• Lemming@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    11·
    4 hours ago

    Kvaesitso

    A search-focused, free and open source launcher for Android

    Kvaesitso is a launcher application for Android which replaces the device’s default home screen. It has been built from scratch, meaning it is not based on the AOSP launcher (like many other third party launchers) nor does it try to recreate this launcher. Instead, Kvæsitso follows its own concepts.The main feature is a global search which does not only let you search on device for apps, contacts, and calendar events, but also on web services like Wikipedia or your Nextcloud Instance. Additionally it includes some useful tools, for example a calculator and a unit converter. You are looking for a document or an information? Just search for it and Kvæsitso shows you the fastest way to it.

    Anti-Features

    This app promotes or depends entirely on a non-free network service

    I’m not knowledgeable on how launchers work but why is this needed to communicate to a network service?

    • pirat@lemmy.world
      3·
      2 hours ago

      This app promotes or depends entirely on a non-free network service

      When viewing the app in F-Droid, the note below this part tells, that it uses a third-party service for currency exchange rates.

      I don’t know if the fact that it can show Wikipedia results, and that you can connect it to your Google account (to show cloud files from Drive and such in the search results) plays a role too, but it isn’t specifically mentioned under the anti-features… On a sidenote, searching your own Owncloud or Nextcloud is supported too.

      • Lemming@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        2 hours ago

        I don’t know if the fact that it can show Wikipedia results, and that you can connect it to your Google account (to show cloud files from Drive and such in the search results) plays a role too

        Apparently it does, according to a metadata link from the F-Droid’s own repo shared by @pipes@sh.itjust.works 's reply, also pointed out by @BearOfaTime@lemm.ee

        On a sidenote, searching your own Owncloud or Nextcloud is supported too.

        Thanks, OP confirmed this, sounds awesome.

        • pirat@lemmy.world
          1·
          1 hour ago

          No idea why, but I don’t see their comments anywhere in this thread. Thanks for confirming.

          EDIT:

          I found this metadata file, is that the one?

          https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroiddata/-/blob/master/metadata/de.mm20.launcher2.release.yml

          From the file:

          MaintainerNotes: |- Kvaesitso uses several external APIs for search providers. Several of them require signing up to obtain a developer API key: gdrive search, openweathermap, HERE and Meteorologisk institutt. It’s not possible for users to provide these keys as explained here: https://github.com/MM2-0/Kvaesitso/issues/227#issuecomment-1366826219 If keys are not provided, these features are automatically disabled during the build.

          core/shared/build.gradle.kts and plugins/sdk/build.gradle.kts have configurations in them for publishing artifacts to maven repos. They are not used during the build, but detected by F-Droid scanner anyway. We patch it out from core/shared/build.gradle.kts, since this module itself is still used in compilation, and delete plugins/sdk/build.gradle.kts because it’s not used in app compilation.

          Kvaesitso depended on different libraries used for gdrive login in the past that pulled GMS dependency, however it’s not the case anymore:

          https://github.com/MM2-0/Kvaesitso/issues/583#issuecomment-1775268896 The new libraries pull OpenTelemetry though, but it’s unclear if it’s used (considering gdrive integration is disabled).

          Max heap size is reduced in gradle.properties to avoid gradle daemon being killed by OOM manager.

          Older versions of Kvaesitso had onedrive integration that depended on non-whitelisted maven repos, but it was removed.

          Upstream provides an fdroid flavor, however there’s no difference with default flavor except for different versionName.

          For some reason, F-Droid fails to pick up the correct gradle version from distributionUrl if subdir is used.

          It seems to be the case that F-Droid removes gdrive and onedrive in their build. Though, there seem to be no mentions of Wikipedia.

    • pipes@sh.itjust.works
      5·
      4 hours ago

      “App uses a third party service for currency exchange rates” (source: f-droid app or the metadata repo)

      Nothing to do with it being a launcher

      • Lemming@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        4 hours ago

        Thanks, but my question is why and/or if it is common for a launcher to need that (also I didn’t know there was more details to it on F-Droid repo, thanks for sharing the metadata link)

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
      2·
      4 hours ago

      The main feature is a global search which… [also searches]… on web services like Wikipedia or your Nextcloud Instance.

      Right in the description you posted. 😁

      • Lemming@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        4 hours ago

        Huh, thanks for pointing that out. Sorry for missing that, sometimes I need to read more than once to spot details I guess.

    • Andre87@lemmy.worldOP
      21·
      3 hours ago

      Its not only to communicate to a network service,its a themed APP for your home Launcher of your phone.if you are a person like create your own things in that case customize your own theme for your phone.this launcher is more easy to search for everything in real time and fast.for me I don’t like my native home launcher comes with me phone.if you want know everything about launchers install Kvaesitso and you keep your own notes about it. Note: What is good for me maybe isn’t good for you!so the best way is trying and you keep your own conclusion.(͡•_ ͡• )