[bug] Сan't use some installed Android and Sailfish apps to open files from File Browser?
asked 2015-01-08 13:26:26 +0200
I do not have Sailfish native Documents app, instead I use Android WPS Office because I use my Jolla as my main device for everyday use and I have to be able to edit files I use, not just read them. When I download a pdf file which I've received as an email attachment and try to tap on it inside the mail app nothing happens at all. The file is just not opened and I do not recieve any system notice about it saying if anything wrong or what. Just nothing. Partially the same as described here. But even worse that if I try to go to the email attachments folder with File Browser (native Sailfish one) and try to open my pdf file there the file can't be open either. This time with a message saying "No application to open the file". Seems like a serious bug to me. Apps installed should be aware of each other, no matter if they are native Sailfish or Android. Right now to view the pfd file from email attachment (or any other txt, doc, etc. file) I have to copy it manually to android_storage folder to make it usable by an android app and then to open WPS Office and find the file with the open dialogue inside it. Not the type of UX I would dream of.
UPDATE Now I have to change my question, as I've found out that not only Android apps can't be used to open files from the File Browser.
I've downloaded to my Jolla phone some podcasts in mp3 format from the internet to be able to listen to them offline. Now when I've tried to open them from File Browser nothing happened (again, that "No application to open the file" message). I should say that I had not installed Jolla's own Media app, but was using QuasarMX (which is also native Sailfish OS app), and that seems to be the problem. As soon as I've installed Jolla's Media app the problem is gone. Now I can start media files right from the File Browser.
I've checked again my original question: now I've istalled Jolla's own Documents app — it opens all correspondent document (pdfs, docs, etc.) from the File Browser with no problems.
Then I've tried to open from the File Browser a book in the fb2 format (I have native Sailfish OS FBReader app installed) — nothing again.
So, the question now is why media files or docs, or any other file types appearently can be opened from the File Browser with some not just native, but Jolla's own apps but can't — with any other app (native Sailfish or Android) if made not by Jolla? I am not that much tech person, so I can't find out my self, is that just the File Browser bug, or bug in the system, but to me it is an obvious bug: files should be able to be launched from the file browser if I have a correspondent app installed.
I don't think it's a bug, but a feature request - although quite an important one. SailfishOS currently lacks the ability to choose which application should open which file type.
I'm pretty sure you can work around this issue by changing some *.desktop-files manually. (Or isn't this possible whith Android applications?) This shouldn't be necessary though for the average user.
See this thread which covers pretty much the same issue:
ossi1967 ( 2015-01-08 15:10:49 +0200 )edithttps://together.jolla.com/question/37936/configure-what-applications-are-launched-by-default-using-the-freedesktop-standard/
@ossi1967 Yes, that seems like a workaround. But I am not so sure in myself to use terminal to edit system files manually, as well as many of people around here. For me the situation I've described is a totally wrong behaviour of the system, that is why I still consider it to be a bug, not a missing feature to request. Jolla device is not sold or advertised as a "device for a tech geek", so things like basic interaction between apps and ability to open known file types are supposed to be working out of the box.
rburkhanov ( 2015-01-08 22:56:44 +0200 )editNot a bug, the system is working as expected. Droid-apps aee running in their own sandbo (which is goodj, and for this reason they can not be expected to have access to all the rest device and user content. This is also good for the security and privacy, that the filesystem is not made by default completely open for automatic access to droid-ware. If you want or need to enable this, you are on your own but are ofc free to hack your device any way u like.
foss4ever ( 2015-01-11 03:17:04 +0200 )edit@jjaone Have to say this again, and will be saying, until we have a full choice of native Sailfish apps. That is how Jolla itself advertises android capability at jolla.com: "Sailfish OS has the in-built capability to run Android apps on your Jolla. So you can continue using your favourite apps like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter as well as downloading all the latest ones via the Yandex and Aptoide Stores and other Android™ marketplaces." Not a single sign of any limitaions to use Android. To many people (including myself) that was a crucial aspect to buy Jolla device, as it was clear not all the apps would be accessible in native from the beginning. Jolla should make it clear to everybody that not all the android apps are compatable, and those compatable have multiple limitations to their operations on system level. Until that any of this limitations are bugs and disfunctions from the end user point of view. And I am not going to hack my device, I just want it to work the way it should be able out of the box.
rburkhanov ( 2015-01-11 11:48:32 +0200 )edit@jjaone Btw when I tap on a link inside an andriod app, it opens native browser. Seems like in some cases Android apps can go outside the sandbox and interact with Sailfish OS. So why can't it be the same with opening files? Ok, if you mind security and privacy — make it not automatic, when I tap on a file just ask me to select manualy what app would I like to use to open this or that sort of file. And in my question, the situation was even simplier. I was trying to open a file from native Sailfish File Browser, but the system appeared to be unaware of what (android) apps it had installed. So it's not the case of android going out of the sandbox, it's about the ability of SailfishOS to look into that sandbox and to wake up the app I need.
rburkhanov ( 2015-01-15 07:18:53 +0200 )edit