I will install /e/ on my FP3+ as soon as it arrives. I do not intend to use the included App-Store, as I find cleanapk questionable. My Plan is to use Aurora-Store and F-Droid. To enable automatic updates, I’d like to install their respective privilege extensions. I’d also like to not root my phone and to lock the bootloader after the installation.
Reading through the forum, I got the following plan of the standard installation procedure:
While the bootloader is still unlocked, you install the respective extensions using TWRP, which you don’t have to install on FP3s, you just boot into it via adb. After this you can install the stores just normal from apk’s and connect with their respective privilege apps.
Now I have three questions:
Has anyone experienced the privilege extension being uninstalled by a regular /e/ OTA update? (If yes, this would mean I’d have to keep my bootloader unlocked )
Can you recommend the Aurora-Droid App (Auroras F-Droid frontend)? If this app works well, I could just install only Aurora Services and use this instead of F-Droid.
That may depend. I don’t know how other devices or newer Androids work but here goes. Most ROMs have a backup/restore feature. During installation of the ROM it checks /system/addon.d/. The items in there are backed up, ROM is installed, then the items are restored.
On my Axon 7 that works. With each update of /e/OS everything is restored. However, on my Essential PH-1 that function has never worked. YMMV.
So first you have to make sure that whatever privileged extension installer you choose includes the addon.d scripts. Then I figure you’d have to test by reflashing your ROM and see if it worked. Otherwise, yes, the extension will be removed on new updates as /system is always overwritten.
Don’t do autoupdating. Something I never do. But, just blacklist items first before using such a feature.
I find AuroraDroid still kind of iffy so I can’t recommend it. That’s just me. On a couple of ROMs I’m now using F-Droid Classic and its privileged extension (* see below).
BTW, the latest version of Aurora Services now has a whitelist allowing other apps to use it. I recently set up a ROM on my Moto using MinMicroG which includes it. I also installed /e/ App Store on the ROM, mostly for the PWA offerings. Anyway, I was surprised to find Apps showed up in the list though it didn’t seem to use it after checking it.
(*) The aforementioned privileged extension is designed to be installed as a normal app. Then one is to use adb to grant it the permissions (Device Owner) it needs to install apps in the background. No flashing involved. Supposedly compatible with F-Droid Classic and regular F-Droid.
The Dev has yet to supply info on the adb commands so I made my own installer to push it to system, along with necessary permissions file(s). Working fine on two ROMs so far.
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