Yeah we can make a switch… But I’m pretty sure there are other ways to force stop apps on Android, so it’s not like this scenario is anything new.
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I decided to stay (as long as possible) at version 4.9 because I don’t like the interface of version 5. Is there a way to block the update notification to 5 (other than block all Blokada notifications) because it has recently become insistent and repetitive:shushing_face:
The usual Android way. I’ll stop the update after a week or two. Want for everyone to see it first.
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Greetings, @Karol !
The F-Droid Android app pushed out three notifications of newly available updates of apps I use in the F-Droid repository at approximately 10:25 (UTC) today, Thursday, 18 February 2021, with Blokada v4.10.0 being of particular relevance, of course.
Aside: Today, the F-Droid app also pushed out a notification of an available update for itself, incidentally, for the potential benefit of anyone using the F-Droid app, or considering using this invaluable resource. Anyone who follows Richard Stallman – “RMS” – is aware of his conviction that if software is property [not free/libre] it is potentially malware, because the source code is not available.
Because I cannot afford a GNU/Linux-based phone [e.g., Pine OS, which are priced reasonably, incidentally] and am not ready to root my Android Galaxy phone, I am stuck with proprietary software that tracks my personal data – ostensibly using metrics “to improve performance” – and, what spyware I am not thwarting, I use the Exodus Privacy Web site and free/libre app to generate information about trackers and permissions of Android apps, and the nonptofit project has a GitHub repository, BTW.
I will end my digression (“Aside,” ), by noting in the spirit of ‘justifiable paranoia’, which RMS often illuminates, that Exodus Project is using data from Google, but via Exodus Project Google’s data notes, for example, that its own Google Play Store (by default) 107 (
) permissions, but Exodus has not analyzed that app yet.
A I write this paragraph, @Karol, I forgot to mention what probably is redundant and known to everyone who has had the patience to read this disorganized, rambling post (but written with the intention of trying to conribute, as well as apologize for my hiatus) that Blokada 5.8.0 is the current version available via the F-Droid Android app.
I downloaded the v5.5 APK when it was released directly from Blokada.org, and F-Droid’s small, dedicated team had not yet processed Blokada 5 for inclusion in its repository. Because of a prolonged period of adversity (life being, to quote John Lennon, “what happens when you’re making other plans”) and because Blokada 4.9, being a “point release” is such a stable and amazing project, has faithfully and quietly been running smoothly in the background without any issues, 
, I have not yet upgraded to v5.x.
I will review, again, the notes on the transition from Blokada 4 to 5 (here and on GitHub), but my delay is unrelated to any hesitation or reluctance to “take the plunge,” because any possible glitch – and I’m not implying that I expect problems, but I am a loyal user and know from decades of personal experience that frequently “software problems” are actually user error (old school , PEBKAC: “Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair,” which does not literally translate to a smartphone, but I’ve learned to RTFM, “Read The [Friendly] Manual” – not a kind acronym originally, but one I understood, having written software and hardware documentation since graduating from college – and to evaluate my system (smartphone, in this case) for configuration errors and sotware conflicts.
You may take some comfort, @Karol, in knowing that Blokada 4 users on the Android platform who use the F-Droid app and decide to switch/upgrade to Blokada 5 via F-Droid without uninstalling Blokada 4 first – and trying to run both versions was emphasized early as a very big mistake – is impossible. 
After taking precautions first, my test revealed F-Droid refuses/fails to install Blokada 5 if Version 4 is installed. F-Droid throws an “unknown” error, but I realize Community members know not to make this mistake – and I also suspect your v5 installer code verifies v4 is not installed, because you and your colleagues write quality code and sometimes users need protection from themselves.
I wanted to check in after my involuntary hiatus, @Karol, by offering, with some humor, a bit of the much-deserved gratitude and praise you and the project, and this helpful Community, deserve. I realize we users can often be a difficult lot. I wish that I could express my thanks via a donation, which actually supports the sustained development and enhancement of Blokada, but humbly offer my gratitude.
Incidentally, I am still trying to find a way formally to volunteer for the Debian Project, and am evaluating the steps to being able to adopt a Debian package, ideally a GNU.org upstream project that needs help (even if my ideal may not be feasible).
Helping Debian (another digression … apologies), which I’ve wanted to do for almost two decades, is related to my final point of seeing if I can help with Blokada on non-mobile platforms.
Finally, the idea of helping continue expanding Blokada to the desktop/laptop continues to intrigue me and using the technology with WireGuard. I am using one of Blokada’s ad-blocking DNS providers with Debian 10, as well as end-to-end DNS queries in Web browsers, but have some wrinkles to iron out with some Web sites, because I’ve complicated Web browsing with extenstens for security and privacy, such as NoScript.net and an ad blocker (e.g., WOFF typefaces that provide icon glyphs don’t download on some sites --which makes Lichess.org look very odd, for instance – although the same issues may not occur on my smartphone.
Clearly, I should try to resolve such PEBKAC issues before trying to help Blokada expand from mobile devices.
Cordially,
David
For those interested, I’ve create a V5 version of my Automate flow that automatically enables and disables Blokada based on connected wifi network ssid.
https://llamalab.com/automate/community/flows/38869
I also have a V4 version . Just search for Blokada.
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