How to be able to install and use any app on FP Open OS [meta discussion]

[paulakreuzer]

@jme

e.g. i did not have the issue you mentioned in your PPS since i did not have Xposed installed (which I believed I needed for a long time and thus was very reluctant to give everything a try

I don’t think it’s that confusing since in level 5 it never says that you need Xposed.

On the other hand I believe that maybe all you needed was Level 4. Level 5 is for apps that access Google’s SafetyNet to verify that you have an unmodified OS, so in that case you’ll need to remove root.
In Level 4 you’ll only mock the existance of Google Apps with microg and you’ll spoof signatures by installing the NoGAPPS Xposed Module if I remember correctly. (Maybe we should mention there that you can alternatively do that with Tingel, although I believe flashing a zip file in TWRP is easier for basic-ish users than patching something via a computer’s terminal.

@jme

Also, there might be an app which needs µG but does/does not work with root. So here “level4” and “level 5” get mixed up.

No, that’s simply Level 5.

@jme

As for the installation procedures: I find it much easier/comfortable/carefree to trust f-droid and just install sth. by clicking on a button instead of downloading something from some shady website … and so forth. So “my” Level 1 is F-Droid App Store.

It’s the same for me. But still for first time smartphone/android users you’ll first have to explain the general concept of installing app packages. Once F-Droid will be preinstalled like it’s planned for future updates (probably with Android 6) Level 2 may come first.
But as for now, Level 1 explains how you install F-Droid, which of course comes first.

@jme

i tried to rather present everything as “alternatives” or a set of options.

I actually think that is a bigger source of confusion than the levels. Now when I tell someone: Do Level 5, they know to follow everything there, but in your guide if I tell someone to Mock an unmodified OS how would they know which of your optional steps are mandatory for them?

@jme

Note that some of these steps are optional. Your app might be happy with just µG with Nlp backends. Or it might additionally need the play store (i.e. “FakeStore”) or it might additionally need signature spoofing.

First Case is an app that you already installed and that generally works already, it just has problems with the location, so that is the wrong wiki, you’ll find that in the gpsguide or the first steps with Open OS wiki.

EDIT: Third Case is Level 4’s Mocking Google with microg. Second case is nothing, as microg without signature spoofing doesn’t do anything.

@jme

I don’t see the problem, however, with leaving the current guide as it is and only add a link to a new version (“This guide will not be updated anymore, see here for a new version” or the like)

Well I don’t think that would make any sense. If the guide is outdated it wouldn’t help anybody. No I think we should figure out a way to incorporate your changes in the current guide, without messing with the levels. Maybe we should explain the levels better first.

Could you mark the changes in your version?