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0 pointsgrishka5y ago0 comments

> there doesn't seem to be a way for alternative app stores to silently update software

Yes — because that's something reserved for privileged system apps. You have to root your device to take advantage of that, or make a custom ROM with the alternative store in it. Having that ability as a permission you could grant to any app is an immense security risk. But then there are "device administrator" apps that can literally factory reset the device... I don't know. Maybe package installation should be part of that. Especially now that the legacy permission model was taken care of — if you install an app that doesn't support runtime permissions, you'll get a list of its permissions with toggles next to them when you run it for the first time.

> you'll sit there for 5 minutes just approving install prompts every week

Unpopular opinion: well-made software that serves its user doesn't need to be updated very often. Remember how you bought a program on a CD and used the exact same build for years?

0 comments

GordonS5y ago

If you root your device, doesn't that mean you will no longer be able receive Android OS software updates from the phone manufacturer?

> Unpopular opinion: well-made software that serves its user doesn't need to be updated very often. Remember how you bought a program on a CD and used the exact same build for years?

Sure, I'm even old enough to remember this but on cassettes and floppy disks! But - software now is much more complex than it used to be - most software has dependencies on other libraries/frameworks, and has to deal with communication and encryption (where it is all to easy to make subtle mistakes). IMO, for security reasons alone, it's no longer realistic to expect software without at least occasional updates.

grishkaOP5y ago

> software now is much more complex than it used to be

I'd say software now is much more complex than it needs to be. It's made to ease the life of the developer, usually an inexperienced one, at the expense of the user.

> IMO, for security reasons alone, it's no longer realistic to expect software without at least occasional updates.

If people would stop rewriting things that already work fine, we'll run out of vulnerabilities at some point. Or, if you must rewrite them and have a good reason to do so, at least use a memory-safe language. Even C++ is much better than C and raw pointers. Anything is better than C and raw pointers. Yet all major OS kernels and most userspace components are written in C and use raw pointers and vulnerabilities in those are being found all too often.

neop1x5y ago

> If you root your device, doesn't that mean you will no longer be able receive Android OS software updates from the phone manufacturer?

It often means that. :( But it is not that bad for some devices. Geeks from Lineage community regurarly update closed vendor code in the LineageOS. So if you are lucky and Lineage is well-supported on your device, you can still have root nowadays with up-to-date vendor blobs.

For example I rooted my Xperia XZ2 Compact and I am quite happy with it. By using Magisk and Magisk Hide, I am still able to use Google Pay. At the same time, I can use Titanium Backup and f-droid root extension to let f-droid install updates automatically. I hope this device will last me for a long time as I don't see many alternatives - most other phones are too big for me, too old/slow or unsupported.

im3w1l5y ago

How very convinient for Google that "security" means competitors can't have feature parity. But then why are you saying there aren't any hurdles?

quotemstr5y ago

> Having that ability as a permission you could grant to any app is an immense security risk

A risk to whom? There is no permission that is a "security risk" so long as it's the device owner granting that permission.

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