When selecting a backup location which is not a direct child of Internal, the user is coerced into granting access to its parent or ancestor instead

[kaoneko]

Checklist

• I can reproduce the bug with the latest versions.
• I made sure that there are no existing issues - open or closed - to which I could contribute my information.
• I made sure that there are no existing discussions - open or closed - to which I could contribute my information.
• I have read the FAQs inside the app (Menu -> About -> FAQs), in the README and my problem isn't listed.
• I have taken the time to fill in all the required details. I understand that the bug report may get dismissed otherwise.
• This issue contains only one bug.

Affected Android/Custom ROM version

Android 13 / LineageOS 20

Affected device model

Pixel 4a

How did you install the apps?

F-Droid / IzzyOnDroid

Which apps are affected?

Calendar, Contacts, Notes, possibly others

Steps to reproduce the bug

1. Open e.g. Notes and then its Settings and scroll all the way down
2. Tap Enable automatic backups
3. Tap the Folder field and pick a folder that's not a direct child of Internal, e.g. Internal > Backups > Notes
4. A screen titled Confirm folder access pops up saying

   Please allow accessing 'Internal/Backups' on the next screen by pressing 'Use this folder' at the bottom.

5. After tapping OK the Android file picker opens at said location. A security-minded user will navigate to the folder they actually want to grant access to and tap USE THIS FOLDER followed by ALLOW
6. The user is returned to the Fossify folder picker, while a toast shows up saying Wrong folder selected, please select path 'Internal/Backups'

Expected behavior

I always feel a bit silly answering these two questions, since it should be clear by now, so I'll let ChatGPT answer them.

• The user should be able to select a backup location that is not a direct child of Internal without being coerced into granting permission to its parent or ancestor folder.
• After selecting the desired folder in the Android file picker and confirming the selection, the Fossify app should acknowledge the chosen folder as the backup location without any errors.

Actual behavior

• When selecting a backup location that is not a direct child of Internal, the user is prompted to grant permission to its parent or ancestor folder (Internal/Backups in this case) instead of the intended folder.
• Even after the user selects the correct folder and grants permission, an error message appears stating that the wrong folder was selected, instructing the user to choose the path Internal/Backups, which is not the folder the user intended to select.

Screenshots/Screen recordings

The behavior was coincidentally showcased in the video in #131, where the user actually goes along with granting the Fossify app wider access. He then remarks under Expected behavior:

Also, in step 9, I expect to give Fossify Contacts/Calendar access only to the backup directory (Internal > Backups > Contacts in my case), not to its parent.

Although this was not the main point of the feature request (it was also not a bug report).

Additional information

If you pick e.g. Internal > Backups > Local > Fossify > Notes, you will also be asked to grant access to Internal/Backups, hence me also mentioning ancestors in addition to parents.

Possibly related:

• Better selection of backup location Calendar#101
• Cannot set recording directory to an existing directory Voice-Recorder#48

[jfsanchez]

I think that this related bug is missing from here: [https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Contacts/issues/144]. If a consistent file selection with just an intent is possible, then it would solve many other problems with: GrapheneOS, Fariphone, etc.