The mailing list for users of the eduroam Configuration Assistant Tool (CAT)

[Daniele Albrizio <albrizio AT univ.trieste.it>]

On 27/01/2016 07:50, Stefan Winter wrote:
...
> The version of the app that is currently on beta uses the Play Services
> API for location services - it suggests IdPs near you as a convenience.
> Of course on phones without PS available, this feature will be somewhat
> broken. I don't know if our developer has safegaurds against this in the
> code, but now it would be a good time to check. (As always, I'm happy to
> be corrected by Gareth :-) )
>
> Getting things like location is a bit difficult - we need "coarse"
> location only, and do not want to trigger GPS avtication etc. because
> it's just not important enough. IIRC, Play Services has some sort of
> "casual" mode and that's what we use. If you feel like doing that nice
> little project of replacing this - feel free to contribute code once we
> are on the public SVN.
>
> Greetings,
>
> Stefan Winter

I'm a little bit off-topic here, but alternative ways to select home 
institution without location would be very appreciated.
Geoip or direct search on home institution name or realm (SAML Discovery 
services-like) would facilitate users not familiar with activating gps 
or inside buildings without gps and gsm coverage (such bunkers are quite 
frequesnt in research facilities).

Also (but this is less important/useful) using google play we had 
problems in opening ACLs on our setup network walled garden since Google 
Play uses CDN's to deliver apks around using ever-changing IPs. Hosting 
apks on some terena one-ip server would mitigate this behaviour altough 
the majority of users has third party software installs disabled on 
their phone.


--
   Daniele ALBRIZIO - 
albrizio AT univ.trieste.it
           Tel. +39-040.558.3319
    UNIVERSITY OF TRIESTE - Network Services
       Unita' di Staff Reti di Ateneo
  via Alfonso Valerio, 12 I-34127 Trieste, Italy