android: drop AppCompat and Material (#55, step B) by compot-dev · Pull Request #58 · OpenIPC/camex

compot-dev · 2026-10-17T15:53:45Z

Step B of #55, stacked on #57 (step A). Fixes #55 together with #57.

What changes

MainActivity extends Activity. Theme: android:Theme.Material.Light.DarkActionBar, and android:Theme.Material in values-night, the platform equivalent of the old DayNight theme.
The settings bottom sheet is replaced by SettingsActivity: EditText fields with labels, a RadioGroup for UDP/TCP, a Switch for the full tunnel, and a "Show the key" check box instead of the password toggle. The fields, preference keys and validation are the same; typed values survive a rotation (the views keep their state; the saved settings are loaded only on the first start).
TunnelService: startForeground(id, notification, FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_SYSTEM_EXEMPTED) on Android 14+ (the type exists only there); before that, the two-argument form, which takes the type from the manifest. This replaces ServiceCompat.
The ACTION_EXITED receiver: registerReceiver(..., permission, null, RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED) (API 26+). Android 13+ honours the flag; on 8–12 a new signature permission org.openipc.camex.permission.INTERNAL keeps other apps out, which is what ContextCompat.registerReceiver did.
Dependencies: only androidx.annotation is left (@Keep on the method the native code calls).

Result (release APK built locally in the compot/android container)

	v3.0.1	#57 (A)	this PR
APK	2509592	1967120	513198

Almost all of what is left is the two libcamex.so (333 KB) and the launcher icons.

gradle lint reports no new errors. The one error left, ForegroundServicePermission on the <service> element, was there before.

Still to do

Device test (tests/android/device-test.sh) with the CI debug APK, plus a manual check that the settings screen saves and restores every field.
New screenshots of the settings screen for the README (docs/images/android-settings*.png).

qodo-free-for-open-source-projects · 2026-10-17T15:54:36Z

PR Summary by Qodo

Android: replace AppCompat and Material with platform components

✨ Enhancement ⚙️ Configuration changes 🕐 20-40 Minutes

AI Description

• Replace the settings bottom sheet with a platform settings screen while preserving saved fields
 and validation.
• Use platform themes, receiver registration, and foreground-service APIs to remove heavyweight
 AndroidX dependencies.
• Reduce the locally built release APK from 1,967,120 to 513,198 bytes.

Diagram

graph TD
  Main["Main Activity"] --> Settings["Settings Activity"] --> Prefs[("Saved Settings")] --> Tunnel["Tunnel Service"]
  Tunnel -->|"exit broadcast"| Main
  Manifest["App Manifest"] -->|"permission and registration"| Main
  Manifest -->|"service type"| Tunnel

High-Level Assessment

The following are alternative approaches to this PR:

1. Use a platform PreferenceFragment

➕ Provides a native settings screen with built-in preference persistence.
➖ Would require adapting the existing combined validation and key-entry flow.
➖ Would be a larger behavioral departure from the current form.

Recommendation: Keep the platform Activity and explicit form: they remove the targeted dependencies while retaining the existing preference keys and validation. Confirm field restoration and saving on a device before merging.

Files changed (10) +311 / -71

Enhancement (6) +284 / -63

MainActivity.javaMove launcher activity to platform APIs +15/-11

Move launcher activity to platform APIs
• Extends Activity, opens SettingsActivity instead of a bottom sheet, and uses platform notification-permission and receiver APIs. The exit receiver is registered with a not-exported flag and the internal permission.
android/app/src/main/java/org/openipc/camex/MainActivity.java

SettingsActivity.javaReplace Material settings sheet with platform activity +51/-46

Replace Material settings sheet with platform activity
• Converts the former bottom-sheet settings logic to an Activity backed by platform widgets. It preserves preference keys and validation, loads saved values only on first creation, and finishes after saving.
android/app/src/main/java/org/openipc/camex/SettingsActivity.java

TunnelService.javaStart the foreground VPN service without ServiceCompat +11/-4

Start the foreground VPN service without ServiceCompat
• Uses the typed platform startForeground overload on Android 14+ and the two-argument overload below it. Adds the internal receiver-permission constant.
android/app/src/main/java/org/openipc/camex/TunnelService.java

activity_main.xmlUse the platform borderless button style +1/-1

Use the platform borderless button style
• Points the settings button’s style at the Android framework attribute instead of a library-provided theme attribute.
android/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml

activity_settings.xmlAdd a platform-widget settings layout +204/-0

Add a platform-widget settings layout
• Adds a scrollable form with labeled inputs, UDP/TCP radio buttons, a full-tunnel switch, a key-visibility checkbox, and a save button. It replaces the deleted Material bottom-sheet layout.
android/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml

strings.xmlLabel the settings screen and key-visibility control +2/-1

Label the settings screen and key-visibility control
• Adds text for the show-key checkbox and changes the settings section comment to reflect the new screen.
android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml

Other (4) +27 / -8

build.gradle.ktsRemove AppCompat, Core, and Material dependencies +3/-4

Remove AppCompat, Core, and Material dependencies
• Replaces the three UI and compatibility libraries with androidx.annotation, retained for the native callback’s @Keep annotation.
android/app/build.gradle.kts

AndroidManifest.xmlDeclare settings activity and internal receiver permission +12/-0

Declare settings activity and internal receiver permission
• Registers the non-exported SettingsActivity and declares a signature-level permission used to protect the exit receiver on older Android versions.
android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml

themes.xmlAdd the platform dark theme +9/-0

Add the platform dark theme
• Defines the night-mode variant of Theme.Camex using the platform Material dark theme.
android/app/src/main/res/values-night/themes.xml

themes.xmlSwitch the default theme to platform Material +3/-4

Switch the default theme to platform Material
• Replaces the Material Components DayNight parent with the platform light theme and dark action bar; the night resource supplies the dark variant.
android/app/src/main/res/values/themes.xml

qodo-free-for-open-source-projects · 2026-10-17T15:55:31Z

Code Review by Qodo

🐞 Bugs (0) 📘 Rule violations (0) 📎 Requirement gaps (1) 🎨 UX issues (0) 🔗 Cross-repo conflicts (0) 📜 Skill insights (0)

1. Settings crash on older Android 📎 Requirement gap ☼ Reliability

Description

MainActivity.onCreate() unconditionally calls the five-argument registerReceiver overload, which
is available only on API 33 and newer. On supported Android 8–12 devices (API 26–32), launching the
activity reaches that unavailable method before the main screen, settings, or VPN controls are
usable.

Code

android/app/src/main/java/org/openipc/camex/MainActivity.java[R60-61]

+        registerReceiver(exitReceiver, new IntentFilter(TunnelService.ACTION_EXITED),
+            TunnelService.PERMISSION_INTERNAL, null, RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED);

Evidence
The app declares a minimum API level of 26, and the manifest makes MainActivity the launcher. Its
onCreate() path directly invokes the flag-bearing receiver-registration overload without a version
check; TunnelService.PERMISSION_INTERNAL restricts receiver access but does not make the overload
available on API 26–32.
Replace AppCompat and Material with platform Android components
android/app/src/main/java/org/openipc/camex/MainActivity.java[60-61]
android/app/build.gradle.kts[12-14]
android/app/build.gradle.kts[11-16]
android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml[28-38]
android/app/src/main/java/org/openipc/camex/MainActivity.java[39-62]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
`MainActivity` uses an API-33-only receiver-registration overload during launcher activity startup, so supported Android 8–12 devices cannot open the main screen.
## Fix Focus Areas
- android/app/src/main/java/org/openipc/camex/MainActivity.java[57-61]
- android/app/build.gradle.kts[12-14]
## Recommended Fix
Guard receiver registration with an API 33 check. On API 33 and newer, use the five-argument `registerReceiver` overload with `RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED`; on older supported versions, use the four-argument overload with `TunnelService.PERMISSION_INTERNAL` so the receiver remains protected by the signature permission.

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

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qodo-free-for-open-source-projects · 2026-10-17T15:55:32Z

+        registerReceiver(exitReceiver, new IntentFilter(TunnelService.ACTION_EXITED),
+            TunnelService.PERMISSION_INTERNAL, null, RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED);


1. Settings crash on older android 📎 Requirement gap ☼ Reliability

MainActivity.onCreate() unconditionally calls the five-argument registerReceiver overload, which is available only on API 33 and newer. On supported Android 8–12 devices (API 26–32), launching the activity reaches that unavailable method before the main screen, settings, or VPN controls are usable.

Agent Prompt

## Issue description `MainActivity` uses an API-33-only receiver-registration overload during launcher activity startup, so supported Android 8–12 devices cannot open the main screen. ## Fix Focus Areas - android/app/src/main/java/org/openipc/camex/MainActivity.java[57-61] - android/app/build.gradle.kts[12-14] ## Recommended Fix Guard receiver registration with an API 33 check. On API 33 and newer, use the five-argument `registerReceiver` overload with `RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED`; on older supported versions, use the four-argument overload with `TunnelService.PERMISSION_INTERNAL` so the receiver remains protected by the signature permission.

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

compot-dev · 2026-10-17T17:13:46Z

Thanks, @qodo. On Settings crash on older Android: the call is

registerReceiver(exitReceiver, filter, TunnelService.PERMISSION_INTERNAL, null, RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED);

that is Context.registerReceiver(BroadcastReceiver, IntentFilter, String, Handler, int), which was added in API 26 together with registerReceiver(BroadcastReceiver, IntentFilter, int). minSdk is 26. API 33 added only the constant RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED (value 4). It is a compile-time constant, inlined into the dex; on 26–32 the flag is not checked, and the signature permission keeps other apps out. gradle lint reports no NewApi here, only the expected InlinedApi warning for the constant. ContextCompat.registerReceiver from androidx.core did the same before. No change. The device test on Android 10 (API 29) runs once this PR is retargeted to master and CI has built it.

qodo-free-for-open-source-projects · 2026-10-17T17:14:02Z

Thanks, @qodo. On Settings crash on older Android: the call is
registerReceiver(exitReceiver, filter, TunnelService.PERMISSION_INTERNAL, null, RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED);
that is Context.registerReceiver(BroadcastReceiver, IntentFilter, String, Handler, int), which was added in API 26 together with registerReceiver(BroadcastReceiver, IntentFilter, int). minSdk is 26. API 33 added only the constant RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED (value 4). It is a compile-time constant, inlined into the dex; on 26–32 the flag is not checked, and the signature permission keeps other apps out. gradle lint reports no NewApi here, only the expected InlinedApi warning for the constant. ContextCompat.registerReceiver from androidx.core did the same before. No change. The device test on Android 10 (API 29) runs once this PR is retargeted to master and CI has built it.

Your API-level analysis is correct. Context.registerReceiver(BroadcastReceiver, IntentFilter, String, Handler, int) is available from API 26, and RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED is an inlined compile-time constant. Therefore, this call should not crash on API 26–32, and the signature permission provides the intended protection there. finding 1 appears to be a false positive and does not require a code change. I can’t change the finding’s status without an explicit dismissal request; no rule-management link is available for this finding.

@keep

The app used AppCompat for its activity and theme and Material only for the settings bottom sheet; together they were most of classes.dex and resources.arsc. - MainActivity extends Activity; the theme is the platform Material one, light with a dark action bar, dark in night mode (as DayNight). - Settings are a SettingsActivity with EditText, RadioGroup, Switch and a "Show the key" check box instead of the bottom sheet; same fields, preference keys and validation. Typed values survive a rotation. - TunnelService calls startForeground() itself: with the type on Android 14+, where systemExempted exists, without it before. - The ACTION_EXITED receiver is registered with the not-exported flag and, for Android 8-12, a signature permission of the app, as ContextCompat.registerReceiver did. - Only androidx.annotation is left (@keep for the native callback). Release APK built locally: 1967120 -> 513198 bytes (v3.0.1: 2509592).

The main screen and the settings screen after dropping AppCompat and Material; taken with the CI release APK of dd9f9d2.

compot-dev · 2026-10-17T17:32:07Z

Retargeted to master and rebased on it (dd9f9d2, CI run 39052899407 green). Device test on the Android 10 TV box (OpenIPC lab) with the CI build:

tests/android/device-test.sh with camex-android-debug.apk (1315237 bytes): PASS, all checks. The server in this run used the new static camex-x86_64 from the same CI run (build: static musl release binaries for Linux, no UPX (#54) #56).
Release APK camex-android.apk: 517294 bytes (v3.0.1: 2509592). Installed and checked by hand through the UI:
- every field was set to a value other than its default (host, port 5801, client name, TCP, full tunnel on, server public key, PSK, MTU 1400, keepalive 15, timeout 30) → Save → the main screen; reopening Settings shows all of them restored;
- "Show the key" shows the PSK in clear text and hides it again;
- MTU 100 → Save: the error "MTU must be 576–9000" is shown and the screen stays open;
- no crash in logcat.
New README screenshots (main screen, settings, advanced) taken with this release APK, commit 23f2fac.

qodo-free-for-open-source-projects Bot reviewed Oct 17, 2026

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compot-dev changed the base branch from build/android-shrink-resources to master October 17, 2026 17:14

compot-dev force-pushed the android/drop-appcompat-material branch from 797bef8 to dd9f9d2 Compare October 17, 2026 17:14

docs: Android screenshots of the platform-themed app (#55)

23f2fac

The main screen and the settings screen after dropping AppCompat and Material; taken with the CI release APK of dd9f9d2.

compot-dev merged commit f9ff150 into master Oct 17, 2026
16 checks passed

compot-dev deleted the android/drop-appcompat-material branch October 17, 2026 17:48

compot-dev mentioned this pull request Oct 17, 2026

chore: camex 3.0.2 #61

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android: drop AppCompat and Material (#55, step B) - #58

android: drop AppCompat and Material (#55, step B)#58
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android/drop-appcompat-material

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		registerReceiver(exitReceiver, new IntentFilter(TunnelService.ACTION_EXITED),
		TunnelService.PERMISSION_INTERNAL, null, RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED);

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compot-dev commented Oct 17, 2026

What changes

Result (release APK built locally in the compot/android container)

Still to do

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