Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

My family sponsored me an Android phone so that I could communicate in a 21st century way (but I didn't throw away my old Java phone ).

There have already been topics on our forum about Android, nevertheless I suggest that in this topic you give suggestions for Android programs that you use - preferably ones that require as little permissions as possible.

My first suggestion is:
Linux Command Library
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.ins ... bliotheca/

puppy_apprentice wrote: Fri Sep 06, 2024 6:15 pm

My family sponsored me an Android phone so that I could communicate in a 21st century way (but I didn't throw away my old Java phone ).

My family sponsored me with insistent requests to buy a new toilet, since I changed the tiles on the floor in the appropriate room. And the cost of this device is equal to the cost of a smartphone. By the way, when the jackhammer was working, the neighbors showed excellent communication skills for the 21st century. I haven't heard so many swear words in a long time

My Android Smartphone is an old Samsung Galaxy S5. Don't use it as a phone, just a pocket size computer tool.

Thanks
wizard

SearX

The most useful for me is the unofficial SearX app
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/search.searx/

SearX is a search engine. All it does is SearX.
In the setup menu you can choose from 75 different SearX instances or enter your own favorite.

It is an fdroid app. No trackers. FOSS (free and open source) like Puppy.

OpenBoard

I almost forgot about this one

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.dsl ... hod.latin/
An opensource keyboard that does not spy on you!

Replaces your keyboard.
Most keyboards send every keystroke to the phone manufacturer.

There are a few replacement keyboards at fdroid, OpenBoard is the one I use. You can search for the whole list at the https://search.f-droid.org page using the search word keyboard.

It is an fdroid app. No trackers. FOSS (free and open source) like Puppy.

Random Number Generator Plus
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... eratorplus

Sketching (PFA)
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sec ... sketching/

J2ME Loader
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/ru.play ... 2meloader/

Hash Droid
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.hobbyone.HashDroid/

Password Generator
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.vec ... generator/

HashEasily
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/io.github.hasheazy/

Simple Draw Pro
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.sim ... .draw.pro/
Shopping List (Privacy Friendly)
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/privacy ... ppinglist/
Todo List (PFA)
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sec ... ytodolist/

regards
opera mini apk
how we can install it on puppy linux

I'm using J2ME (.jar) version of Opera Mini on Linux and Android.

But you can try those methods:
https://developnsolve.com/how-to-run-an ... s-on-linux
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-ru ... -on-linux/



https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/run-andro ... mes-linux/
https://www.fosslinux.com/92365/how-to- ... ulator.htm
https://www.howtogeek.com/waydroid-andr ... -on-linux/

Extirpater

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/us.spotco.extirpater/
An Android free space eraser for flash memory and sd cards.

Erases (overwrites) unused space on flash memory and sd cards. Can take a few hours to run if you have a lot of free space. On my android it took 3 hours to overwrite 100GB on my sd card.

It is an fdroid app. No trackers. FOSS (free and open source) like Puppy.

I recently downloaded and installed this very handy FOSS file manager:

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.ghostsq.commander/

Bubble
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.woheller69.level/

Pocket Paint
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.catrobat.paintroid/

ScummVM - on GPlay is newer version.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... vm.scummvm
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.scummvm.scummvm/

puppy_apprentice wrote: Tue Sep 10, 2024 3:01 pm

ScummVM - on GPlay is newer version.

People, do not forget to first look at the version for your device in the long list on the downloads page of the official website.

BTW. Thanks to the recently added support of Nancy Drew (Secrets Can Kill & etc...), the female half of humanity has joined the program

As someone who uses many graphic programs, I thought you would comment on my painting skills first

Translate You
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.bnyro.translate/

Alpinequest for offline GPS maps for hiking etc. No turn by turn directions.

"Here we go" for offline Google maps substitute with turn by turn directions.

Scrcpy to use a regular computer as a thin client for your phone so you can type on a real keyboard.

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=10838

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic. ... 39#p113539

Acode
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.foxdebug.acode/

Finance Manager
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sec ... cemanager/

Not to do with apps per se...

I'm often out and about with only an Android phone for Internet browsing and what a pain I find it posting to the forum with my one finger android keyboard uselessness... and worse still when I want to quote/copy and paste and so on...

Don't know why I haven't done this before, but tonight I popped in a tiny OTG adapter; not one with power supply addtional connection - just the standard USB big connector to usbC convertor. And stuck normal wired mouse into that... My goodness, what a difference that simple connection makes - especially with cut and paste working and great control over browser tabs and page search and zooming and so on using mouse buttons and scroll wheel...

Now I've connected a small bluetooth keyboard to above set up and typing using that right now. Not quite as good as my laptop, but does the job. Actually, I also tried plugging a small usb hub into the OTG adapter and connected wired mouse and wired keyboard to that and was surprised it worked, but worried it might draw more current that I wanted to from the phone - hence substituting in the bluetooth; might have been fine though...

Another reason I'm trying this is that I'm planning to play with Andronix (I think it is called). Having used USERLAND in the past and similar, the Termux console plus Andronix approach should be good with actual keyboard and mouse I imagine. Having said that I believe it is possible to simply install a vncserver plus vncviewer in Termux and install the likes of JWM, and just use own kind of set up that way, but maybe it is more complicated than I imagine it would be (using PRoot). Anyway, just the tiny OTG adapter with a mouse was wonderful... a bluetooth mouse would do too of course.

very cool!!

F-Droid is an alternate app store, having mostly open source stuff on it.

It's amazing the speed difference in apps from F-Droid versus the official google Play Store.

I recently had to get a new phone, the old phone's battery was dying. Android does a great job of copying old phone data to the new phone, but nothing from F-Droid copied over. All the open source stuff was deemed dangerous by Google.

So +1 for F-Droid!!

Apps from F-Droid that I use regularly are:

RiMusic - Youtube Music player that you can shut off the screen and just listen to music, without ads.

NewPipe - Youtube player that isn't youtube, so no ads or other bloaty BS.

droidVNC - Fantastic app that lets me control my phone via VNC. Similar in functionality to scrcpy, but works all the time. Phone doesn't have to be rooted for it to work.

Material Files - Not just a file browser, but the bit I use the most is the FTP server that is built in. I use that every day to do a system backup of my work files to my phone. Very convenient.

Breezy Weather - A simple, quick weather app. If you're Australian and use the official Bureau of Meteorology app on an old phone, you'll know how painfully slow it is. Breezy is not slow at all.

Syncthing
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.nutomi ... ngandroid/

I use it to synchronize data on the local network, between my desktop and my Android phone e.g. Photos. Notes etc.

You could have it running permanently in the background and also carry out comparisons over the Internet.

I just start it when necessary and then close it straight away. This means that almost nothing changes in terms of battery requirements.

The Linux version of Syncthing runs under Bionicpup64, Fossapup64 and Bookwormpup64.

The firewall must have the appropriate ports open.

SNotepad
https://github.com/aario/snotepad/releases

Simple notes app.

I tried out a few, but what made me choose this app was the ability to set the storage location and the fact that the notes are pure text files that can be further edited using, for example, Geany.

However, there may be restrictions regarding the selection of storage space, depending on the Android version, as writing to areas outside the APP e.g. external SD, became more and more difficult over time.

Under Android 11 customrom crDroid, writing to memory areas that are not assigned to the app still works.

shelter
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.typeblog.shelter/
Isolate and run multiple instances of apps using Work Profiles

The app works similarly to another user profile, but is easier to administer.

I use the app to act as a standard user for everyday functions such as: "Look at the clock" or make phone calls without having to laboriously unlock my cell phone.

I don't use fingerprint.

On the other hand, I have installed my own browser in the work profile, which is secured with a long password, which I only use via a self-hosted VPN. The Keepass database as well as sensitive data, boarding pass, etc. are only stored in the work profile.

I assume that I have no control over my data at the firmware level anyway, which is why I use my cell phone for sensitive activities as little as possible.

In the event of a loss, I feel reasonably protected with this solution.

So... on my samsung galaxy s21 ultra phone so have all my wanted android apps...

But... I'm posting this on Andronix ubuntu jammy xfce chromium browser..

This clearly works, but what I don't have with me is my bluetooth keyboard and mouse, which should make this xfce based ubuntu very usable and more so when my 8.7 in android tablet gets this andronix install.

As it stands, this is very inconvenient and tricky. It was also tricky to install for me, which doesn't bode well for inexperienced Linux users. Is this proot based Linux on android install the future for world where mobile phone usage dominates ( including tablets for larger screen size)? Maybe, but need easier Linux integration, which unfortunately relies on the likes of google when it comes to Android.

My own feeling is that rdp or vnc connection back to remote server via say ssh is better, but that has disadvantage that server connection needs to first be set up which is beyond the skillset of most people... catch22

Just confirming that Andronix is pretty good when you also connect mouse (and optional keyboard) via OTG adapter, bluetooth, or wifi.

However there is an issue. From Android 12 onwards, google included phantom process kill code, which limits apps to 32 processes I believe (kills app if exceeded). That soon kills off Termux and Andronix stuff. There are workarounds available since google allows that code to be switched off, but need adb when using the likes of samsung or xiaomi phones - a real pain and certainly beyond many potential users. Also, we can't know if google will later force that code permanently on and specially since wanting to use their own virtual os solutions eventually.

Note well that it is important to use the latest Termux from f-droid prior to installing Andronix from Playstore. The version of Termux from Playstore is apparently crippled.