I wanted to make a script to check if updated flatpak app permissions have changed before updating them. I decided to use ChatGPTs newest model, 01-preview for this task and holy crap am I impressed. I had to give it 14 commands to get to the final product and it seems to work great. That number could have been reduced quite a bit had I done things a bit differently.

I still had to find the problems, look up reference docs to correct it, and even debug in an IDE a little. But just telling it where the problems were, it got there in the end, and its user interaction output is way better than what I was planning on doing.

Sections:

My final updated copy of the script
List of the changes I made from the AI produced script
The commands I gave the AI
The final script the AI produced

<?php
// -- This script checks for Flatpak updates and reports permission changes. --

// Function to parse permissions from Flatpak metadata
function parsePermissions($content) {
    $permissions = [];
    $lines = is_array($content) ? $content : explode("\n", $content);
    $currentSection = '';
    $skipSections = ['Application']; // Sections to skip

    foreach ($lines as $line) {
        $line = trim($line);

        if (empty($line)) {
            continue;
        }

        // Check for section headers
        if (preg_match('/^\[(.*)\]$/', $line, $matches)) {
            $currentSection = $matches[1];

            // Skip the [Application] section
            if (in_array($currentSection, $skipSections)) {
                $currentSection = '';
                continue;
            }

            $permissions[$currentSection] = [];
        } elseif ($currentSection !== '') {
            // Only process lines within non-skipped sections
            $parts = explode('=', $line, 2);
            if (count($parts) == 2) {
                $key = $parts[0];
                $values = explode(';', trim($parts[1], ';'));
                $permissions[$currentSection][$key] = $values;
            } else {
                // Handle keys without '=' (e.g., single permissions)
                $permissions[$currentSection][$line] = [];
            }
        }
    }

    return $permissions;
}

// Function to compare permissions
function comparePermissions($current, $new) {
    $differences = [];

    // Get all sections
    $sections = array_unique(array_merge(array_keys($current), array_keys($new)));

    foreach ($sections as $section) {
        $currentSection = isset($current[$section]) ? $current[$section] : [];
        $newSection = isset($new[$section]) ? $new[$section] : [];

        // Get all keys in this section
        $keys = array_unique(array_merge(array_keys($currentSection), array_keys($newSection)));

        foreach ($keys as $key) {
            $currentValues = isset($currentSection[$key]) ? $currentSection[$key] : [];
            $newValues = isset($newSection[$key]) ? $newSection[$key] : [];

            // Compare values
            $added = array_diff($newValues, $currentValues);
            $removed = array_diff($currentValues, $newValues);

            if (!empty($added) || !empty($removed)) {
                $differences[$section][$key] = [
                    'added' => $added,
                    'removed' => $removed,
                ];
            }
        }
    }

    return $differences;
}

// Function to output a line with appId (if given), colored red (IsError=true) or green (IsError=false)
function outputColor($appId, $str, $isError=true, $NoNewline=false)
{
    // Determine if coloring should be used
    static $hasColors=null;
    if(!isset($hasColors)) {
        $hasColors=stream_isatty(STDOUT) && (!trim(`command -v tput`) || intval(`tput colors`)>=16);
    }

    echo
        (!$hasColors ? '' : ($isError ? "\e[31m" : "\e[32m")).
        ($appId ? "$appId: " : '').
        $str.
        (!$hasColors ? '' : "\e[0m").
        ($NoNewline ? '' : "\n");
}

// Function to display permission differences
function displayDifferences($appId, $differences) {
    outputColor($appId, 'Permission changes:');
    foreach ($differences as $section => $keys) {
        outputColor(null, "  [$section]");
        foreach ($keys as $key => $changes) {
            if (!empty($changes['added'])) {
                outputColor(null, "    + $key = " . implode(';', $changes['added']));
            }
            if (!empty($changes['removed'])) {
                outputColor(null, "    - $key = " . implode(';', $changes['removed']));
            }
        }
    }
    echo "\n";
}

// Function to ask the user a question
function askQuestion($Question) {
    outputColor('', "$Question (y/N): ", true, true);
    $handle = fopen('php://stdin', 'r');
    $line = fgets($handle);
    $answer = trim(strtolower($line));
    fclose($handle);
    return ($answer == 'y' || $answer == 'yes');
}

// Get architecture (moved above the loop)
$archCommand = 'flatpak --default-arch';
exec($archCommand, $archOutput);
$arch = trim(implode('', $archOutput));

// Step 1: Get the list of installed Flatpaks
$installedCommand = 'flatpak list -a --columns=application,branch,origin,options';
exec($installedCommand, $installedOutput);

// Remove header line if present
if (!empty($installedOutput) && strpos($installedOutput[0], 'Application ID') !== false) {
    array_shift($installedOutput);
}

// Build an associative array of installed applications
$installedApps = [];

foreach ($installedOutput as $line) {
    // The output is tab-delimited
    $columns = explode("\t", trim($line));
    if (count($columns) >= 4) {
        $appId = $columns[0];
        $branch = $columns[1];
        $origin = $columns[2];
        $options = $columns[3];

        $installedApps[$appId] = [
            'appId' => $appId,
            'branch' => $branch,
            'origin' => $origin,
            'options' => $options,
        ];
    }
}

// Get the list of updates
exec('echo n | flatpak update', $updatesOutput);
foreach ($updatesOutput as $Line) {
    if (preg_match('/^ *\d+\.\s+([\w\.-]+)/', $Line, $matches)) {
        $updatesAvailable[]=$matches[1];
    }
}

// Let the user confirm the updates
echo str_repeat('-', 80)."\n";
echo implode("\n", $updatesOutput)."\n";
echo str_repeat('-', 80)."\n";
if (empty($updatesAvailable)) {
    outputColor('', 'No updates available for installed Flatpaks.');
    exit(0);
}
if (!askQuestion('Found '.count($updatesAvailable).' updates. Continue?')) {
    echo "Updates canceled.\n";
    exit(0);
}

$permissionChanges = [];
foreach ($updatesAvailable as $appId) {
    if (!isset($installedApps[$appId])) {
        outputColor($appId, 'Installed app not found. Skipping.');
        continue;
    }

    $app = $installedApps[$appId];
    $branch = $app['branch'];
    $origin = $app['origin'];
    $options = $app['options'];

    // Determine if it's an app or runtime
    $isRuntime = strpos($options, 'runtime') !== false;

    // Paths to the metadata files
    if ($isRuntime) {
        $metadataPath = "/var/lib/flatpak/runtime/$appId/$arch/$branch/active/metadata";
    } else {
        $metadataPath = "/var/lib/flatpak/app/$appId/$arch/$branch/active/metadata";
    }

    // Check if the metadata file exists
    if (!file_exists($metadataPath)) {
        outputColor($appId, 'Metadata file not found. Skipping.');
        continue;
    }

    // Read current permissions from the metadata file
    $metadataContent = file_get_contents($metadataPath);
    $currentPermissions = parsePermissions($metadataContent);

    // Get new metadata from remote
    $ref = $appId . '/' . $arch . '/' . $branch;
    $remoteInfoCommand = 'flatpak remote-info --show-metadata ' . escapeshellarg($origin) . ' ' . escapeshellarg($ref);

    // Clear $remoteOutput before exec()
    $remoteOutput = [];
    exec($remoteInfoCommand, $remoteOutput);

    if (empty($remoteOutput)) {
        outputColor($appId, 'Failed to retrieve remote metadata. Skipping.');
        continue;
    }

    // Parse new permissions from the remote metadata
    $newPermissions = parsePermissions($remoteOutput);

    // Compare permissions
    $differences = comparePermissions($currentPermissions, $newPermissions);

    if (!empty($differences)) {
        $permissionChanges[$appId] = $differences;
        displayDifferences($appId, $differences);
    } else {
        outputColor($appId, 'No permission changes found.', false);
    }
}

// If there are no permission changes, inform the user
if (empty($permissionChanges)) {
    echo "No permission changes detected in the available updates.\n";
}

// Ask user if they want to proceed
if (askQuestion('Do you want to proceed with the updates?')) {
    // Proceed with updates
    echo "Updating Flatpaks...\n";
    passthru('flatpak update -y');
} else {
    echo "Updates canceled.\n";
}
?>

• Added “outputColor” function and wrapped appropriate echo statements into it
• Added “-a” to “flatpak list”
• Added output line “Installed app not found. Skipping”
• Added output line “No permission changes found.”
• Added “askQuestion” function since there are now multiple places in the script that ask questions
• Changed get-updates command from “flatpak remote-ls --updates” to “echo n | flatpak update” (with a regex extraction). Also now confirms the update list with the user.

For demonstration purposes, I have left all of my original typos uncorrected below.

<?php
/**
 * This script checks for Flatpak updates and reports permission changes.
 */

// Function to parse permissions from Flatpak metadata
function parsePermissions($content) {
    $permissions = [];
    $lines = is_array($content) ? $content : explode("\n", $content);
    $currentSection = '';
    $skipSections = ['Application']; // Sections to skip

    foreach ($lines as $line) {
        $line = trim($line);

        if (empty($line)) {
            continue;
        }

        // Check for section headers
        if (preg_match('/^\[(.*)\]$/', $line, $matches)) {
            $currentSection = $matches[1];

            // Skip the [Application] section
            if (in_array($currentSection, $skipSections)) {
                $currentSection = '';
                continue;
            }

            $permissions[$currentSection] = [];
        } elseif ($currentSection !== '') {
            // Only process lines within non-skipped sections
            $parts = explode('=', $line, 2);
            if (count($parts) == 2) {
                $key = $parts[0];
                $values = explode(';', trim($parts[1], ';'));
                $permissions[$currentSection][$key] = $values;
            } else {
                // Handle keys without '=' (e.g., single permissions)
                $permissions[$currentSection][$line] = [];
            }
        }
    }

    return $permissions;
}

// Function to compare permissions
function comparePermissions($current, $new) {
    $differences = [];

    // Get all sections
    $sections = array_unique(array_merge(array_keys($current), array_keys($new)));

    foreach ($sections as $section) {
        $currentSection = isset($current[$section]) ? $current[$section] : [];
        $newSection = isset($new[$section]) ? $new[$section] : [];

        // Get all keys in this section
        $keys = array_unique(array_merge(array_keys($currentSection), array_keys($newSection)));

        foreach ($keys as $key) {
            $currentValues = isset($currentSection[$key]) ? $currentSection[$key] : [];
            $newValues = isset($newSection[$key]) ? $newSection[$key] : [];

            // Compare values
            $added = array_diff($newValues, $currentValues);
            $removed = array_diff($currentValues, $newValues);

            if (!empty($added) || !empty($removed)) {
                $differences[$section][$key] = [
                    'added' => $added,
                    'removed' => $removed,
                ];
            }
        }
    }

    return $differences;
}

// Function to display permission differences
function displayDifferences($appId, $differences) {
    echo "Permission changes for $appId:\n";
    foreach ($differences as $section => $keys) {
        echo "  [$section]\n";
        foreach ($keys as $key => $changes) {
            if (!empty($changes['added'])) {
                echo "    + $key = " . implode(';', $changes['added']) . "\n";
            }
            if (!empty($changes['removed'])) {
                echo "    - $key = " . implode(';', $changes['removed']) . "\n";
            }
        }
    }
    echo "\n";
}

// Get architecture (moved above the loop)
$archCommand = 'flatpak --default-arch';
exec($archCommand, $archOutput);
$arch = trim(implode('', $archOutput));

// Step 1: Get the list of installed Flatpaks
$installedCommand = 'flatpak list --columns=application,branch,origin,options';
exec($installedCommand, $installedOutput);

// Remove header line if present
if (!empty($installedOutput) && strpos($installedOutput[0], 'Application ID') !== false) {
    array_shift($installedOutput);
}

// Build an associative array of installed applications
$installedApps = [];

foreach ($installedOutput as $line) {
    // The output is tab-delimited
    $columns = explode("\t", trim($line));
    if (count($columns) >= 4) {
        $appId = $columns[0];
        $branch = $columns[1];
        $origin = $columns[2];
        $options = $columns[3];

        $installedApps[$appId] = [
            'appId' => $appId,
            'branch' => $branch,
            'origin' => $origin,
            'options' => $options,
        ];
    }
}

// Get the list of available updates
$updatesCommand = 'flatpak remote-ls --updates --columns=application';
exec($updatesCommand, $updatesOutput);

// Remove header line if present
if (!empty($updatesOutput) && strpos($updatesOutput[0], 'Application ID') !== false) {
    array_shift($updatesOutput);
}

// Build a list of applications that have updates
$updatesAvailable = array_map('trim', $updatesOutput);

if (empty($updatesAvailable)) {
    echo "No updates available for installed Flatpaks.\n";
    exit(0);
}

$permissionChanges = [];

foreach ($updatesAvailable as $appId) {
    if (!isset($installedApps[$appId])) {
        // The updated app is not in the installed apps list, skip it
        continue;
    }

    $app = $installedApps[$appId];
    $branch = $app['branch'];
    $origin = $app['origin'];
    $options = $app['options'];

    // Determine if it's an app or runtime
    $isRuntime = strpos($options, 'runtime') !== false;

    // Paths to the metadata files
    if ($isRuntime) {
        $metadataPath = "/var/lib/flatpak/runtime/$appId/$arch/$branch/active/metadata";
    } else {
        $metadataPath = "/var/lib/flatpak/app/$appId/$arch/$branch/active/metadata";
    }

    // Check if the metadata file exists
    if (!file_exists($metadataPath)) {
        echo "Metadata file not found for $appId. Skipping.\n";
        continue;
    }

    // Read current permissions from the metadata file
    $metadataContent = file_get_contents($metadataPath);
    $currentPermissions = parsePermissions($metadataContent);

    // Get new metadata from remote
    $ref = $appId . '/' . $arch . '/' . $branch;
    $remoteInfoCommand = 'flatpak remote-info --show-metadata ' . escapeshellarg($origin) . ' ' . escapeshellarg($ref);

    // Clear $remoteOutput before exec()
    $remoteOutput = [];
    exec($remoteInfoCommand, $remoteOutput);

    if (empty($remoteOutput)) {
        echo "Failed to retrieve remote metadata for $appId. Skipping.\n";
        continue;
    }

    // Parse new permissions from the remote metadata
    $newPermissions = parsePermissions($remoteOutput);

    // Compare permissions
    $differences = comparePermissions($currentPermissions, $newPermissions);

    if (!empty($differences)) {
        $permissionChanges[$appId] = $differences;
        displayDifferences($appId, $differences);
    }
}

// If there are no permission changes, inform the user
if (empty($permissionChanges)) {
    echo "No permission changes detected in the available updates.\n";
}

// Ask user if they want to proceed
echo "Do you want to proceed with the updates? (y/N): ";
$handle = fopen("php://stdin", "r");
$line = fgets($handle);
$answer = trim(strtolower($line));

if ($answer == 'y' || $answer == 'yes') {
    // Proceed with updates
    echo "Updating Flatpaks...\n";
    passthru('flatpak update -y');
} else {
    echo "Updates canceled.\n";
}

fclose($handle);
?>

A fix for this issue has been recommended and I consider it resolved. There was always a fix for this but it had not been given yet, as there was confusion to the problem in the bug report. Other people are still reporting the problem but I cannot reproduce it after the suggested fix.

It has come to my attention that my Mini Acuity application suffers from a “known defect” in Android, namely, that it “requires” 2 security permissions I did not ask for or use.

The “Storage” and “Phone Calls” permissions are listed in the “Application Info” in the Android settings dialog even though the market does not specify that they are used during install.

This is a result of using an old SDK version as the base of my code. Google actually encourages authors to use the minimum possible SDK version, as Android is backwards compatible, so that as many users as possible are supported. This means my only solution to not having these security permissions listed would be to upgrade the SDK version, thereby disabling compatibility from some older phones. I wish there was a way I could see the distribution of Android Versions for my application’s downloads to help determine if this would be worth it.

I have updated the Mini Acuity project page accordingly with a “Permissions” section.

On a side note, it occurs to me how much of a security hole this [possibly] is. If an application is running on these old SDK versions, and the user sees an application has only network access permission, they might not worry about the application stealing their data while it could! Though, I have not yet done the research to confirm this, or plan on doing so. I feel more and more that Android’s security system leaves a lot to be desired.

One of the main selling points for me for the Android platform was that, as I understood it, the system was supposed to be very “open” in nature. It would allow a programmer to create virtually any application imaginable that they wanted to for users, as long as the user’s security is maintained. This is, of course, the antithesis of Apple’s philosophy with the iPhone/iPod Touch. However, I find this much spouted openness to not be the case at all. Security permissions are way too tight across the board, especially regarding interfacing with the hardware, making many things next to impossible to accomplish. This is especially true when interfacing with the phone functionality. While a programmer is free to do what they want within the scope of their own application(s) and their GUIs, working with the rest of the system can be a major PITA, or even impossible.

Some of this functionality can be gained back with rooted (jail broken) phones, but it is not always easy (or completely safe) to get one’s phone to such a state. It was simple with the Android 2.0 platform, which I originally had on my Motorola Droid, but not so much with the v2.1 software. Version 2.1 is (currently) a major PITA to root, as it entails having to restore the phone to its original state first, losing everything on it (which can, of course, be restored manually). I also, at this point, do not consider it worth it putting in the time to build things for rooted-only phones as the market is much smaller, and I myself haven’t even bothered rooting my phone on the current Android version.

Anyone can also compile their own version of the Android platform as it is open source. This would be worth it, for example, if an organization wanted to distribute their own compilation with modifications internally. However, it doesn’t much help application programmers like myself that want to reach a wide audience. I am also under the impression that putting your own flavor of the Android platform on your phone would lose certain functionalities/things included by the image provided by the provider of the phone (usually cell phone network carriers).

I really like how they did one section of the security system, which is, allowing an application to request special permissions from the operating system. A user is informed of the requested permissions before they install an application from the market place. The main problem is, though, that so many permissions are unavailable that should be possible. Another major downside is that way too many applications request permissions that they shouldn’t be requesting. This leaves users high and dry with applications they consider critical only available if they accept things they don’t want to. For example, many programs request full internet access with no need for it. It would be great to be able to selectively turn off these permissions, but I doubt the option for this is going to happen. I’m going to do more research myself on if an application can be written to do this, but I am not going to get even the slightest hope up on this possibility.

There are even examples of listed permissions that cannot be accessed by user submitted applications! For example, the INJECT_EVENTS permission can only be used by applications signed with the same signature as the system. I was unable to find this tidbit of information anywhere in the Android documentation and references (or the Internet). This all goes back to the problem of the documentation being less than optimal, as it leaves out a lot of important information.

• Call recording: I have written on this previously, but this functionality is unavailable, and Google is not commenting as to why. There are also countless other applications that could use the ability to access a call’s audio. This functionality was available on some older versions of the Android platform (and there are applications out there that take advantage of this), but it seems unavailable on newer versions for 1 of 3 reasons:
  • Legal reasons: It’s illegal to record calls in some areas (which would be dumb to revoke accessing call audio because of this because it’s legal in so many other places, including where I live in Texas).
  • Technological reasons: Some phone manufacturers might have it so the audio never even makes it to the operating system (it’s kept on the phone’s radio stack).
  • Google reasons: They decided it was a feature they no longer wanted to support. The fact of the matter is the interface is provided by the platform to do this, but bugs have been introduced into it and it no longer seems to work.
• Automated call menu: I would love to make an application that created an automated call menu on the phone, which could include leaving messages. I would personally use this so I could keep my phone on when sleeping, allowing the phone to direct the caller to either my [local or remote] voice mail or to wake me up if it’s an emergency. This is not possible due to the inability to access a call’s audio, as is explained in the above unimplementable application, but I am betting that there would be many more permissions that would make this not possible.
• Global Key interception: I have somewhat solved this problem, as I will be explaining in a post most likely coming tomorrow.