• General

  • How to solve a no keyboard issue?

It has nothing to do with GrapheneOS, it is not specific to GrapheneOS at all. it was specifically explained to you what is happening.

The AOSP keyboard supports direct boot so that it can be used after a reboot before the first unlock. The keyboard you're using does not. This is why you're locked out. This is also why the disable option is greyed out for the keyboard and the camera, because people keep shooting themselves in the foot by disabling them without understanding the ramifications of doing so.

Another open source keyboard that supports direct boot is Florisboard.

"Freezing" an app, which is unclear what it actually means is different than disabling an app via ADB. You deliberately disabled an app that is not meant to be disabled.

We are happy to help you, but you need to please realize that this is not GrapheneOS' fault, you made a mistake which we can try to help you out with, but let's not make any mistakes about what's happened here.

You should not disable the default keyboard. It's specifically not meant to be disabled, if you want to use another keyboard, you're feel to make that the default, but don't disable the one that comes with the OS. There's a reason why it's there.

WhoTheFuckisAlice Edit: I found an issue in the github... it is a pixel problem since android 13 ... but why the otg Keyboard doesn't work also?

This is not a "problem", is not specific to Pixels, and has nothing to do with Android 13. You're misdiagnosing what's happened. Furthermore, the reason why you're unable to connect a USB peripheral while the phone is locked is because that is the default value of the Settings > Security > USB accessories setting.

    WhoTheFuckisAlice Hmm ok, but this must be a GrapheneOS thing [...]

    According to the official Android documentation on Direct Boot
     all apps supporting Direct Boot must declare a receiver with android:directBootAware in the manifest.

    I downloaded Version 1.11.7137 of AnySoftKeyboard from F-Droid and popped it into the APK analyzer at http://www.javadecompilers.com/apktool. It shows the manifest as containing just one receiver declaration, without directBootAware. This suggests that AnySoftKeyboard does not support Direct Boot and will not work BFU -- on multiple Android variants. I can't comment on what might be true on unknown OnePlus devices running unknown versions of Android.

    WhoTheFuckisAlice There is no chance to activate the keyboard with adb or so?

    There may or may not be -- I am not an adb expert (perhaps one will chime in). If the device hasn't already been told to trust adb connections from a particular PC, I don't think it's possible to enable that without unlocking the device (this is by design).

        WhoTheFuckisAlice I found an issue in the github... it is a pixel problem since android 13

        For any interested readers, here is AnySoftKeyboard issue 3683. The issue reporter does not say anything about GrapheneOS. As described above, this is just how modern Android systems work.

          I would like you to try a few things.

          1. Power off the phone, connect the OTG keyboard, boot the phone, and see if you can use it.
          2. If number 1 doesn't work, power on the phone and plug the keyboard in as it's booting, before you get to the lock screen, then see if you can input your password/PIN.

          WhoTheFuckisAlice You really shouldn't give an app access to network Android Debug Bridge. You essentially gave it a backdoor to the OS giving immense control. GrapheneOS is strongly considering adding restrictions on network ADB.

            It's entirely possible for non-default keyboards to support Direct Boot. We contributed it to FlorisBoard. It's still ALWAYS a bad idea to disable the default keyboard instead of having it as a backup. What if the app you installed breaks for one reason or another, even if it had Direct Boot support? This is why GrapheneOS prevents disabling the default keyboard with the Settings app. It's harmless to leave it disabled. In general, pleasedon't disable system components other than the user-facing apps on the launch screen, and even those are there for a reason. If you disable Gallery without installing another gallery app providing the required intents, you'll break apps which use it. Disabling the Camera app is always broken since only system apps are allowed to provide the media capture intents for apps to capture images/videos with case-by-case user consent, which is why we removed disabling it in Settings like the keyboard and we also did the same for the Vanadium WebView. Disabling Vanadium browser is fine if you have another browser providing the required intents, but disabling the WebView is broken. Many people misunderstand what the WebView is and wrongly think it's the browser interface shown on top of apps with a standard navigation bar enabling opening it in the browser (those are custom tabs and any browser can provide them, not the WebView).

              I thank you for the very detailed explanations, but as I said this was the first time I use GraphenOS.
              I'm used to making my smartphones subservient to me, i.e. to modify everything I think is right with root rights. I have been doing this for the last 15 years and have never had a "security problem".
              My last two came from OnePlus, and there it was no problem to use this keyboard exclusively.
              So I mistakenly assumed a problem with the new OS, because for what reason should it not work now although it always worked before? That newer Android versions are responsible for this I had probably suppressed, because I will probably have installed the keyboard app as a system app, there is a tutorial on the homepage. This Is not possible due to the lack of root rights in GraphenOS.
              So I must find another way to prevent the system keyboard sending my typing words for autocorrection in the Internet.

              @de0u Thank you I will check if a snapshot build has this option.

              Btw. I tried your suggests but without success, I had to do a factory reset. And if I think of my last smartphone, which has a broken display, the only thing what maked me very happy about was the otg keyboard that had logged me in and I could safe my data. I will change this unnecessary (for me) security feature. Hell I have much to learn I think, but I am evil in doing things to work how I wish it :D

              The App Manager is indeed a very powerful tool that I will use furthermore, but I will not try anymore to deactivate the standard keyboard, thats for sure.

              What about the blocking function of trackers of the App Manager, if I want to "mute" the necessary apps from the Playstore that I will/must install in future?
              The blocking would be performed immediately after installation via Intent Firewall. Is this intervention also a security risk for GraphenOS? What possibilities are there in GraphenOS to interfere with the target addresses of the built-in trackers included in Auora/Playstore apps?

              Is it possible to root GraphenOS, make certain changes and then undo the rooting?

              Another Question: If I use an IPSEC tunnel and the server has an DNS Server on Port 53, but I had set private DNS in the configuration of GraphenOS, which DNS Server will be used?
              And is the private DNS a systemwide thing, or only for App Browsing, I mean e.g. SSL tunnel with "connect bot", how will this DNS Querys going into the network?

              Hopefully you all don't take my words as criticism in your direction or of the OS, I don't know much about writing code and how to keep code safe, but I think I know a lot about how to use software and I often come to the end of the possibilities of software, either because it is too much work or because it doesn't work, which I can't know without someone explaining why. On this way I look for other possibilities until it works as I think it should.

              I thank you in advance for the competent answers!

                GrapheneOS For me webview ist the engine of a Browser, like id Tech 3 was the engine CoD in 2005 and today ... i don' know which is the actually engine.
                Firefox e.g brings his own GeckoView.
                But not every app can use Geckoview they need webview, and Apps are often only a webfronted mask an no software of its own, that the won't work without webview.
                I think I understand that I don't have to look for anything in the system that could be disturbing, so I won't try to intervene here in order not to disturb the OS.

                  WhoTheFuckisAlice So I must find another way to prevent the system keyboard sending my typing words for autocorrection in the Internet.

                  If you have evidence that the GrapheneOS system keyboard leaks what you type to "the Internet", please file an issue on the issue tracker. Otherwise it would be helpful to avoid the appearance of making an allegation that people might find deeply concerning.

                  In the other direction, it might be productive to read the code for the GrapheneOS system keyboard to investigate how it works.

                  Please note that I do not speak for the GrapheneOS project.

                      de0u Otherwise it would be helpful to avoid the appearance of making an allegation that people might find deeply concerning.

                      In the other direction, it might be productive to read the code for the GrapheneOS system keyboard to investigate how it works.

                      Please note that I do not speak for the GrapheneOS project.

                      Very simple, the spell check option and permission to download without notification and turn sync on and off make me say this. AnySoftkeyboard does not need these permissions and also has a working spell checker.
                      If this is not the case, all right, but this is what I read and see, sorry if this is too offensive to you.

                      Yes please note that I am speaking for myself and I see things a bit diffrent as the most users here and it does need a little bit more as to say : Don't do that! without a because you know?

                      • de0u replied to this.

                          WhoTheFuckisAlice The spell check option and permission to download without notification and turn sync on and off make me say this.

                          I'm not sure I am following the line of reasoning here. For example, I'm not sure how a spelling checker running against a local word database would leak information to "the Internet". Have you found code in the GrapheneOS system keyboard that leaks information about what is typed? Or have you collected packet traces showing that happening? Those would constitute evidence, as opposed to an evidence-free allegation.

                          I suspect many or most users of this forum would be interested in evidence, but would prefer an absence of evidence-free allegations.

                          Please note that I do not speak for the GrapheneOS project and am not a forum moderator.

                              de0u
                              If everything was always evidence-proof, the justice system would have no chance at all to arrest criminals, but I can reassure you, it was not an evidence-proof claim, but by the permissions that are given to this app, there is the possibility that something like this could happen. I compare, why does the app need internet access if another app doesn't, that's all and should be correctly formulated by my last post that it was not an insinuation, but a reasonable doubt.

                              Why do you keep telling me what you are not? Do you want to make a wish about what you would do if you were like that? Call out if you wish, I can also accept criticism and think about it, as long as there are no baseless insinuations.

                              • yore replied to this.

                                  WhoTheFuckisAlice The GrapheneOS keyboard is based on the standard AOSP keyboard, which is open source. You can verify the source code for whatever keyboard, or any software for that matter, that you use.

                                  The default keyboard has no permissions by default except for the optional Contacts permission for contact suggestions, and even that can be heavily enforced with Contact Scopes. Since the keyboard has no Network permissions either, it won't send any data to the Internet.

                                    • [deleted]

                                    • Post #24
                                    • Edited

                                    [deleted] Last I checked, you can't even give AOSP keyboard the network permission.

                                        • [deleted]

                                        • Post #25

                                        [deleted] The confusion is caused because the AOSP Keyboard has the "download files without notification" permission, which I think is useless without the Network permission.

                                          9 months later

                                          Found a buggy solution if USB peripherals are disabled.

                                          1. swipe up to unlock.
                                          2. press the keyboard button and then quickly press the grapheneos keyboard which remains an option
                                          3. press it.

                                          In my case, both options disappear quickly, so this may take multiple attempts.