Link to App Lounge APKs does not work

[ChrHei]

Hello,

I am still using a Samsung Model SM-A520F which no longer qualifies for e.foundation OS updates. Therefore I am still running OS 1.81 and App Lounge 2.11.0.
For some weeks I cannot log into App Lounge anymore. I have tried the usual suggestions like deleleting the storage etc, but it does not help.

Therefore want to try installing newer App Lounge release on my phone, which hopefully works with my rather old OS.

However, this link to the App Loung APKs https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/os/apps/-/releases/permalink/latest does not work anymore.

Can somebody tell me where I can find the App Lounge APKs now (not only the latest release, but all of them newer than v 2.11.0.)

Regards, ChrHei

[piero]

Hello @ChrHei, Welcome to the /e/ users forum

@ChrHei

I am still running OS 1.81

You can find latest builds there : /e/OS legacy builds - Browse /samsung/a5y17lte at SourceForge.net

[LEGACY_BUILDS] collection for /e/ OS supported "legacy devices"

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/OS the deGoogled mobile OS and online services [phone] . these LEGACY builds are not Updates nor Upgrades but a rebuild of the last version missing on official website.. . As developpement on some devices has been dropped, the /e/ management decided to qualify those dropped devices as “legacy devices”. Since the latest builds released in the past by the /e/foundation for these “legacy devices” were lost or removed after a storage incident, i opened this page. .…

@ChrHei

installing newer App Lounge

As a system app, it must be done during the build (to have the same signature than the system)

Why not simply use F-droid and AuroraStore ?
as AppLounge is basically an addition of both…

[ChrHei]

Hello @piero

Thanks for reply. For the legacy builds I think that I already have the latest OS namely 1.8.1 that fits my Samsung SM-A520F.

I know F-Droid and Aurora. Still I prefer the efoundation native App lounge if possible (and by the way F-Droid only offers open-source Apps).

In Nov 2024 it was possible to install a new version of the App lounge with APK file. See this thread

App Lounge anonymous mode current disruption

We have an issue with the App Lounge currently. Anonymous mode is not working at present The development team is working on resolving the issue This is not related to the outage. The part where you can use a Google account to access apps is working. You can check this guide for details For now we do not have an ETA for the resolution We will update once the fix is in place for the anonymous mode part of App Lounge. [Updated Nov 14 18:00 CET] We are going to reintroduce the service progress…

Maybe only an exception?

[piero]

@ChrHei

I already have the latest OS namely 1.8.1

last from e.foundation was e-2.2-r-dev

@ChrHei

by the way F-Droid only offers open-source Apps

and AuroraStore only offers the mainstream apps from the Gogol Play Store

@piero

AppLounge is basically an addition of both…

[lousyet]

@piero , I take the opportunity to ping you as I used your Legacy Builds, and by the way to thanks you for you support.

I follow you recommendation and installed (few “adb sideload” needed) yesterday the e-2.3-r-20250113-legacy-FP2.zip (a legacy builds) on an old FP2. My first contact with e/os !
All works fine, except:

1. the Browser, “Your device couldn’t open Brower. To fix … download the latest Browser update from your app store.”
2. the App Lounge does not start… It remains freezed “App Lounge does not answer” (Nb: I do not set any account). To by-pass App Lounge, I downloaded F-droid.apk to my PC and “adb push” it to the FP2. It’s now installed and works fine. I can download and install app’s. Some of them works, but I was not able to find a browser working on e/OS 2.3…(tried Duckduckgo, FREE Browser privacy, FOSS Browser, Privacy Browser, Fulguris…).

Is there any parameters that may prevent both, App Lounge & Browsers installed from F-Droid to work ? (Signature, …)

Thanks in advance for your support.

[piero]

Hello @lousyet, Welcome to this /e/ users forum.

i am happy Legacy builds are usefull to some users to discover /e/OS and / or extand their device life.

sorry but both “AppLounge” (F-droid + AuroraStore) and “Browser” (Bromite fork) as other /e/ system apps can only be updated within an /e/OS updates. (because .APK are signed during the build)

as a Browser replacement : GitHub - uazo/cromite: Cromite a Bromite fork with ad blocking and privacy enhancements; take back your browser! · GitHub

@lousyet

I was not able to find a browser working on e/OS 2.3

did you found the default apps settings ?

…

did you tried the last build from e.foundation (IMG-e-2.2-r-20240719418592-dev-FP2)

[lousyet]

@piero

Thank’s for your answer. But I’m not sure to understand your statement:

@piero

both “AppLounge” (F-droid + AuroraStore) and “Browser” (Bromite fork) as other /e/ system apps can only be updated within an /e/OS updates. (because .APK are signed during the build)

because:

• I install F-droid from side PC (adb push) and it works, and it allows to download app’s. => at least, some app can be installed without being installed by tan official way.
• few of the F-Droid downloaded app’s work, but no browsers.

Any way to download / re-install App Lounge ? Or any other better place/channel/expert to ask ?
Or just re-install the full system ?
Thank you in advance.

[piero]

about browser replacement :

• [LIST] Recommended FOSS Applications
  .
• GitHub - uazo/cromite: Cromite a Bromite fork with ad blocking and privacy enhancements; take back your browser! · GitHub

AppLounge not working replacement :

• open source apps : f-droid.org
• mainstream apps : auroraoss.com

…

i have rebuilded e-2.3-r for you to test if the e-browser can works (i am not very confident…)

you can Download e-2.3-r-20260505-LEGACY-FP2.zip (/e/OS legacy builds), and try updating your /e/OS system from recovery mode

[lousyet]

Thank you for re-building the package.

@piero

i have rebuilded e-2.3-r for you to test

At ~47% upload in terminal, I got E: Signature verification failed, E: error: 21, => I agree to install anyway… (just wondering that I may have had the same error with previous built) => Total xfer: 1.00x Succeeded => reboot now… It reboot.

• BROWSER is working now. (no need to install other browsers)
• APP LOUNGE is also working (not being able to connect Anonymously, but working for open App’s). Added Aurora that works in anonymous mode.

Feedback: Likely the first install of e-2.3-r-20250113-legacy-FP2.zip was not “clean”. Should have retried one’s more time. But now, e-2.3-r-20260505-LEGACY-FP2.zip is working. Not sure what the “signature verification failed” means.

Thanks a lot. Solved for me.

PS: Now, let’s see what can I do with my first (yes, my first) smartphone…

[piero]

i had not properly saved the private builder keys (randomly generated) i used last year when i started to build “LEGACY”.
this year, i created a new build environnement that generated new keys. So 2026 build is signed with different keys regarding to the 2025 recovery-e you probably keept on your device ==> mismatch