Multiple users - best settings for app installs and updates

Murcielago

I am currently using the following setup: Owner profile which only is used to download apps (from Github and Play Store) and then distribute them from the owner profile to other profiles.

I have a question about how exactly the different options of System>Multiple users>App installs and updates behave.

If I deactivate "App installs and updates", presumably - as the name suggests - no more updates of (already installed) apps are carried out in the respective profile, right?

But how exactly do "enabled" and "enabled for first party sources" behave in my setup?

If i only want to download apps in the owner profile and install them from there - would "enable for first party sources?" be the best setting?

Dumdum

Murcielago
Apps are updated system-wide. You cannot have two different versions of the same app. This is not to be mixed up with two instances of the same app (the data held by the app).

If I deactivate "App installs and updates", presumably - as the name suggests - no more updates of (already installed) apps are carried out in the respective profile, right?

This means that profile doesn't have the ability to initiate installations / updates, NOT that the apps in that profile will be prevented from updating (as I think you're asking).

Murcielago But how exactly do "enabled" and "enabled for first party sources" behave in my setup?

"Enabled for first party sources", I assume, means Graphene's App client and the Play Store. Non-first party sources would be everything else. Hence "enabled" would include the "everything else".

Murcielago would "enable for first party sources?" be the best setting?

It would not need any setting as updating apps through your owner profile would update, regardless of the user profile having app installs/updates enabled or not.

Murcielago

Dumdum

Thank you very much for the quick reply. My question was actually aimed at whether I can increase security by restricting the installation and updating of apps in the individual user profiles - as I always run installation and updates via the owner profile.

Murcielago

Dumdum

This means that profile doesn't have the ability to initiate installations / updates, NOT that the apps in that profile will be prevented from updating (as I think you're asking)

If I understand you correctly i could then disable app installs and updates in the individual user profiles - since these are updated via the Owner Profile anyway, right?

Dumdum

Murcielago
Yes. The ability of individual profiles to install/update apps is not needed (in your case), as you are doing them via Owner.

Frostily7047

I have a similar setup. But noticed today accessing the owner profile, a system update was available and device reboot was required.

I guess one has to access the owner profile once in awhile to check for system updates and apply them there ?

I was under the impression system updates applied even if not currently in owner profile.

I hadn’t rebooted my device in a couple of weeks too and I believe the system update was from 14 days ago.

Murcielago

Frostily7047

I actually log in to my owner profile once a day and check for updates there (Obtainium, Play Store and system updates). So I honestly can't say whether you get a notification for system updates in another user profile - but I have definitely seen messages from the Play Store about available updates.

traveller

Would installing apps for each profile separately (as in, downloading Aurora/F-droid apk into each of the profiles and installing apps from there) give any benefits, comparing to installing all apps into the main profile and then "distributing" needed apps to each of the other profiles?