Currently the app lifecycle may kill an app in any moment if the app is not on focus. Most of the apps are designed to be used when focused, but there are many other apps that require to work even when not in focus, many examples:
- Running apps: should count calories and distance even when not focused - Data Sync (Dropbox, OneDrive, GoogleDrive): should continue the up/download and syncronization when not focused. - Torrent apps(Transmission) - IRC and messaging platforms not covered by "Online Accounts" - Custom Keyboards and Lockscreens (this needs even more work) - Firewalls, antivirus, antispam (may become useful when *the platform becomes popular*, we should take them in account) - Other things to which I'm not currently thinking to but that may be useful The current approach is to use system services to achieve the results: this is what happens with music and messaging apps. The problem with this approach is that we may end up with the need to create really many services and still not cover all the needed requisites. On the other hand we may just deny the developers and the users to create and use certain kind of apps. The advantages of not allowing background services are mainly longer battery life and better overall performances. I think we should *find a compromise that allow the user to use apps that need background services but also makes him/her free to stop/resume them.* My idea for background services: - should need an Apparmor permission - should warn the user that the app uses background services - should be killable/pausable by the user and visible in the home scope and or in the notification area - could be autokilled/paused when battery life is low (this approach is the one used by Samsung, Google Drive, Dropbox) but should still allow the user to resume the service if he/she needs it even on low battery - could be paused/resumed according to the number of running apps and services My consideration is that the user should always end up being able to decide what he/she want's to use and when. We put conventions (like stop on low battery) over user configuration, but the user should still be *free* to change it.
-- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
