microG - What you need to know, A conversation with its developer : Marvin Wißfeld

Perfect, thanks @Ingo_FP_Angel and @dalas.revo!

Hi @Manoj, is there any news on this topic?

I have asked that somewhere before. How unique is the device identification? Is it really attached to the device or is an ID generated that changes when a newly installed MicroG is started for the first time? I have never found anything in the documentation about this either.

@Manoj Does Marvin have an account here in the forum?

Marvin’s response:
At the moment, the only solution to export keys is to backup app data on the old device, and copy them on the new one.
In the future we can think about an implementation of an export/import feature, or using the Android backup API to get things working well with SeedVault.

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No I do not think he is on the forum. Can check with him if he is interested on getting on the forum.

Thanks for the clarification!
A backup solution would be very appreciated (at least by me)

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We will be releasing the microG covid tracing apk for testing - internal and with our testing team today. After testing the apk will be released in a week as part of v0.13 to all users.

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Why is the exposure api included and activated in last builds?
@GaelDuval This is not what you promised.

Which builds?
I don’t see it in IMG-e-0.12-q-2020111084008-dev-FP3, microG Services Core 0.2.13.203915-94 (8b9047a)-noen.

All user builds with original q sources

What do you mean by “activated”? As long as there is no specific app installed it should be unable to be activated under microG-setttings/Exposure Notification/" off" (roughly translated from German).

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Oh man they should have just dropped it in, worked perfect the default way, off by default. Nobody is nagging about other microg features which can be turned off using a switch. Why pick this feature to be evil? For example “google device registration”, why do people trust this switch and not the exposure switch? To me this is a total waist of dev power.

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Well, it has been intensively discussed whether it is against the goals or not and obviously it is not, as /e/ is going to implement it.
And telling people that it is “activated” is (I hate this expression, but in this case it seems correct): fake news. At least as long the switch is set to “off” in factory state, which I can’t check as I will only come back to /e/ when the implementation is completed and a stable build for FP3 is available.

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Fear is a bad counselor…

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Well, English isn’t my native language, too.
But I understand enough to tell that your linked article has absolutely nothing to do with what we are discussing here. And I suppose your English is also good enough to understand that your linked article has absolutely nothing to do with what we are discussing here. You even admit that it has absolutely nothing to do with what we are discussing here.
The API, especially the implementation in microG doesn’t send any data to google, so where is the connection? You yourself are doing a lot of research about connection to Google’s servers, have you ever observed any connection between Exposure Notification implemented by microG and Google? If so, I think the Open Source community and /e/ would be very glad if you would share your findings.

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Would you please finally stop to spread FUD? As @andrelam correctly pointed out: Fear is a bad counselor, so could we please just objectively stick to the facts and not some delusion of what might or might as well not be happening? As you said yourself, the mentioned article from The Register has absolutely nothing to do with the API discussed here and the FUD that is spread is an absolute waste of everybody’s time.

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Im sorry, that my post was used to start again this discussion. With my post, I just wanted to point out that the API is now in the sources after all, although Gael promised to integrate a modified version into eOS. That’s all I wanted, because these discussions about the sense and purpose of the API lead nowhere. Everyone has his own opinion about it and will not change it.
From my side I will (try to) say nothing more about it. I will only smile if it is known that the interface sends data to google, the government or anyone else.
For me, this is closed now

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In contrast to the stable previous version 0.2.12.203315 (COVID apps compatible) the option ‘Exposure Notifications’ is not displayed in the current microG version GmsCore 0.2.13.203915.

Is there a separate switch for the ‘Exposure Notifications’ option that I missed - and if so, where?

I have learned that the ‘new’ MicroG version is only available in unofficial user builds

@andrelam, a recognized coder of its kind, says that version microG 0.2.13.203915 is COVID apps compatible. Is there an on/off switch in the settings?

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