This page documents how a new application gets included in the main NetHunter Store repository. It includes the technical details that a submitter should be aware of.
Application Inclusion Proposal
To propose inclusion of a new application to the main NetHunter Store repository, one could post the applications relevant information to the Submission Queue. The more advanced alternative is writing a complete metadata file yourself, test, and propose inclusion (merge request) directly into the nethunter-storedata Git repository; speeding up the process. Both ways will be described below in detail.
Note that you can propose inclusion even you are not a developer or maintainer of the proposed application itself. See Inclusion Policy and Repository Style Guide for the policy aspect of this section.
Proposal by Submission Queue
This is the simplest way to get the application included. But due to an amount of reviewer labour required for each application, this is the slowest method.
Do this by creating a new ticket at the NetHunter Store Submission Queue on GitLab, add all details required by the minimal issue template; and wait for people in the NetHunter team to review the application and do all necessary steps for you.
Proposal by Metadata Merge Request
A more advanced alternative for application inclusion is to write a NetHunter Store metadata file for the application yourself, and propose inclusion by filing a git merge request on the NetHunter Store application metadata repository (nethunter-storedata GitLab repository). This will lead to much quicker inclusion as the already-available metadata file will reduce the burden on reviewers when inspecting your proposed metadata; the submitter assumes responsibility of providing a correct metadata file.
When proposing inclusion this way, it is assumed that:
- You have a good understanding of what the NetHunter Store is for.
- You already read and understand the Inclusion Policy.
- You already read and understand the Repository Style Guide.
- You already read and understand the relevant parts of the F-Droid documentation.
- You have an account on GitLab.
- You have a local instance of the NetHunter Store server software, and you know what you are doing.
Application Review Process
Once the inclusion proposal is filed, the application will enter a reviewing process where NetHunter staff look into the applications source code and determine whether the it fits for inclusion (and when it’s not, determine all necessary steps to make it so).
Special Consideration of Metadata Merge Request
In case the inclusion is from a GitLab merge request, the review process is
theoretically the same. They are done mostly to confirm that the proposed
metadata is consistent with what is really in the application source
code. Steps about writing and committing metadata are omitted, as they will
use the original metadata file you proposed. Feedback will be given on the
original merge request thread that the application was proposed; and once
the process is completed, the request will be merged to the master
branch
of the nethunter-storedata GitLab repository.
In an attempt to optimize the process, when you proposed inclusion via metadata merge request, NetHunter staff rely on several assumptions (outlined above). As such, the reviewing process will be much less intensive in several respects, and consumes much less time. Policy-violating applications that somehow sneaked in this way will be dealt with after the fact.