It's 2022 And You Need A PHD In Arsing Around To Open An Ebook On Android

 On my new android handset, I installed fbreader from fdroid,
because this worked for me before, last time I was on android.
 
I downloaded a book in epub format using the builtin browser
chrome.
 
At this point, the book should become visible in the reader
app's view of what's available.
 
It's not there. The categories like "by author", "by title" are
empty.  Choosing "library" or something brings up
a complaint from the developers about how google has blocked
their authentication page or something I don't care about.
There does seem to be an option to browse the local filesystem
and find the book yourself.  This exposes the dreaded Android
filesystem via the cryptically-named "Device" and "Memory card",
which tends to be the built-in memory.  Trying "Memory card"
gives permission denied, so I try "Device".  The result is
what looks like the root filesystem of android linux, which
is internals from a user perspective, full of entries like `dev`,
`cache`, `mnt`, `storage`, and so on.  I think my media might
be under `storage`, but it's permission denied again.
 



I try going in "the other way", using Samsung's file explorer, annoyingly called "My Files".  The epub file is there in "Recent files" as it should be.  But pressing it, instead of opening it in a reader application, says "Search the play store?  You don't have any apps that can open this type of file. You can search for one in the Play Store".  Except I know I have at least two installed on here: fbreader and Booky McBookface.  If this were Windows 95, more than a quarter of a century ago, then at this point I would be able to not just select which application, but to associate that application with this type of file in future.  But here, when I bring up the menu for the file (hold-press, then "... More"), the item "Open with", despite sounding promising, leads to exactly the same fail: "Search the play store?  You don't have any apps that can open this type of file. You can search for one in the Play Store".  There is no way to just.. choose the application.  So mass computing usability has regressed since 1995.
 

 
This is where we are.  2022, two major mobile platforms, android ships however many hundred million units per year, and it can't perform the most basic functions, like make a downloaded book available to a reader app, or allow the user to do so.  The same applies to downloaded audio files.  Pretty much all Android can do is act as a corporate tether.
 
By the way, is it because my reader apps were installed via FDroid, not via the Play Store, that they are
 unable to register to handle the epub file type?  I would happily install one from the Play Store, if it
 were possible to find a non-shitware one.
 

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