Apps not loading in the store for Russian users

[kermoshina]

Some of the Russian users complain about webxdc apps not showing up in mobile and desktop clients (2.48).

1. The app picker URL is set to default (https://webxdc.org/apps)

2. The store shows empty frame without any apps

   

3. The app picker URL is replaced by an alternative one (https://webxdc.github.io/website/apps/)

4. The store shows empty frame without any apps

   

5. VPN turned on - apps start to show up for both app picker URLs

note: the user who shared screenshots runs Android 13 on a Redmi 10C phone, Anrdoid updates are not available for the model of the phone; Delta Chat version 2.48

[WofWca]

This has to do with the fact that the website loads the list of applications from another origin https://apps.testrun.org/xdcget-lock.json, and that domain is blocked.

I think it should be possible to simply mirror the lock file on GitHub, or, to be more precise, wherever the store viewer page is hosted.

[WofWca]

I have made a version of this website that loads the -lock.json file from the same server where the site is hosted, and not from a third party. On this branch.
The following URL can be tried as a "store URL" on Android in Settings -> Advanced -> App Picker URL (on Desktop it's still not possible to pick a different URL but I think we should add an option for that):
https://wofwca.github.io/webxdc_website/apps/

I have tested it and it loads fine (as long as GitHub and Codeberg are not blocked, which they aren't in Russia), except for icons.
But very unfortunately all apps are stuck in the same order regardless of whether they get new updates, (so now my Quake III app is forever # 1 in the list ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️).

Edit: if this proves valuable then we probably should host this version in a more official repo and not my fork. But I'll keep my fork for a while, at least until I forget what it's for and delete it accidentally.