What-all can we (and can't we) do with our eCloud (and, for that matter, with /e/)?

Right at the moment, I’m trying to figure out how to create email subaccounts / identities / aliases … but more broadly speaking, I just want to know what features we have, and how to use them.

Best solution (the “teach me to fish” answer) … is there documentation available where I can learn what-all we can do with our eCloud? It looks like a stripped-down-and-streamlined version of NextCloud, so I expect it has similar features, but I’m also running my own private NextCloud server, and I can do a lot more with it, than seems to be available in my eCloud; so apparently, a lot of the NextCloud functionality has been removed.

Actually, even more broadly speaking … does /e/ have a wiki?

Okay, I see there is one in the gitlab project, but it looks like it is being written towards the task of creating and installing /e/ … so let me rephrase …

Is there any canonical /e/-User wiki or other documentation? How to do stuff with your phone once you have /e/ on it? How to configure and implement the email and eCloud features? How to use the app store (and the apps)? etc.

Thanks,
rich

4 Likes

Hi,

Once you have an /e/ account, you can add it in the accounts section of your phone settings.
Then, when clicking on your added /e/ account, you can choose what you want to sync with the cloud as well as CardDAV (contacts) and CalDAV (calendar).
You can view your cloud stuff on this site using your /e/ account credentials.

I don’t remember whether your e.email address configures itself in the mail app once you add it in the phone global settings.
Anyway, here is how to add an e.email address manually to a mail client.

As for "how to do stuff once you have /e/ on it ? Use it like you would use any other smartphone. It’s really user friendly. There’s a set of preinstalled apps that respect your privacy more than Android/Ios but you can install whatever you want from the “Apps” app store. It gives a privacy rating on a scale from 0 to 10 to apps based on the permissions required/trackers. As simple as it gets.

I don’t think there’s a wiki focused on /e/ usage yet. Might be due to the fact it’s still in beta and stuff will likely change.

Hey rich,

no detailed documentation or wiki as far as I know.

You’re right, /e/ is based on Nextcloud, but with a limited feature set.

No subaccounts/aliases for email so far, no office.

You can use /e/ Cloud for data (up to 5GB), mail, calendar, tasks, notes and contacts.

If you’re used to a self-hosted Nextcloud instance you might miss the one or the other feature.

Tom

1 Like

Hi @rainbird,

I think @Genjuro and @tom have more or less pointed the way for you with respect to using ecloud. I also have my own NextCloud server and figured out how to sync the contacts and calendar entries so I have the basic features that I need.

As for the app store and other apps, I am in the process of trying to set up my e-phone (a OnePlus 5T) as my regular working mobile. It has taken a while to decide what I can find to replace apps that I used on my other “googled” phone, but after some research and testing I think I am getting there slowly. The main problem is deciding outside of open-source low-risk apps that I’ve chosen, which of the indispensable ones (some paid versions that I’d bought on Playstore) could I install without risking too many “leaks” to Google services.

Unfortunately the simplistic grading used in the /e/ App store is not all that helpful, as many have no grading at all. F-droid had a better grading system and warns of potential non-free features that could mean leaks to ad servers, etc. After installing apps I know are commercial or have paid versions, I’m testing them with ClassyShark3xodus to see where they link to and if there are too many contacts to Google services I try to find another. The other solution I suppose is to use a firewall to block them and for this purpose I’ve rooted my phone and installed AFWall+.

I’ll have to see if blocking their data calls prevents the apps working correctly; if not, then I’ll leave them installed for me to use. I don’t know if this is a very “safe” procedure as I don’t pretend to be a security expert, but at least it lets me have a working mobile that allows me to escape the worst features of my previous one.

I agree as others here have said that the App store is still very much a work in progress and will hopefully have more refinement and a better way of allowing new users to choose what they want to install without defeating the purpose of an “un-googled” phone.

1 Like

Hi grendel
How to root the ephone (one plus 5T) ?

Also an$yone know under “microG settings” what is the google device registration and google safety net ?

Thanks