On the importance of F-Droid, an Android app store (rocket9labs.com)

submitted 1 month ago by trevor@lemmy.ml to c/opensource@lemmy.ml

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[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 35 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I'll be "that guy":

F-Droid is a software repository, not an app store. The distinction is subtle but important. A software repository offers a community-curated collection of software packages whereas an app store is just a marketplace for software developers to offer products to end-users. A software repository serves the interests of its community first, whereas an app store is merely a means for developers to sell products to end-users.

[-] trevor@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago

F-Droid is more of a marketplace for software developers than it is a set of community curated apps. The requirement for F-Droid software to be open source is just a guideline/rule like the minimum target API level on the Google Play Store. F-Droid is a neutral platform in my observations over the couple of years I have published there, and does not curate its content.

[-] chebra@mstdn.io 16 points 1 month ago

@trevor What are you talking about? If they can't build it themselves without proprietary stuff, then it doesn't get published. That's not a mere "guideline".

[-] trevor@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 month ago

If your app doesn't meet the target minimum API level on the Google Play Store, then it doesn't get published. It's just as much of a guideline, so I don't think this is really relevant to the point of the article.