BigBrainParking/docs/DISTRIBUTION.md
Hank 170f2fa63c docs: clarify Obtainium reads repo Releases (not Packages)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-07-06 08:36:26 -07:00

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# Distribution: self-hosted CI → Obtainium
Goal: push a git tag, have your server build a **signed APK**, publish it as a release
on `git.mowden.top`, and have **Obtainium** on your GrapheneOS phone auto-offer updates.
Repo: `ssh://git@git.mowden.top:222/hank/BigBrainParking.git`
(web: `https://git.mowden.top/hank/BigBrainParking`)
---
## 1. One-time: create the signing key (do this locally)
The signer is **permanent** — Obtainium (and F-Droid) pin it, so if you ever rebuild with
a different key, users must uninstall + reinstall. Keep this keystore backed up and secret.
```bash
keytool -genkeypair -v -keystore bigbrainparking.keystore \
-alias bigbrainparking -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000
base64 -w0 bigbrainparking.keystore # copy this string for the CI secret
```
## 2. One-time: add CI secrets
On `git.mowden.top` → the repo → **Settings → Actions → Secrets**, add:
| Secret | Value |
| --- | --- |
| `ANDROID_KEYSTORE_B64` | the base64 string from step 1 |
| `ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD` | keystore password |
| `ANDROID_KEY_ALIAS` | `bigbrainparking` |
| `ANDROID_KEY_PASSWORD` | key password |
## 3. One-time: an Actions runner that can build Android
You need a Gitea/Forgejo **Actions runner** registered to this repo/instance. The provided
workflow (`.gitea/workflows/build-apk.yml`) runs inside a container image that already has
the Android SDK + Node, so the host runner just needs Docker:
```bash
# on your server: install act_runner (Gitea) or forgejo-runner (Forgejo), then:
./act_runner register --instance https://git.mowden.top --token <RUNNER_TOKEN>
./act_runner daemon # (or a systemd unit)
```
Make sure the runner labels include `ubuntu-latest` (or edit `runs-on:` in the workflow).
> If `git.mowden.top` is **Forgejo**, move the workflow to `.forgejo/workflows/build-apk.yml`
> (Forgejo also reads `.gitea/workflows`, so it usually works as-is).
## 4. Release flow (every update)
```bash
# bump version in app/app.json ("version") first, then:
git tag v0.1.0
git push origin v0.1.0
```
CI builds `app/android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/*.apk`, signs it, and attaches it to a
new release `v0.1.0`. Done.
## 5. Add the app in Obtainium (on the phone)
Obtainium reads **straight from the repo site** via its native Gitea/Forgejo **Releases**
source — no separate web server needed. Add app → paste:
```
https://git.mowden.top/hank/BigBrainParking
```
Pick the **Gitea** (or **Forgejo**) source type if prompted, and Obtainium tracks releases
and offers each new signed APK. The repo being public means Obtainium needs no token.
Install ntfy + set it as your UnifiedPush distributor for push later.
### Releases vs. Packages
Use **Releases**, not the **Packages** tab. Gitea/Forgejo *Packages* is a general artifact
registry (npm, maven, container, generic) — Obtainium has no package-registry source, so it
won't see APKs there. (You *can* upload an APK to the generic registry and point Obtainium at
a "Direct APK link," but then Obtainium can't detect new versions automatically. Releases —
where CI attaches the versioned APK — is the right mechanism.)
### Fallback if your Obtainium build lacks Gitea support
Serve the APK statically and use Obtainium's **"HTML"** source:
1. CI (or a hook) copies the APK to a web dir, e.g. `/var/www/bbp/BigBrainParking-<version>.apk`.
2. nginx with autoindex on that dir:
```nginx
location /bbp/ { root /var/www; autoindex on; }
```
3. In Obtainium, add an **HTML** app pointing at `https://<yourserver>/bbp/` with an APK
link filter like `BigBrainParking-.*\.apk` and version extraction from the filename.
This path skips Gitea releases entirely — it's just a directory of signed APKs — but you
lose changelogs and per-release metadata.
---
## Notes
- **Reproducibility / F-Droid later:** if you ever want a real F-Droid repo (signed index,
usable by the F-Droid client too), run `fdroidserver` on the server pointed at the same
APK output dir. Obtainium consumes F-Droid repos as well. Overkill for one app, but an
option.
- **Version code:** Expo derives Android `versionCode` from `app.json`. Bump
`expo.version` (and optionally set `expo.android.versionCode`) each release so Obtainium
sees an increase.