App crashes - any solutions?

Hello all, I’m a new user with a freshly installed 0.7-o-2019112632032-dev-star2lte on a Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Model SM-G965F). So far, I really like what I see, but…

There are a lot of apps that keep crashing once I try to work with them. First (and worst) of all, the Apps store keeps crashing. I have discovered the workaround, and that’s fine and dandy, but it would be nice if the OS-included apps store would just work.
Much to my dismay, Apps is not the only app that keeps crashing. The default browser crashes, when you try to download files. Kaspersky Secure Connection crashes directly upon opening, as does Microsoft OneDrive. Some other app stores show similar behaviour when I try to download or install apps from them.
I am at a point where the /e/-powered S9+ looks like a cute, slightly expensive toy instead of the replacement for my Lumia 950XL, as I had intended. Yes, I realized this was not one of the “big two” mobile OSs, with all the warts that may include, but it would really be nice if I could use my new "smart"phone for more than calling people and sending a few messages, if you know what I mean. :wink:

And I’m not even trying out any kind of online banking with it unless stuff like Secure Connection works without crashing.

So please…is there any solution to this problem? I would very much love my Google-alternative S9+ and spread the word of /e/ among my friends, but not with it crashing left and right like this.

Hello, welcome to our community :slight_smile:

An update to fix the crash of the Download Manager (so the crash of the Apps Store and Browser too, and maybe others apps) is being deployed, I just made the update. Will be available soon for your device.

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Yes, thank you! I am so looking forward to using /e/ as smoothly as it looks! :smiley:

Hello.

I am loving /e/ for a few days now too!
Having the exact same problem as Geron here.

Running s9 G960f

Friendly greetings *

The dev fix update is available for S9 starlte
https://images.ecloud.global/dev/starlte/

(If you bought your S9 at e.foundation then the stable fix update will probably be available in a few days)

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First of all, thank you very much for the bug fix! :smiley:

This looks like I will have to reflash my phone in order to get the bug fix, is this correct? In that case, it will have to wait until I have sufficient time to go through the whole procedure again. Oh well, at least the workaround does work :slight_smile:

On that matter, is there a chance that future updates will be provided via OTA updater functionality? It would be a major PITA if every update and bugfix required a complete reflashing with a new firmware version. :thinking:

Updates are already coming OTA.

And even if you flash manually, it takes 10s more.
Without data loss of course.

The fix update isn’t out yet for your device, that’s why you don’t have OTA update available.

The installation of the /e/ OTP update is done via the already installed TWRP Recovery.

A manual installation of a new /e/ build → without data loss “takes 10s more” (Anonyme #7)

Hello friends.

Same config. as @Geron, a refurbished (not from /e/ store) S9+ SM-G965F, flashed by a colleague a few weeks ago, version 0.7-o-2019110830005-dev-star2lte, and … everything’s working like a charm (only very few and random app. crashes) … just great work ! So happy :slight_smile:

Greetings !

Same config too with a refurbished S9+ from /e/ store.
0.7-o-2019110830012-stable-star2lte
Model SM-G965F
All is working like a charm. Thanks to /e/ team!
But in my version i can read “stable” and not “dev” like in @Geron’s one. Perhaps it’s matter?

Yes it matters. The /e/ refurbished phones sold by the eFoundation are on a “stable” release branch. There is no difference between the “dev” release except that a dev update become a stable one approximately 2 weeks after to ensure there is no major issue.

Since there were issues those last weeks with the dev branch, those updates has not been pushed into the stable branch. That’s why you are stuck on a version from November 8th, but at least you didn’t encounter all those crash issues.

Edit : alternative answer :

Thank you for this explanation!

Apologies if I appeared impatient, that was not my intention. I simply had the impression that all updates had to be flashed manually. This being my first ever Android experience (after 3 Windows phones and a Nokia Symbian phone before that), I have little to no experience with custom firmware for Android devices. And my first install on the S9+ was pretty rough, so I may have reacted a bit too anxious to the idea of having to reflash it all over again.

Thank you for your work on this, and your replies, and thank you Archie for providing this HowTo on manually flashing without data loss. It sets my mind at ease. :slight_smile: Looking forward to the new build with fixed Download Manager even more now. :smiley:

You didn’t :slight_smile:

Like a lot of people sadly.

Thanks to you @denux, just realized that I also have a “dev release” installed.

As I’d prefer to stay on stable versions, I’ve just deactivated the “developer stuff” (don’t remember the exact word, as I can’t reactivate it now, the entry in the system options has disapeared …).

Is it the right way to get back to stable releases, or is there something else to do ?

Thanks.

Sadly no it has nothing to do with developer settings.

To have stable release updates you need to be on a stable release, which is only the case for /e/ refurbished smartphones bought on e.foundation, which is not your case.

Here is a topic about the stable branch not being publicly available :

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Hi @jpmeuret, ‘stable’ release go out on the phones /e/ sells. The standard build that goes out to all users is the ‘dev’ build. The source code branch is the same for both only differences between the two builds are:

  • The ‘stable’ build go through and additional round of testing.
  • The ‘stable’ build release happens once in a month where as the dev builds go out every couple of days.
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Thanks a lot, everything’s clear now :slight_smile:

The StockROM Android user is already happy if he gets an update every few months.

As /e/ OS user I don’t need an update every few days. Also not every 14 days. It was enough for me to do an update once at the end of a month. So I am on the ‘stable’ level.

I only see the ‘stable’ build as a selling point for /e/ SMARTPHONE. By the way: The Samsung models of the e.foundation offered with preinstalled /e/ OS are attractive and fair in terms of price.

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I got the update OTA this morning, thank you again! It worked flawlessly, and now the Apps store is working fine. Otherapps still keep closing upon opening, like OneDrive. I hope this will go away with further updates, either for the app or for the OS.
Anyway, thank you all for your hard work and your helpful answers.

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