it's free to sign up, so go check it out.
Credits (Source /copied) - Android Police , Playstore
Enjoy!!
Cheers!!
If it's not done already, you really should post this in a more generic app thread.
I'll try the app to follow up on CM9/AOKP.
Thanks.
I am starting android dev soon.
I want to use open source apps and modify them than publish them to google play for commercial use?
Does open source really mean I am able to use the open source code from f-droid and modify and use for commercial?
Is this how developers are efficiently coding these days? Is writing a program from scratch obsolete if it is available in open source?
Does anyone know any successful google play store apps that are purely based off open source? It would be helpful to see examples.
Muzei and Dashclock are both open source and good examples of how android apps should be.
But be aware that just because an app is open source that doesn't mean you can modify it and distribute is as your own
Web Browsers:
FOSS Browser: fully open source, no telemetry, Material You.
GitHub - scoute-dich/browser: A simple Android webbrowser based on webview.
A simple Android webbrowser based on webview. Contribute to scoute-dich/browser development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
Mull: unblobbed Firefox fork.
DivestOS Mobile / Mull-Fenix · GitLab
Build scripts for a web browser built upon Mozilla technology
gitlab.com
App Stores:
F-droid: only open source apps.
F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository
F-Droid is an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform. The client makes it easy to browse, install, and keep track of updates on your device.
f-droid.org
Aurora Store: Play Store front-end.
Aurora OSS / AuroraStore · GitLab
An Open Source alternative for Google Play Store
gitlab.com
Music Players:
Auxio: Material You, highly customizable.
GitHub - OxygenCobalt/Auxio: A simple, rational music player for android
A simple, rational music player for android. Contribute to OxygenCobalt/Auxio development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
Messengers:
Session: encrypted, decentralized, open source.
GitHub - oxen-io/session-android: A private messenger for Android.
A private messenger for Android. Contribute to oxen-io/session-android development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
Social Media Clients:
Nitter: Twitter client.
Nitter for Android | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository
Android client for the popular Twitter frontend, Nitter.
f-droid.org
RedReader: customizable Reddit client.
RedReader | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository
Client for reddit.com
f-droid.org
maoosonyourdesk said:
Web Browsers:
FOSS Browser: fully open source, no telemetry, Material You.
GitHub - scoute-dich/browser: A simple Android webbrowser based on webview.
A simple Android webbrowser based on webview. Contribute to scoute-dich/browser development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
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Very valuable post but value might even enhance if you provide the links to the XDA threads like this one for the FOSS Browser of @Gaukler_Faun:
[App] [7.+] FOSS Browser [Open Source]
"FOSS Browser" is a fully free (as in freedom) open source Android software. The intention is to provide a simple and lightweight, but powerful and privacy-friendly browser with a modern user interface. - Your privacy - your data. Wiki |...
forum.xda-developers.com
Regards
Oswald Boelcke
Oswald Boelcke said:
Very valuable post but value might even enhance if you provide the links to the XDA threads like this one for the FOSS Browser of @Gaukler_Faun:
[App] [7.+] FOSS Browser [Open Source]
"FOSS Browser" is a fully free (as in freedom) open source Android software. The intention is to provide a simple and lightweight, but powerful and privacy-friendly browser with a modern user interface. - Your privacy - your data. Wiki |...
forum.xda-developers.com
Regards
Oswald Boelcke
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i was planning to improve it
thanks for the reply