Better sailfish apps

General
#1

hello
I have been thinking these days, after been using Sfos, why most of the apps that I can use in sfos are useless and that bad that or they dont work properly or is kind of complicated to do anything with them.
Talking through a user like me, I think that Sfos should focus in create great and awesome apps for their own. Bringing all the developers that wanna support this amazing project and creat something really solid, instead that are many developers creating their own free app and , in my point of view, some of them waisting time and energy. Why no to work together to create the basics strong and beautyful, for a beatyful project??

I dont know, is just my thoughs after been using much more apps from android cause the ones in sfos are just so useless.

1 Like
#2

What kind of apps are you talking about? Can you give some examples? Can you be more specific why you think they are bad?

3 Likes
#3

Majority of SFOS applications is open-source and are developed by its maintainers in free time. You cannot push people to do something in their free time, when you don’t pay them… So, people are doing something that is fun for them. And for majority of developers is fun to create something new. Not fixing existing code of someone else…

Another aspect is that create prototype cost 20% of time. Make it bug-free, feature rich and in “production” quality cost another 80% of time. And it is not such fun usually.

Anyway, instead of such complains, try to be constructive. Identify what application or feature you are missing most, try to contact developers on github, describe your needs, offer some help - for example merge request… In other words, offer your time :slight_smile:

13 Likes
#4

@karry is spot on.

I do understand @delocoyo’s frustration with the apps, though. It’s not like SailfishOS has many industry-grade apps. But that’s a consequence of how they’re developed, and you described all the reasons.

It will get better, of course. And you can help!

1 Like
#5

We really need paid apps. I think it’s the logic and best way to help and motivate the developers.
Sailfish OS is something like 7 ou 8 years old, i can’t understand why there’s still no paid apps.
Maybe we should make a community monthly coding competition with a leaderboard and a leetchi jackpot :roll_eyes:

3 Likes
#6

@malibu1106 why do you think paid apps have better quality? have you seen the majority of android/ios mobile apps? and do you use any paid apps of your desktop? no? well, probably because FLOSS programs usually are just the better alternative. we need ways to support devs through the official store - and of course the store needs a lot of improvements - for users and devs.

4 Likes
#7

@misc11

I am saying maybe nonsense, but I imagine if developers made money, they would make an effort to optimize / finish their apps, and keep them up to date. I don’t really know, personally I use few apps, I mainly use sailfish for customization, privacy & multitasking. I thought that making developers money could potentially motivate them to be “full-time”. And it’s not the same community as on android or ios, it’s up to everyone to choose what they’re willing to pay for, so in a way, it’s the community that influences the devs.

Maybe a page dedicated to application requests, with a voting system would be interesting, and in my opinion, with a reward system at least.

3 Likes
#8

What can help? As usual with Linux, you have to find a developer who can inspire you with your idea. Sure, there are tons of portable Linux code, but sometimes licenses prohibit commercial use. Developers want to earn and prefer to work for Android or iOS. A payment shop for Jolla is not an alternative. Money is made in the mainstream. Calculate yourself.

I personally don’t think paying will really help. A good example is Blackberry OS10 with the commercial store. As soon as an Android runtime is available, everyone screams for 100% Google compatibility, latest Droid updates… and no longer buys native OS10 apps and BB10 devices. The same thing happens with Jolla with a small significant difference :wink: , Blackberry OS10 has been dead for a long time.

2 Likes
#9

@4carlos
So what do we do ? Do we use SFOS to launch android applications? With a lot of issues ? I find it ridiculous

#10

yes of course.
browser app. that one it takes so much time to load, and is not a easy to work with. Is slow and with no so many opportunities.
camera app is horrible. also cause sony took away the possibility to use it properly. So not a good camera in anyways.
gallery app. it cant not even allowed you to delete many photos at the same time…

and I can keep saying.

is this answering your questions??

#11

very well said Karry.

I will start try to know where at who should I write to, cause not really idea yet.
But you have missed what I was trying to explain in my text.
what I am saying is that all the free time developers work , could be focus in develop together something more great for the users, instead of creating their own one for the same purpose. Is like working the developers for media apps, to work together to make a great one , instead that the jolla store has many of the kind same type of apps, that are not even working properly , to do one great in togetherness with jolla.

1 Like
#12

And when we pay an amount of money to get a licence , that money could be used to create the basic apps better for the users.

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#13

there is where I am starting to find myself. I cant even have a great map app in sailfish???!!

1 Like
#14

I think the only way to get more good SFOS apps is to grow the user base, this way exposing more people (and thus potential developers) to Sailfish.
Also let’s be honest, most Android apps are total garbage, it’s just that there are enough of them around so even 0.1% decent apps may be enough to pick from.

2 Likes
#15

One thing everyone can do when they miss application which exists on Android/iOS. Ask the original application developer to make an SFOS version of it. If enough people nag about it, maybe small percentage of the software houses will comply. E.g. Whatsapp runs natively on Nokia 3110 (the new one) which has very few resources, but they did not bother with SFOS. Personally I thing the SFOS android support is two edged sword, and the sharpest edge is not doing any good.

I have weird fun when some application is claimed “for every phone”, and that actually means Android and iOS. So I go and ask how do I install it as I cannot find it from my phone’s store. It is amazing how many sales people have not even thought that there are other operating systems out there.

It is quite hard for a developer to create application for an existing closed source service, very hard to find API specs and other documentation, reverse engineering and empirical study takes lots of work and time. And when the application is ready to be useful, the service changes its API without prior notification so the application is suddenly useless and you have to start reverse engineering the new API.
Many such services disregard third party client applications, some even change the API constantly to make the third party client developer’s life hell.

1 Like
#16

I invent a great idea, code it when having freetime, then look how many downloaded the app. More than ten, nice, more than 100, super, more than 1000, can’t believe. But coding your own ideas is fun.
There should be also other type of persons in the community. Those who like to lead a coding process. Like to be social. Like to communicate. Like to use their free time for some other than coding.

#17

@malibu1106, yes it is ridiculous. I have no answer. It’s the same story with Windows desktop or Linux Desktop. I’ve seen some attempts to break Google’s monopoly. Fairphone, Ubuntu Touch, Pine … Lots of people say, “Hey, it’s great, but what about Android compatibility?” At Sailfish I have to fear from version to version that I will get new bugs and that old bugs have not been fixed. Unfortunately, that is the reality. I like Sailfish, but it’s hard to live with.

I currently have no idea to change that.

1 Like
#18

From the community for the community… That’s the idea behind Linux. What does the reality look like?

There are some really big programs like Libre Office or Blender etc. but the desktop is still dominated by Windows. Linux has thousands of special applications designed to support edge problems. These are server tools, technical and scientific programs. They cannot be used in everyday life. Really useful and good applications only arise where there is an economic interest. They have to be developed over months/years and maintained over years. That means employees who are responsible for the product, not only for fun. As long as Sailfish is not even counted in statistics for mobile systems, there is no interest in developing for SFOS. You can’t live from enthusiasm.

We can all be happy that we have OpenRepos and sometimes a pearl like Pure Maps appears in there. The Jolla store? There is nothing useful for me. The store is full of tic-tac-toe nonsense that is no longer maintained.

Sorry for the inconvenience. I’ve been a developer for 30 years and like Sailfish, but I’m not uncritical and close my eyes. More important than applications is the update to current libraries, QT and the maintenance of the basics such as the browser or the crippled xmpp protocol. Nobody uses it anymore. Everything started somehow and nothing is really done. Product management could be better.

4 Likes
#19

As a Linux user on the desktop I would strongly disagree.

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#20

Sure, I’m using Linux for 25 years too, but look at OpenRepos. Many apps in the meantime are outdated. SFOS is a small distribution with a very small active community.