org.signal.Signal VS axolotl

The issue has been reported https://github.com/flathub/org.signal.Signal/issues/389

Your issue seems similar to this one on github.

Now look at Signal on Flathub. It is not by Signal themselves so an attack vector exists. The reason I mention it is because the Signal team got the Signal Snap removed.

you can try using the flatpak version of signal

While searching around a bit more I found another unofficial Signal client for arm64 Linux optimized for mobile called Axolotl. The github page makes it look promising, but once installed I couldn't log in successfully. I intend to put more effort in there. Axolotl appears to be the most promising looking option for Signal on mobile Linux - assuming it works..

> Only a small thing, but due to Signals strict phone-desktop pairing mechanism, when registering Axolotl, both phone and regular Desktop wont work anymore.

> Also, you cant use Axolotl on Desktop together with Signal mobile.

> After deleting the Axolotl registration I had to wait a while to be able to register on Signal again, I didnt loose any backups and my codes didnt change.

> Nonetheless a warning should be displayed at the beginning, that users wanting to use regular mobile (iOS, Android) and Desktop (Windows, macOS, Flatpak or Snap), they should use a second phone number for testing.

https://github.com/nanu-c/axolotl/issues/811

>Signal also notably isn't self-hostable: there's no way to run your own signal server, and control your data. Marlinspike ruthlessly shuts down anyone attempting to build alternate clients or servers that could communicate with the main one.

That is perfectly wrong. As a maintainer of https://axolotl.chat, a third-party signal client initially built for Ubuntu Touch but which runs on almost everything now, I can tell you that our client is speaking without any problems to the official Signal servers, and also that the code of the server is available and is running fine, we used it to test our code.

Wouldn't Signal Desktop be a way to make backups?

I moved my home directory to a new computer and Signal Desktop started like if something changed. Sure you lose your messages on your phone, but you can still access them on your computer if needed.

On a rooted Android phone, you could use oandbackup to backup Signal. If you care about these things, maybe consider using a rooted Android phone?

I agree with you on the centralized platform aspect and the use of phone number (which is both a blessing (this makes it easy for new users to join) and a curse). I also agree with you on Element's UX, but it's getting better and most people can use it fine. I have a few groups on both apps.

I personally prefer Element, which seems more open than Signal and which I can actually use correctly on the PinePhone. Axolotl [1] still needs some work.

[1] https://github.com/nanu-c/axolotl

I think the best option to communicate through Signal will be Axolotl. Because the original desktop client of Signal might work as well but it's not optimized for touch input.

If you go to the git repo for Axolotl (https://github.com/nanu-c/axolotl), you will see links to the deb among other formats.

Ah well then I applaud you. :) Perhaps some ideas could come from past efforts like Axolotl, which I've had working in a basic way in the past.