AdUps software installed for OTA?

[Noob 158]

12 hours ago, Craig said:

Odd numbering, to me 5.5=5.50=5.5000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Version numbers don't follow decimal number rules.  They aren't a decimal number, as others have mentioned, but major.minor, or in the case of semantic versioning, major.minor.patch.  Or really whatever a developer feels like, which hopefully maps to a coherent strategy. 

[Tim6263 134]

2 hours ago, Noob said:

Overreactions like this don't really help the discussion.  I posted this late last night, and on reflection I wondered if I should have quietly emailed support instead.  In the end I still feel justified raising it in the forum, but let's be sensible.  ....

So, back to my opening question, will there be another way to update apart from OTA?  

A balanced, well thought out response, v.much appreciated.  I read through the 'black-dog' (?) link that was also posted.  While I was truly naive as to what could be hiding in Android system files, I have always been suspicious of a business model that relies on third party advertising to subsidise income instead of valuing its products openly.  It's one reason I only use LinkedIn, Twitter & FB in a browser; not as an installed app!!

Edited November 27, 2019 by Tim6263

[_DW_ 628]

2 hours ago, Noob said:

  Or really whatever a developer feels like, which hopefully maps to a coherent strategy. 

my old place just used yy.mm.buildnumber 😄

[EskeRahn 5,350]

1 hour ago, _DW_ said:

my old place just used yy.mm.buildnumber 😄

We had a similar system with some database-system once, bumping the major version every year. We got to version 19.1 in 2002 (still using that version, most likely the last user!)

[_DW_ 628]

Just now, EskeRahn said:

We had a similar system with some database-system once, bumping the major version every year. We got to version 19.1 in 2002 (still using that version, most likely the last user!)

I think you misunderstand it literally would be 19.11.1 for a build this month they started using that system in 2000 😄

[EskeRahn 5,350]

2 minutes ago, _DW_ said:

I think you misunderstand it literally would be 19.11.1 for a build this month they started using that system in 2000 😄

Yes but we started in the last millenium, so then we would have ended in version 102.1 ...

[glumreaper 144]

19 hours ago, elvissteinjr said:

If you don't want to believe anyone, you can find traces of it in the fastboot image posted in the forum as well.
 

It's not about wanting or not wanting to believe anyone, although everyone would do well to remember the golden rule: you shouldn't believe anything you read on the internet unless you know and trust the source, or unless you can verify it independently.

The point was that I don't have the in-depth knowledge of Android that some on this forum clearly do, and that to verify the statements made about Adups, I would have to do some research myself.

While doing this research I had a realisation of how absurd the situation was... 😆

[glumreaper 144]

7 hours ago, Noob said:

 

@Waxberry your passion for KB phones is very evident from your posts on TMO and the old IGG comments, and I appreciate you're not a "PR guy", but the above response is a bit tone-deaf in my opinion.  

Tone deaf is well put. This bullish readiness to send an angry response has arisen before. It's a little galling given how many other questions in the forum go ignored.

[TheKit 25]

8 hours ago, Noob said:

So, back to my opening question, will there be another way to update apart from OTA?  

You should be able to update by flashing factory system/vendor images via fastboot as long as they are provided by F(x)tec.

[silversolver 849]

2 hours ago, glumreaper said:

Tone deaf is well put. This bullish readiness to send an angry response has arisen before. It's a little galling given how many other questions in the forum go ignored.

When someone impugns your honor and the integrity of the project into which you've poured your life for years, it's upsetting. Certainly it wasn't the nicest response, but very understandable.

[Wheeljack 207]

Time for me to familiarize myself with Debloater...

[twelfth 6]

On 11/26/2019 at 8:19 AM, Waxberry said:

This is not secret spyware. This is our OTA server partner. Also GDPR comply. 

Adups has been used by multiple OEMs and their record is reliable. 

I don't know why you called those spyware but if there is any problem you found or issues discovered, we can certainly resolve together with them. But if you think in that bad way simply because you don't know or don't heard about it that is not very responsible accusation and it did hurt our team. If you don't trust us DON'T buy it!

Phew.

This thread confirms two things.

That you guys CAN respond quickly... but choose not to depending on what the topic is about. (Shipping delays and nary a peep for long periods of time.)

And secondly... That I was right to cancel my pre-order. A company with representatives that behave this way, reactively and ignorantly, is not a company worth supporting.

[silversolver 849]

3 hours ago, twelfth said:

Phew.

This thread confirms two things.

That you guys CAN respond quickly... but choose not to depending on what the topic is about. (Shipping delays and nary a peep for long periods of time.)

And secondly... That I was right to cancel my pre-order. A company with representatives that behave this way, reactively and ignorantly, is not a company worth supporting.

Do you do business with other companies based on the perceived morality of its staff, or based on the ability of the company to deliver a relevant product or service? In other words, are you consistent, or just venting? Amazon, Apple, Walmart, McDonalds, Samsung......do you evaluate every manufacturer and vendor this way, or just the ones who don't give you your cookies as quickly as you expected?

Edited December 3, 2019 by silversolver
Continued thought

[kthxbye 71]

3 hours ago, silversolver said:

Do you do business with other companies based on the perceived morality of its staff, or based on the ability of the company to deliver a relevant product or service? In other words, are you consistent, or just venting? Amazon, Apple, Walmart, McDonalds, Samsung......do you evaluate every manufacturer and vendor this way, or just the ones who don't give you your cookies as quickly as you expected?

You have a really good point, especially given that Chen's reply is actually stellar (have you ever seen Jeff Bezos reply to you saying that if you report issues they will work with you personally to resolve them?)

There's just one part that is really bad, and that is
 

Quote

If you don't trust us DON'T buy it!

For a device that literally has all of your digital life in memory (if you use a password manager) this is not a very nice statement. Sure you need some trust unless you want to audit the entire stack yourself, but being concerned about 3rd party software isn't "not trusting", it's just doing your home work.

I mean the opposite is trusting that "bank manager" that wants to transfer you $1,5bn from Kenya? I'm a bit into opsec myself, and putting down people who are legitimately concerned is an awful practice that needs to stop.

It's like noticing a hole in your front door and the construction worker starts spewing out "DON'T YOU TRUST ME GO FIND ANOTHER CONSTRUCTION WORKER LOL". I think the reply was perfect without that last part.

Edited December 3, 2019 by kthxbye

[Polaris 423]

Silversolver does have a really good point.  However, that doesn't take away from the fact that AdUps has been, and still can be, problematic.  However, this is yet another reason to block OTA updates (although Adups is already in the stock firmware), and more reason to use a custom ROM. -Just saying.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Polaris

[EskeRahn 5,350]

38 minutes ago, Polaris said:

Silversolver does have a really good point.  However, that doesn't take away from the fact that AdUps has been, and still can be, problematic.  However, this is yet another reason to block OTA updates (although Adups is already in the stock firmware), and more reason to use a custom ROM. -Just saying.

You do not even need root access to disable it, try disable by ADB, so not a big deal it is part of the ROM if you want to avoid it.

...Unless you distrust Android disable to work too of course...

[Polaris 423]

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

You do not even need root access to disable it, try disable by ADB, so not a big deal it is part of the ROM if you want to avoid it.

...Unless you distrust Android disable to work too of course...

Nope, don't distrust disabling it by ADB.  Agree that would work, just that most people don't know how to do it.

[EskeRahn 5,350]

1 minute ago, Polaris said:

Nope, don't distrust disabling it by ADB.  Agree that would work, just that most people don't know how to do it.

So we need to spread that info for those that sees adups as a show-stopper. 😉

[Polaris 423]

3 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

So we need to spread that info for those that sees adups as a show-stopper. 😉

Sounds like a plan!  I don't see it as a show-stopper, or even close; just saying that there was a genuine concern.  It was Waxberry himself who said "DON'T buy it!" better would have been to say what you said!

[ToniCipriani 194]

On 12/3/2019 at 3:48 AM, EskeRahn said:

You do not even need root access to disable it, try disable by ADB, so not a big deal it is part of the ROM if you want to avoid it.

...Unless you distrust Android disable to work too of course...

I don't think that fully disables things. What that actually does is it uninstalls the package for the current running user. It's still on the system.

Source: I did the same thing with DTEK and BBM on my Priv, switch to Guest and boom, they were right there again.

[EskeRahn 5,350]

3 minutes ago, ToniCipriani said:

I don't think that fully disables things. What that actually does is it uninstalls the package for the current running user. It's still on the system.

Source: I did the same thing with DTEK and BBM on my Priv, switch to Guest and boom, they were right there again.

I have not tried if you can disable or uninstall it for Guest. But could be worth a try.

But as it is in ROM, it is still there of course, so it is related to trusting android to keep it passive when logically diabled/uninstalled