This is the real issue. It has not necessarily anything to do with commercial interest but user numbers count with open-source developers as well. Having just 5000 active users or so automatically means also a lower absolute number of possible developers than if the ecosystem had 5 million users.
5 million would still be a tiny number in the mobile world and would still not attract the likes of WhatsCrapp or FarceBook but the odds of having capable developers among those 5M would be much higher than it is now and developing for a system that looks fresh and alive and not stagnating like SFOS would also be much more fun.
Thatās exactly what I mean. There are very few of us around and thatās the real issue, not the lack of commercial apps that flood you with adds and sell your data who knows where.
In a way, when we āputā on a new OS, we know that we will encounter certain problems. It was the case with maemo, with Meego / Harmattan too. Some people, like me, can be too expected of Jolla.
By reading all these messages, I realize the problem better. And in this case, if we canāt hope to attract big developers, I understand better why Jolla has spent so much time optimizing Android support. Even if there are still bugs, I must admit that the experience is much better than at the beginning.
However, I think we should at least have all the basic applications natively.
- a good file browser
- a good media player
- a good browser
- a good email client
- a good gallery
ect ā¦
And for example, about file browser, CepiPerez coded a great one, called FileCase, i donāt know if you can find it on jolla store, but itās on openrepos. Unfortunately the app is not working and not maintened anymore.
The UI was great, the app support multiples services, and extract / compress.
Why Jolla donāt search for these good devs and offering them some kind of partnership ?
Thereās a lot of great devs.
Iām not going to name 15,000 but take Coderus for example, this guy literally improved SFOS for almost the whole community.
1 Like
You are mainly talking about Sailfish OS core apps developed by Jolla.
- The default browser (and alternatives from community) is hindered by Qt version. With newer Qt we would get better browsers. The community have requested newer Qt for a long time and Jolla is working on upgrading Qt even though it takes time.
- The camera app could be better but there are alternatives like Advanced Camera in openrepos. As you already indicated Sony is partly to blame for this and there is not much Jolla can do to change that besides maybe use another vendor than Sony, but that is a big and complex step.
- Gallery app could also be better. I donāt know if there are any alternative apps, but otherwise it would be good tell Jolla about the problems so they can fix them (like I see that you have done in another topics). Good work!
- You also mentioned the lack of a proper maps app in another topic. You are aware of Pure Maps in openrepos?
For the non-core apps I agree with you that it would be better if community worked together to get at least one really good app for each use case.
Is/was Coderus, the guy you praised a few lines below, not actually employed by the Russian equivalent of Jolla (OMP)?
Thatās the one I think would be the most pressing for me. eMail is not perfect but I can live with that but the Sailfish web browser is just atrocious.
2 Likes
thanks for the openrepos.
but again what I mean, why this really badic ones cant be straight in the basic sailgish app repos, so I font need to be looking after them
and why is jolla store and openrepos are not in the same placr?
OpenRepos allow anyone to upload an app, it doesnāt have to conform to SilicaUI standards or approved APIs, anyone can upload an rpm there with 0 checks, so you install them on your own responsibility, harbour (jolla store) has a bit higher standard, but if they actually check for any backdoorsā¦ Wouldnāt know
I am not sure what do you refer to as āhigher standardā when comparing OpenRepos and Jolla Store. Jolla Store limits available APIs, OpenRepos does not. As for the check by Jollaās staff, that is in the official store and not in OpenRepos. How much would it improve the standard of the app, I donāt know.
2 Likes
Not sure if this was reply to me, but āhigher standardsā would be using silica (whether using it properly and not just some calls and keeping basic qt along the way as long as it worksā¦ no idea, just enough that a lot of apps from openrepos would not pass harbour QA, nothing more nothing less), but it would be interesting to submit an app that passes all sdk testing and doesnāt conform to silica at all, curious if it would pass testing (once it resumes)
I think you overestimate the store entirely. Obviously not checked Jolla on quality and (UI)standards, but is glad to offer anything at all, which fits into the guidelines.
Higher standards are relative. Compared to what? Compliant or functional? Many use tools and apps from OpenRepo to make SFOS user-friendly.
The checks in store/sdk do offer some āsafetyā (no postinst scripts that would drop files all over the place, or chown/chattr files for root access etc), but yeah thereās definitely ways around that too. In openrepos anyone can drop anything (even rm -rf / āappā), so there is at least that tiny bit (and Iām sure people would alert openrepos owner to kick the guy out after such a joke app, but yeah, wonāt happen in harbour thanks to QA)
It is starting to be personal 
Did you try OSM Scout? You may report bugs and feature requests here: https://github.com/Karry/osmscout-sailfish
Or Pure Maps from @rinigus It has great UI and is better for car navigationā¦ You may report bugs and feature requests here: https://github.com/rinigus/pure-maps/
6 Likes
dont take it personal, cause is not.
I have try the first, and I like it, but with some bugs and slow.
the other one I reject to use it, Pure Maps, cause I dont understand why is not in Jolla Store, so I dont download it.
thanks
1 Like
You could ask @rinigus (Pure Maps) directly? He is here a few posts above 
. But the discussion is many years old.
https://together.jolla.com/question/146142/how-can-i-trust-apps-from-openrepos/
Usually the source code of the apps is available (in OpenRepos). You can control it and compile it yourself. In the Jolla store you have no opportunity to do so. You also need to have confidence that the app is not harmful. Jolla checks the confirmation, but not like e.g. the quality. There are good and bad apps everywhere.
If we want quality, security, privacy and controllability, then no precompiled program should be installed. A store cannot protect, but control of the source code (a bit ).
My 5 cents.
2 Likes
Pure Maps is not in the store as it is using QtLocation, for longer version see https://together.jolla.com/question/176784/poor-maps-on-the-store/?answer=176803#post-id-176803 and notice the date. It still holds.
I have tried to work around Jolla Store restrictions with OSM Scout Server (offline maps component used by Pure Maps and few others). In the end, due to the changes in policies and packaging, I decided to pull that out, explained at https://together.jolla.com/question/182266/native-offline-maps-osm-scout-server/?answer=182267#post-id-182267
As there is much needless work, and in case of Pure Maps impossible restrictions, I am preferring to focus on the development of the maps stack instead of fighting Jollaās Store rules. Which has been success, as these applications (Pure Maps and OSM Scout Server) are now also available on Ubuntu Touch, and through Flatpak, on PureOS, Mobian, and Linux PCs. You could also see Pure Maps on promotional screenshots of Plasma Mobile. Pure Maps has been packaged and distributed in postmarketOS, OSM Scout Server will be in future.
In the end, it is a call of the user on whether install something through one channel or another. As a developer, I made my choice regarding the channels. Source code is available, you can compile required dependencies and package it as well. If the choices made by developer and user donāt align, then the applications donāt get installed.
In case of OSM Scout by @karry, I guess he has not been restricted by available APIs on Jolla Store. I know that modRana had separate versions - full for OpenRepos and crippled for Jolla Store. Again, it is a choice by developers on how to distribute the applications.
6 Likes
Its plain stupid to have a properly working maps app and to be forced to use an Android app. (assuming you donāt want to mess with openrepos)
Probably this needs to be brought up again (and again) in a meeting until it gets resolved.
1 Like
Jolla is working on upgrading Qt even though it takes time.
Where did you get that idea?
1 Like
By work I mean all kinds of stuff needed (or at least preferred) for a Qt upgrade:
- Investigate possible problems with upgrading Qt.
- Investigating how to handle license for the next Qt version.
- Upgrading toolchain
A lot of this stuff have already been mentioned in the community collaboration meetings since the āQt upgradeā question have been asked there several times.
Thanks a lot for your work.