Some simple app questions

Using /e/OS Applications
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Dear all!

Since yesterday my Redmi Note 8T runs on /e 0.19, and so far, most of what I really need works fine.

Some things bother me, though.

First, the current launcher doesn’t give me the choice of how to arrange the app icons, and its left-most screen (with weather and suggested apps) is completely useless to me.

So, which other launcher can you recommend? I quickly had Kiss launcher, but that is awful. I want something where I can arrange icons and widgets any way I want.

Secondly, the calender app. Til yesterday, I used Google calender in sync with my wife, which is really useful. Is there another calender app that offers the possibility to share calenders without using Google?

Or is it maybe not such a big problem to keep on using google calender, because /e relies on microG?
I want to avoid big bad Google to make any use of my data, or somehow change something in the OS so that it can mine my data. I have no idea if that is possible, I am just a unknowledgeable user.

Next, the gallery. Am I too stupid or is there truly no way of moving shots into albums?

Lastly (for now): backup. As I see it, my phone backs up data via microG, right? Can I switch that to the /e cloud somehow? Would everything be backed up there - contacts, apps, pics, app settings etc?

Looking forward to your answers…

Cheers,
Oliver

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On Bliss | Meet the Bliss Launcher -/e/OS’ default launcher There is a review of minimalist Launchers, including Bliss here. https://dataoverhaulers.com/best-minimalist-android-launchers/

Note, one nice launcher mentioned is Lawnchair, actually Lawnchair is unmaintained now, but you just need to be sure to search for the current version Lawnchair 2. You know, you can just test one or two without harm. Be aware of Settings > Apps & Notifications > Default Apps. Here, once you have 2 or more launchers installed, you can reset your default launcher.

Gallery app will use Albums you create yourself (as folders) with Files, or some other method.

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Lawnchair 2.

Should be possible using the e.cloud.

The stock app has some problems take pictures from the camera and showing them. When I checked this the last time the stock app couldn’t show just taken pictures at all. That’s why I switched to SimpleGallery.

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Simple Gallery does the trick, thanks.

Lawnchair looks good, but can I get rid of the stoopid google-searchbar?

Lawnchair team is working on a 3.0 release, their last update was Feb 2021.

I have an /e cloud accoun now, but nothing synchronizes… ???

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you have to use the izzy on android f-droid repo to use the reborn version.

https://apt.izzysoft[.]de/fdroid/index/apk/app.lawnchair

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Sure you can. You can also configure another search engine in the searchbar.

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Settings > Apps and notifications > Lawnchair > Advanced > Additional settings > Advanced > Search

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So, down to the calender app. Any suggestions? I needs to be shared, so my spouse can also see and edit. Should offer a widget function.

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Is the ecloud syncing properly? I have found it can bump it along to switch between mobile data and WiFi. Will be easier if it has nothing complicated to do.

You may hope to do the “sync with wife” first. I would resist. Are you up for looking for non-google solutions on the other phone, or not?

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ecloud doesn’t sync at all, nothing. No idea what to do. Could be DAVx5 (whatever that is) is kept from doing the sync. But where can I change its permissions?

My wife needs to stay with G calender, due to work reasons. Unfortunately.

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I think there is a chance that ecloud is trying to sync but struggling with contacts. I have got used to the sync happens silently until sync is achieved. https://doc.e.foundation/support-topics/migrate-to-e. Suggest best to assume default webDAV is ok to start with!

https://doc.e.foundation/support-topics

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You are writing with a NOOB here… is webDAV installed? There is just no sync at all, my ecloud drive says no files, no contacts etc.
Even importing my calender data (after export from google) doesn’t work in several tries. No entries. Don’t get it.
I could import the contacts, though, via export from G.

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~~You can use the built-in Calendar app, and add your gmail account in Account Manager

Edit: just noticed that you are already doing all of the stuff I wrote below. If your wife’s work is using Google Calendar, then you are pretty much forced to use your Google account to access it. Doing so on the phone won’t give Google any more information than they already have from your Google account, which depends on how you have set up the privacy settings in the account. It won’t allow them to see any information from other apps on the phone.

You can use the built-in Calendar app, and add your gmail account in Account Manager
- Settings | Accounts | Add account (it’s at the bottom of the list
- Select Google
- Sign in with your gmail account and allow Account Manager to access the account
- Go back to Settings | Accounts, and you can see two new accounts with your gmail address: one Google and one Google Address book.
- Select the first one, then choose Account extra settings.
- Select the Calendars tab - This should show all the visible calendars from your Google account, which should include your wife’s. Tick the Calendars you want to sync and to be visible in the Calendar app.
- Uncheck any items in the other tabs (Contacts, WebCal) that you don’t want synched
- Go into the Mail app and set the Gmail account that has been added to not be the default account (in Account settings | General Settings), and set the Folder poll frequency (in Account settings | Fetching mail) to Never unless you want to see mails to that account on the phone)
- Go back to Settings | Accounts | Your new Google account, and choose Account sync. Uncheck the items that you don’t want synched (Address Books, Mail, Tasks)
- select Sync now from the ‘three dots’ menu

After a while, the events from the synched Google calendars should appear in the Calendar app: in the Calendar views, and in the list of Calendars in Settings (from the three lines menu).

Good luck

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Thanks for the info!
You are wrong, I didn’t do all that, actually.
I have a G account via microG on the phone. But I can’t access it, and there is only one account, no address book.
There is no Account extra settings…

Could I remove the microG account? Or will that erase my data?

Which wouldn’t be a problem, if the sync with /e cloud worked…which it doesn’t.

EDIT: for unknown reasons, importing the calender file worked in the 5th try. Still no sync though,

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https://www.davx5.com/

I was wrong to mention the proprietary webDav when I really meant the default protocols we use to communicate with ecloud.

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Don’t add the account vi microG - do it by Settings | Accounts | +Add Account. and choose Google (not Google Address Book, or Google microG).

Then follow the scratched out steps in my original post

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I was wrong to mention the proprietary webDav when I really meant the default protocols we use to communicate with ecloud.

Thx. That costs 5€, and I am not sure it will work afterwards.

Somewhere here I read that the required software to enable syncing is already part of the /e OS. So, it should work :-). But it doesn’t.

Don’t add the account vi microG - do it by Settings | Accounts | +Add Account. and choose Google (not Google Address Book, or Google microG).

I can try that. But I will have to erase the existing G account. Which data will I lose then?

Cheers!

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That worked, Peter, thanks a lot.

I wonder how long the contacts will be there…I will report it.

Does adding a normal G-account corrupt my privacy compared to using microG?

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See my earlier reply

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