Android Update Permissions Unresovled Issue?

[Bugleboyjeans]

Hi Everyone 

I have done some experimenting to try and find a work around for the new Android Permissions due to the Update. I tried one way of testing which was to store launchbox along with a a few emulators and games into a secured folder on the Android device that I am using (Galaxy Fold 4) running launchbox beta and the furthest I was able to get was past the permissions/invalid file path error message upon launching a game with Mupen and Drastic. Instead of getting stuck in a loophole attempting to open the emulator unsuccessfully after launching a game it actually made its way to load up the emulator with the virtual game pad visible only for a few seconds then closes the emulator which is further along then getting stuck at attempting to open the emulator resulting in getting either stuck infinity loading or crashing immediately. I also went through all of the Fold 4 allowing as much file app permissions I could find.  The second workaround I tried migrating those same files over to com.unbrokensoftware.launchbox in the Android default location but I still got stuck at the exact same spot trying both methods. PPSSP loads up perfectly fine without any of these extra permissions. Citra went from crashing immediatly/ infinity load to only loading the emulator and selecting title from there. Mupen and Drastic got past the error to load the emulator with controls then crash attempting to load the title. I have exhausted my efforts at this point to find a solution on my own. It appears that I was able to bypass a security checkpoint but further communication from the emulator to actually load the game I think is where it is getting stuck on another security checkpoint as it is attempting to retrieve the game file located in another folder that does not have the same inheritence as the permissions given to the emulators root folder even if the games folder is placed in the root with it. This would mean all sub folders would be looked at as foreign or invalid file entries. The Android treats the 3rd retrieval of the game entry folder as another app that  is attempting to communicate with and identifies it as a security breech?   I have tried the same process using a different front end with the exact same results. I might have overlooked a solution that is already out there yet haven't found it but anyone to shed new light on this topic or point me in the right direction would be appreciated. I love everything team launchbox has done for us bringing nostalgia back to our fingertips, keep up the awesome work! 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Bugleboyjeans

[Jason Carr]

On 3/18/2023 at 2:05 PM, Bugleboyjeans said:

Hi Everyone 

I have done some experimenting to try and find a work around for the new Android Permissions due to the Update. I tried one way of testing which was to store launchbox along with a a few emulators and games into a secured folder on the Android device that I am using (Galaxy Fold 4) running launchbox beta and the furthest I was able to get was past the permissions/invalid file path error message upon launching a game with Mupen and Drastic. Instead of getting stuck in a loophole attempting to open the emulator unsuccessfully after launching a game it actually made its way to load up the emulator with the virtual game pad visible only for a few seconds then closes the emulator which is further along then getting stuck at attempting to open the emulator resulting in getting either stuck infinity loading or crashing immediately. I also went through all of the Fold 4 allowing as much file app permissions I could find.  The second workaround I tried migrating those same files over to com.unbrokensoftware.launchbox in the Android default location but I still got stuck at the exact same spot trying both methods. PPSSP loads up perfectly fine without any of these extra permissions. Citra went from crashing immediatly/ infinity load to only loading the emulator and selecting title from there. Mupen and Drastic got past the error to load the emulator with controls then crash attempting to load the title. I have exhausted my efforts at this point to find a solution on my own. It appears that I was able to bypass a security checkpoint but further communication from the emulator to actually load the game I think is where it is getting stuck on another security checkpoint as it is attempting to retrieve the game file located in another folder that does not have the same inheritence as the permissions given to the emulators root folder even if the games folder is placed in the root with it. This would mean all sub folders would be looked at as foreign or invalid file entries. The Android treats the 3rd retrieval of the game entry folder as another app that  is attempting to communicate with and identifies it as a security breech?   I have tried the same process using a different front end with the exact same results. I might have overlooked a solution that is already out there yet haven't found it but anyone to shed new light on this topic or point me in the right direction would be appreciated. I love everything team launchbox has done for us bringing nostalgia back to our fingertips, keep up the awesome work! 

@Bugleboyjeans Your testing results here are very similar to ours, unfortunately. Assuming you've seen the beta thread, we put in a lot of effort to fix the launching of as many emulators as we could. Unfortunately there are still some that the emulator developers need to modify to support Android 13 before anything can be done on our end to launch them.

[Bugleboyjeans]

What a bummer, I was about to purchase Launchbox license for android. I already own a windows version for my arcade but anywaysI have an idea if maybe someone not you guys per say could develope an app that works kind of like a special 3rd party app launcher for android that bypasses the android secuity permissions when apps are added and opened through this app launcher. The emulators are added to the app launcher just like how you add apps to the android secured folder or how you would add a game to launchbox. Any apps added to this launcher will now be able to launch as it should. Though this also means you would be running an app to launch an app to launch another app so I could see how that's not really practical, with few hurdles to overcome that might just result in the same exact state that it is now but I am tossing an idea out there its either ridiculous or maybe it's so ridiculous, it just might work. Thanks for letting me know the current state it's in, hope to see a solution soon. 

Edited March 25, 2023 by Bugleboyjeans