Eddie Android edition 2.0 released

[Staff 9972]

Hello!

 

We're glad to inform you that we have released Eddie Android edition 2.0. Update 30-Nov-18: version 2.0.1 has been released.

 

Version 2.0 is a quantum leap when compared to 1.0. It tries to meet most, if not all, of our community requirements and keeps the promises we made: swift and full AirVPN integration as well as Android TV extended compatibility.

 

As usual Eddie is free and open source software released under GPLv3. Source code is available on GitLab:

https://gitlab.com/AirVPN

 

You can download Eddie from the Google Play Store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.airvpn.eddie

 

You can also download Eddie from Amazon App Store:

https://www.amazon.com/Eddie-AirVPN-official-OpenVPN-GUI/dp/B07KTD6DH9/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1545047130&sr=8-2&keywords=AirVPN

 

You can download Eddie Android 2.0.1 apk directly from our repository as well:

https://eddie.website/repository/eddie/android/2.0.1/org.airvpn.eddie.apk

 

We are also working to make Eddie 2.0 available on the Amazon Appstore.

 

The application is fully localized and we look for translators, especially for translations into simplified and traditional Chinese. Korean, Japanese, and many other languages are welcome. If you wish to translate (from English) please contact info@airvpn.org for every detail.

 

Eddie Android 2.0 adds tons of new features while keeping all the appreciated old ones:

• Free and open source OpenVPN GUI based on OpenVPN 3
• The only Android application officially developed by AirVPN
• Robust, best effort prevention of traffic leaks outside the VPN tunnel
• Battery-conscious application
• Low RAM footprint
• Ergonomic and friendly interface
• Ability to start and connect the application at device boot
• Option to define which apps must have traffic inside or outside the VPN tunnel through white and black list
• Full integration with AirVPN
• Enhanced security thanks to locally stored encrypted data through master password
• Quick one-tap connection and smart, fully automated server selection
• Smart server selection with custom settings
• Manual server selection
• Smart attempts to bypass OpenVPN blocks featuring protocol and server fail-over
• Full Android TV compatibility including D-Pad support. Mouse emulation is not required.
• Enhancements aimed to increase accessibility and comfort to visually impaired persons
• AirVPN servers sorting options
• Customizable "Favorite" and "Forbidden" servers
• OpenVPN mimetype support to import profiles from external applications
• Localization in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish

What's new in version 2.0.1:

Changelog 2.0.1 (VC 14) - Release date: 30 November 2018 by ProMIND

 

- [ProMIND] Created MainTVActivity class for Android TV leanback launcher

- [ProMIND] Renamed class AboutActivity.java to WebViewerActivity.java. This new class is now used for external web sites and local html document to be shown within the app

 

MainActivity.java

- [ProMIND] Replaced start intent of external web browser with WebViewerActivity class in order to make the app compliant with Google's Android TV requirements

 

VPNService.java

- [ProMIND] complete rewrite of onBind() method in order to properly manage VpnService intents

 

Enjoy AirVPN and give us your feedback!

 

Kind regards and datalove

AirVPN Staff

[st4r 1]

thx. is there a way to show the UI in english instead of my phone language? could not find anything in the options...

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

thx. is there a way to show the UI in english instead of my phone language? could not find anything in the options...

 

Oh, that's a good idea. I'd extend this by simply offering a language choosing option so that you're not bound to your own and the English language,

[silvaticus 0]

"Ability to start and connect the application at device boot"

 

Like hell it does! It won't connect unless I first enter a master password! And that defeats the purpose of auto-connect. Have uninstalled it and won't be reinstalling it.

[Staff 9972]

"Ability to start and connect the application at device boot"

 

Like hell it does! It won't connect unless I first enter a master password! And that defeats the purpose of auto-connect. Have uninstalled it and won't be reinstalling it.

 

 

Hello!

 

The ability to auto-start is available and can be used through a profile. The additional security (encryption of data related to AirVPN) obviously does not allow to use such function for the automatic, quick connection mode. This is intended and correct.

 

Kind regards

[DarkSpace-Harbinger 11]

Is anyone else having problems with the app crashing every few hours? It locks the VPN and i cannot use it again until i manually disconnect and reconnect. Sometimes doing that will even cause all traffic to go outside the VPN tunnel, even when the client says it's connected or locked.

 

I've submitted a ticket.

[Staff 9972]

 

Is anyone else having problems with the app crashing every few hours? It locks the VPN and i cannot use it again until i manually disconnect and reconnect. Sometimes doing that will even cause all traffic to go outside the VPN tunnel, even when the client says it's connected or locked.

 

I've submitted a ticket.

 

 

Hello!

 

We re-publish here below the ticket reply for readers' comfort.

 

=======

 

Hello and thank you for your choice!

 

It's not a crash at all.

 

Eddie locks the connection when a non-recoverable error in OpenVPN is going to cause traffic leaks outside the VPN, according to the philosophy "better safe than sorry".

 

When the above occurs, Eddie will prevent leaks by locking communications and provide the user with the ability to close applications whose traffic must not be leaked before the user himself/herself decides to unlock the network.

 

In particular, in your case the error that caused the lock was the following one:

OpenVPN3 KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT: Eddie Library Session invalidated: KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT

 

When you get a KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT, and you're still successfully connected to your physical network (WiFi, mobile...), communications to the server have become impossible. If Eddie did not lock communications promptly, your device would start to send out packets out of the VPN tunnel.

 

In such cases, all OpenVPN applications for Android will allow leaks of traffic, while they retry to re-establish a connection, except Eddie. The exclusive feature could appear annoying but it will literally save you from dangerous situations, since our service is primarily aimed to keep a reasonably strong anonymity layer under the limitations enforced by the Android system.

 

Of course we do not enforce the usage of Eddie to connect to our service. You may for example run "OpenVPN for Android" or "openvpn-connect" and you will not have to manually intervene in the aforementioned cases, but you must be aware that you will have traffic leaks if similar errors occur, during all the time between the disconnection and the re-connection (several seconds, OR PERMANENT should the server on the other side go down).

 

Kind regards

AirVPN Support Team

[ableounceony 6]

In particular, in your case the error that caused the lock was the following one:

OpenVPN3 KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT: Eddie Library Session invalidated: KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT

 

 

I guess the question then becomes WHY did the Eddie Library become invalidated?  Or, if the cause and effect is the other way around, WHY did OpenVPN3 Keepalive time out?

[Staff 9972]

 

In particular, in your case the error that caused the lock was the following one:

OpenVPN3 KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT: Eddie Library Session invalidated: KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT

 

 

I guess the question then becomes WHY did the Eddie Library become invalidated?  Or, if the cause and effect is the other way around, WHY did OpenVPN3 Keepalive time out?

 

 

Hello!

 

UDP is connectionless. In order to keep the the session alive the parties must "ping" each other (inside the tunnel). A KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT occurs when during any given time frame one of the party does not receive any reply to any of the previous "pings".

 

OpenVPN solves brilliantly any UDP (and other, such as packet re-ordering) potentially related problem so you have UDP efficiency without UDP issues for a stable communication: you have re-ordering and "other side awareness" (so to speak) with a connectionless protocol.

 

In our service, the parties send each other a ping every 10 seconds, and if no ping is replied in a 60 seconds time frame, a party assumes that the other one is no more there.

 

Of course you can connect in TCP. In such a case, aforementioned OpenVPN smart functions are not necessary, everything is handled directly at another layer (at TCP level), at the price of a performance hit (unavoidable if you're in a network blocking or shaping UDP).

 

Kind regards

[DarkSpace-Harbinger 11]

Dumb question, but is it possible for Eddie to prevent leaks while attempting to reconnect to the server? Or must the lock always be broken to initiate a connection again?

[jeuia3e9x74uxu6wk0r2u9kdos 30]

Dumb question, but is it possible for Eddie to prevent leaks while attempting to reconnect to the server? Or must the lock always be broken to initiate a connection again?

 

I second this: could be possible make Eddie reconnect immediatly after a crash and not just stop the connection? I mean: wouldn't it be safer and more secure reconnecting (with a slight impact on performance) instead of crashing-stopping-disconnecting-exposing ip-reconnecting?

 

Moreover: could you provide a reference about ip-leaks with openvpn for android and/or connect because I couldn't find anything related to.

[Staff 9972]

I second this: could be possible make Eddie reconnect immediatly after a crash

 

Hello!

 

Please use the correct terminology. A crash never enters into play.

 

and not just stop the connection? I mean: wouldn't it be safer and more secure reconnecting (with a slight impact on performance) instead of crashing-stopping-disconnecting-exposing ip-reconnecting?

 

It is possible, but it will unavoidably cause momentary or permanent traffic leaks, as explained above. Adding the option would be a deliberate, intentional implementation of a security flaw in the app, so we must evaluate it carefully. The "best" effort would no more be "best", even though that would be a user's choice.

 

In the meantime, but only if traffic leaks are not a cause of concern for you, you might consider to use "OpenVPN for Android".

 

Kind regards

[jeuia3e9x74uxu6wk0r2u9kdos 30]

 

I second this: could be possible make Eddie reconnect immediatly after a crash

 

Hello!

 

Please use the correct terminology. A crash never enters into play.

 

>and not just stop the connection? I mean: wouldn't it be safer and more secure reconnecting (with a slight impact on performance) instead of crashing-stopping-disconnecting-exposing ip-reconnecting?

 

It is possible, but it will unavoidably cause momentary or permanent traffic leaks, as explained above. Adding the option would be a deliberate, intentional implementation of a security flaw in the app, so we must evaluate it carefully. The "best" effort would no more be "best", even though that would be a user's choice.

 

In the meantime, but only if traffic leaks are not a cause of concern for you, you might consider to use "OpenVPN for Android".

 

Kind regards

 

 

Thank you guys for the exhaustive explanation, now I understand that it must be difficult balance safety with usability and user experience; sorry for the terminology mistake and the subsequent misunderstanding but I was referring to the connection (when one of the parties does not receive any reply to the any of the previous "pings") not to the Eddie app. I am just genuinely interested in understanding how Eddie "works" and "thinks" and why is different/better than other apps

[ixochina 5]

I tried to install the apk onto nvidia shield tv but no success. Is it compatible?

[Staff 9972]

I tried to install the apk onto nvidia shield tv but no success. Is it compatible?

 

Hello!

 

We confirm that the app is fully compatible with nVidia Shield TV. It has been thoroughly tested on an Shield TV with Android 7.

 

Did you try to install the apk with a side load? If so, which problems did you experience?

 

If you looked for the app in the Google Play Store, it's normal that you did not find it, since we are still waiting for the revision by Google (applications for TV must comply to an additional set of rules).

 

Kind regards

[DarkSpace-Harbinger 11]

Why is this possible on Windows to do without leaks, yet impossible to do automatically on Android without leaks?

[Staff 9972]

Why is this possible on Windows to do without leaks, yet impossible to do automatically on Android without leaks?

 

 

Hello!

 

Modification of the system packet filtering table achieves a real, theoretically optimal, leak prevention. Root privileges are required to modify the table. You (and as a direct consequence your apps, including Eddie) do not have root control of your Android device. You're just a normal user, at least on un-rooted devices.

 

Kind regards

[DarkSpace-Harbinger 11]

 

Why is this possible on Windows to do without leaks, yet impossible to do automatically on Android without leaks?

 

 

Hello!

 

Modification of the system packet filtering table achieves a real, theoretically optimal, leak prevention. Root privileges are required to modify the table. You (and as a direct consequence your apps, including Eddie) do not have root control of your Android device. You're just a normal user, at least on un-rooted devices.

 

Kind regards

 

 

Is there a plan to implement this support for rooted users in the future?

[Staff 9972]

Is there a plan to implement this support for rooted users in the future?

 

Hello!

 

Currently it is not planned, we're sorry. The app is designed to work with limited privileges and is thought for the majority of Android devices and users. On the other hand, if you root a device, nothing prevents you to set proper firewall rules to implement a robust leak prevention.

 

Kind regards

[ixochina 5]

 

I tried to install the apk onto nvidia shield tv but no success. Is it compatible?

 

Hello!

 

We confirm that the app is fully compatible with nVidia Shield TV. It has been thoroughly tested on an Shield TV with Android 7.

 

Did you try to install the apk with a side load? If so, which problems did you experience?

 

If you looked for the app in the Google Play Store, it's normal that you did not find it, since we are still waiting for the revision by Google (applications for TV must comply to an additional set of rules).

 

Kind regards

Hi! I can confirm that the app is working with my nVidia Shield TV. I did not check properly that side loaded apps dont show directly on the app display.  Once I went through settings>apps, things were fine. Thanks.

[st4r 1]

 

thx. is there a way to show the UI in english instead of my phone language? could not find anything in the options...

 

Oh, that's a good idea. I'd extend this by simply offering a language choosing option so that you're not bound to your own and the English language,

 

So, is this option possible and if not, planned? English is just better when it comes to IT terms...

[Staff 9972]

Hi! I can confirm that the app is working with my nVidia Shield TV. I did not check properly that side loaded apps dont show directly on the app display.  Once I went through settings>apps, things were fine. Thanks.

 

 

Hello!

 

Thank you for your feedback. We are aware of the issue you report. It will be fixed very soon.

 

Kind regards

[Staff 9972]

 

Oh, that's a good idea. I'd extend this by simply offering a language choosing option so that you're not bound to your own and the English language,

 

So, is this option possible and if not, planned? English is just better when it comes to IT terms...

 

Hello!

 

Yes, it's possible and its implementation is planned.

 

Kind regards

[JasonBourne 8]

Thank you ProMIND for Eddie Android edition 2.0. Much appreciated.

 

Further to my reply to Eddie Android edition 1.0 topic I find that Eddie Android edition 2.0 does [also] not play nicely with other VPN apps. On the premise that Android can only have one active VPN connection at a time, Eddie Android edition disconnects a VPN connection (i.e. OpenVPN for Android or Adguard) the moment that Eddie Android edition app opens [first time] or its GUI gets focus [again]. Imho I think the timing of disconnecting the active VPN is incorrect. If possible it would be more timely to disconnect the active VPN at the moment Eddie Android edition starts a VPN connection.

 

Vice versa, Adguard has code that will graciously pause its application sending a notification that reads: "Protection is paused until the other VPN app finishes its work. Tap to resume", on the other hand, Eddie Android edition does not handle this in a similar manner. For example when Eddie is connected and I then connect to a server with OpenVPN for Android, Eddie's GUI and notification both display a connection (not paused, not disconnected). And the moment Eddie Android edition takes focus it disconnects the VPN established through OpenVPN for Android maintaining it is connected but it most definitely is not.

 

Checking within Eddie Android edition whether there is another VPN app taking control can be improved. My tuppence worth

[JasonBourne 8]

Profile option within 'AirVPN Server Settings' values are reversed when connecting from AIRVPN SERVER -tab

However the QUICK CONNECT -tab Profile option shows correctly in CONNECTION -tab.

 

For example: when set to 'Mobile Phone' it shows up as 'Laptop' in CONNECTION -tab. And when set as 'Laptop' it shows as 'Mobile Phone'. The values are reversed.