Not happy with some of the default apps (Keyboard, Tasks, Calendar and Contacts)

Yes!
As @PoorPocketsMcNewHold said, you can install Nextcloud in your own computer (Linux, Windows, Mac…) and sync your phone with it.
The Nextcloud server will run in default web port (80 or 443) so, if you have dinamic IP in your computer, you should port forward your router.
Actually, that’s how I use my /e/ phone and it’s being doing a fine job. Contacts, calendar, files all sync simultaneously. I also use Nextcloud Talk for text and audio and video calls. All running in my own computer.

2 Likes

and if you are looking for an easy way to get your cloud with Nextcloud at your home, I advise you to use YunoHost https://yunhohost.org
Then just clic to install the Nextcloud app and you are done !

1 Like

@dotcoma Did you ever use Syncthing? It’s not a cloud service.
All it does is to sync folders between your devices. It’s very easy to use.
Let’s say you download Syncthing for your Linux machine (or windows or whatever) and also the android version for your phone. After you configure both to sync a certain folder, Syncthing will simply do that. Nothing more, nothing less. You’ll have the same folder content on both devices.

1 Like

Hi @kalman I downloaded it to my /e/phone and to my Mac yesterday. It seems straightforward, except for one thing: how can I then give access to this file (let’s call it: my_contacts) to the Contacts app on my phone, my dialer (Truecaller or similar), my email provider (Tutanota) and perhaps, unfortunately, to Whatsapp?

(and to no other app, ideally)

Thanks!

If you need a local-only calendar, use Offline Calendar and Calendar Import-Export from F-Droid. You can back up the exported ICS files as regular files and restore them as well. Not useful for cross-device sync but offers maximum privacy. Contacts can be exported to a VCF file using the Simple Contacts Pro from F-Droid again for maximum privacy and with the same reimport from file approach. However, once you need a live cross-device sync with conflict resolution, the cloud is hard to avoid - either the e.cloud’s NextCloud or trusted alternatives like Fruux - both in combination with DAVx5 from F-Droid for CalDAV and CardDAV sync.

1 Like

@sarimak : so you think SyncThing won’t do the trick ?

Thanks for pointing to Fruux.

@Manoj : it would be great if /e/ helped those of us who are interested in the subject understand not just how /e/'s cloud works (ideally of of the box) and why and how it is better than using Google’s or Apple’s cloud, but also if there are other alternatives, and how to make those work for us.

SyncThing is a peer-to-peer file sync. If two devices are connected to the same WiFi router, they can directly exchange files with rsync-like synchronisation (newer modified file wins). But the exported calendar data contain many events/records in one file so once you make changes on both devices since the last sync, SyncThing cannot merge these changes, only overwrite one of the files so you lose the edits from that device since the last sync. Also, this manual sync is time consuming so is unwieldy if done more often than let’s say once a week which may be ok for seldom changing data like personal notes or contacts but not for calendar and todo lists. Also, SyncThing was very unreliable for my LineageOS based devices, often the devices did not see each other. But YMMV.

BTW, I am not aware of any opensource calendar app with good UI so I use aCalendar2 with disabled network access - the data are synced via DAVx5 so the calendar app needs the network only for ad-serving. If the authors allowed payments via PayPal (like FiiNote and Nine which I happily use with paid license/subscription), I would buy the full version. Maybe they could change their mind if asked by more people not willing to have a Google account.

There are many videos on invidio.us showing the basic steps with Synchting. I’m not sure I fully understand what you’re trying to do (as e.g. you can have the Tutanota app on the phone and also Tutanota on the desktop, no other tools needed), but I’d like to mention in terms of Syncthing think about folders (or files) instead of apps.
You can configure how often it should sync, which folders, to which devices, bandwidth, etc. So e.g. if you want to have a backup of your contacts, locate the appropriate folder on the phone and use it with Syncthing to sync it to a folder on an other device (like Mac).
As it was mentioned above it’s not a solution for all cases (like real time collaboration, when a file is edited on both devices at the same time). I tested it with linux, windows, bsd and it worked fine (you have to wait sometimes until the other device is found but I think it’s great for backup or simple file transfer between devices).

how can I then give access to this file (let’s call it: my_contacts) to the Contacts app on my phone, my dialer (Truecaller or similar), my email provider (Tutanota)

If you already use Tutanota, and Tutanota has encrypted (private to only you) contacts storage, you should use their app for storing contacts, because Tutanota’s is more private than e’s.

"Is my address book within Tutanota encrypted?

Yes, all data within Tutanota is end-to-end encrypted and only accessible with your password. Scanning and profiling of your data is not possible."

https://tutanota.com/faq/#encrypted-address-book

https://tutanota.uservoice.com/forums/237921-general/suggestions/6869610-importing-and-exporting-contacts-is-a-very-conve

@dotcoma, what is the downside of the AOSP keyboard?

If I recall, The default AOSP keyboard, is no more officially maintained by G, in profit of GKeyboard.
As itself, It’s still an excellent keyboard, and doesn’t got any trackers.
It still lacks some fiddleling features, like a transparent or entirely black keyboard, and both are still missing Korean input needed for me.

1 Like

Hi @markd89, if what @PoorPocketsMcNewHold says is correct, then no downside really.

1 Like

Hi @pally, yes, you’re probably right!

The problem, however, arises if I have other apps that I may want to give access to my contacts (or perhaps to only some of my contacts), like for example Message, Mail if I want to use my @e.mail address, and Whatsapp that I unfortunately need…

Why not try Resilio Sync?It creates a “cloud” on your computer and nothing leaves the pc.You can buy a lifetime license(or not).

It sounds good, shame their play store app has a number of google trackers

You can use TrackerControl from GitHub to block the trackers.

Trackercontrol is a good app but still needs some work, plus being that it uses vpn protocol its not an option for me as I use an actual vpn service quite regularly. That and also i’d prefer to only have apps with 0 trackers installed. I normally write to app devs and ask them to respect user privacy and remove trackers and if they refuse then I refuse to use their app. :slight_smile:

1 Like

Yes, I have the same VPN thing with Blokada. Some apps do not work if there is an actual VPN.

Really,never had any ussue with Blokada.
Would you have an example?