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

[Gareth Morgan <gareth.morgan AT dkit.ie>]

Thanks Stefan for the update.  I do think making a change to the code to 
allow permission to access_fine_location is a good idea.  I really can't see 
why end users would have a problem with this.  This would make the CAT 
installation a one step process which would make it easier for users, 
especially new staff / students.

Regards

Gareth Morgan
Teicniúil Oifigeach, Seirbhísí Ríomhaireachta
Technical Officer, Computer Services

T. 042 9370200 ext 2764    E. gareth.morgan AT dkit.ie    W. www.dkit.ie



-----Original Message-----
From: cat-users-request AT lists.geant.org <cat-users-request AT lists.geant.org> 
On Behalf Of Stefan Winter
Sent: 03 October 2019 07:46
To: Daniel Roch <rochdan AT uni-hildesheim.de>; cat-users AT lists.geant.org
Subject: Re: [[cat-users]] Slow, unreliable actually not working 
configuration search and download in Android CATapp

Hello all,

in this thread, there are multiple issues.

One of them is the geolocation. This is known to be inaccurate sometimes but 
there is little we can do about this. When on a cellular network, the IP 
range is typically at the HQ of the cell provider rather than near the user.

A possible way around that would be to get the exact (GPS etc.) location from 
the device itself. This in turn requires the app to request the permission 
for ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, and the user to have GPS enabled.

This is not going down well with many users. We already get requests from 
users why we are accessing just the filesystem in the first place.
Of course if there is a general sentiment that using fine location for better 
institution location is the thing to do then we can code that into the app.

The other problem is the excessively slow loading of results. From the 
reports here so far, this could be exclusively an Android 10 issue (some 
reports wrote about Android 10, others only wrote "same here" but I can't 
figure out from that if the "same" is referring just to slow loading or slow 
loading in combination with Android 10.

FWIW, there is a GitHub issue that the app would need a newly introduced 
Android permission NETWORK_SETTINGS on Android 10 or otherwise the profile 
installation fails (https://github.com/GEANT/CAT-Android/issues/37). However 
I have a bit of trouble believing that because those of you who commented 
here write that a manual download of the file and then installing from there 
*does* work - despite the lack of permission. Also, the Android Wi-Fi API 
documentation only speaks of this permission in relation to Wi-Fi scanning, 
while there is no definition of this in public API docs (which I find rather 
unacceptable by AOSP - 
https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission.html
has no such permission listed; I'm happy for additional inputs if someone has 
some).

We have also tested profile search in the current app version across several 
Android devices with varying Android versions, and all I can say that the 
search typically works within very few seconds. So we are unable to reproduce 
this particular problem. I for one do not have access to a Google Pixel with 
Android 10 though.

In short, we can't really reproduce this and would need to pinpoint the issue 
to exact Android versions and/or device models to take this any further.

I totally understand the frustration of those who are affected but with the 
situation being less than clear right now I can't offer an immediate solution.

Greetings,

Stefan Winter

Am 02.10.19 um 07:37 schrieb Daniel Roch:
> Is there an update to the situation?
> In the next 3 weeks, 10s of thousands of new students will enter 
> German universities.
> It will only be 1,500 here, but I'd like to know what to tell them 
> when the inevitable questions come.
> 
> Thanks?
> 
> Am 01.10.2019 um 15:48 schrieb Carlos Maqueda:
>> Same issue here too.
>>
>> --
>> Carlos Maqueda
>> Unidad Técnica de Comunicaciones
>>
>> Tecnologías de la Información
>> Universidad Autónoma de Madrid • Campus de Cantoblanco c/ Fco Tomás y 
>> Valiente nº 11. Edificio B EPS, despacho TI-206 - 28049, Madrid
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Mensaje original-----
>> De: cat-users-request AT lists.geant.org 
>> <cat-users-request AT lists.geant.org> En nombre de Daniel Roch Enviado 
>> el: martes, 1 de octubre de 2019 10:29
>> Para: cat-users AT lists.geant.org
>> Asunto: Re: [[cat-users]] Slow, unreliable actually not working 
>> configuration search and download in Android CATapp
>>
>> Same issue here.
>>


--
Stefan WINTER
Ingenieur de Recherche
Fondation RESTENA - Réseau Téléinformatique de l'Education Nationale et de la 
Recherche 2, avenue de l'Université
L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette

Tel: +352 424409 1
Fax: +352 422473

PGP key updated to 4096 Bit RSA - I will encrypt all mails if the recipient's 
key is known to me

http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xC0DE6A358A39DC66