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

[Jørn Åne de Jong <jornane.dejong AT surf.nl>]

On 15/06/2022 13:50, Lukas Wringer wrote:
> Hi,
>
> your mail and the earlier one from Stefan Paetow explaind the current
> state quite good - but still doesn't help me as a CAT user.
>
> I know that 'geteduroam' was intended to deploy the profiles from the
> PKI system with the same name. And supporting CAT Profiles was an later
> addition.
>
> For me as a CAT User I have an App that works with close to zero issues
> for Android 4.7 to 10.

No, as a CAT user, with the current old app, you have a "fine" working 
app, all the way from 4.7 'til 12.  But that API is not allowed anymore 
on the Play Store, so we can't update that app.  A new app would work 
fine from 4.7 'til 9, and it would work like this on newer platforms:

Android 10:
The app will appear to work fine, but after completing you don't see 
eduroam in the Wi-Fi list, and when you want to connect to eduroam you 
have to go the notification panel.  Users won't understand this and 
assume the app is broke.

Android 11:
It will work on some versions, it will crash on some other versions.
We can't do anything about this (except force Android 10 behaviour).

Android 12+:
Everything will probably work fine, but we're awating beta tester results.


> Stating with Android 11 thats becomes a mere lottery with later
> versions it may completely fail. So _thats_ the scope that needs a fix
> *by the CAT Project*. They decided that 'geteduroam' can do that.
>
> But since that - because Google broke things, that can only be fixed by
> breaking other stuff - that hasn't worked out. So for now 'geteduroam'
> is stuck in an - for the mentioned use case - for end users unsuitable
> state.
>
> So to support the CAT use case of enabling Android 11 could be done by
> either:
>
> - Fix Android 11+ and drop support for older devices for both, limiting
> the PKI-'geteduroam' use case (not really a good option)

We cannot "Fix Android 11", as we cannot detect if the Android version 
running has received the fix.  Version numbers don't work, as some 
vendors do patch their Android, but have not included the Wi-Fi fix.

> - CAT decides to not use 'geteduroam' for Android 11+ and build a new
> App (very unlikely)

This new app would have the same issues, as this is an Android issue.

> -  Mark the now live Version as legacy - because everything that can be
> done would make it worse - and fork or create from scratch an app that
> only support Android 11+ with API from issue 91 and so that it appears
> in regular PlayStore and not as part of the beta program ("geteduroam
> next" or whatever) -> *As I see it, that is the way*

This is kinda what we want to do, except that we aim for 12+ for reasons 
stated earlier.

> Because fixing everything inside the same app is not possible the way
> out is to not trying do the imposible and do nothing as a result - but
> going a new route.
>
> PS: Is https://github.com/geteduroam/mobile-app possibly that new App I
> tried to describe? If yes, whats the current time cope?

This is indeed an attempt at a new app.  No timeline given, and, as the 
issues you've experienced are Android issues and not issues with the 
app, also this app will have the same problems.