Calendula (android) - a dead project that I use daily

[wreckedcarzz]

Hey all! It's weird to post here after so long, but I've been concerned about this Android app for a few years now, and I'm not sure where else to turn.

Calendula is a medication management, scheduling, alert, etc app that I've been using for.. 9 (?) years. But it hasn't seen an update since late 2018, android has been warning me that it's running on an old sdk (?) version for a few years now, and I fear that it will stop working with future android versions.

I kind of know how Github works, but the project is written in Java (as I understand it) and I neither like the language nor have modern skills with it. Many people have forked the project, but none have taken it over or offered a new version - hence my growing concern. I've searched for and tried similar apps (just foss, since I don't trust random apps on the play store with my medical info) and they all suck, really.

Does anyone here have an interest in reviving (forking) this project? I'd be willing to pay for it to be brought up to date and hopefully keep functioning for another few years (I'm not swimming in cash but this is quite important to me). Or, is there an app that I haven't run across that does more-or-less the same functionality? Alerts, checkboxes for each med per scheduled time, recorded intake time that can be referred to, repeat notifications, skipped/ignored alerts, med name and remaining stock counter, scheduling for days/multiple per day/day + skip/etc...

Besides the fear of android refusing to run it after a major update, the notification/alert system broke with android... 12? And so now it doesn't alert me until I open the app myself. Which isn't ideal when I am busy and miss my med schedule by a few hours, oblivious...

Anyone want to give it a try, or have suggestions?

Also: hello *waves*

-wreckedcarzz

(I typed this on my phone so apologies if I botched anything)

[hamradio]

Hey all! It's weird to post here after so long, but I've been concerned about this Android app for a few years now, and I'm not sure where else to turn.

Calendula is a medication management, scheduling, alert, etc app that I've been using for.. 9 (?) years. But it hasn't seen an update since late 2018, android has been warning me that it's running on an old sdk (?) version for a few years now, and I fear that it will stop working with future android versions.

I kind of know how Github works, but the project is written in Java (as I understand it) and I neither like the language nor have modern skills with it. Many people have forked the project, but none have taken it over or offered a new version - hence my growing concern. I've searched for and tried similar apps (just foss, since I don't trust random apps on the play store with my medical info) and they all suck, really.

Does anyone here have an interest in reviving (forking) this project? I'd be willing to pay for it to be brought up to date and hopefully keep functioning for another few years (I'm not swimming in cash but this is quite important to me). Or, is there an app that I haven't run across that does more-or-less the same functionality? Alerts, checkboxes for each med per scheduled time, recorded intake time that can be referred to, repeat notifications, skipped/ignored alerts, med name and remaining stock counter, scheduling for days/multiple per day/day + skip/etc...

Besides the fear of android refusing to run it after a major update, the notification/alert system broke with android... 12? And so now it doesn't alert me until I open the app myself. Which isn't ideal when I am busy and miss my med schedule by a few hours, oblivious...

Anyone want to give it a try, or have suggestions?

Also: hello *waves*

-wreckedcarzz

(I typed this on my phone so apologies if I botched anything)

-wreckedcarzz (June 23, 2025, 09:16 PM)

I can't help but thought I would still say hello so hello *waves* and hope you been doing good as possible health wise.

[wreckedcarzz]

I can't help but thought I would still say hello so hello *waves** and hope you been doing good as possible health wise.

-hamradio (July 02, 2025, 01:01 PM)

I've been okay, yeah - took me a few years to get the right med combo, and I'm still basically deadweight on my right side. Can't articulate my foot so I can't walk well, frozen in place really. Arm I have some control but nothing useful, so it just does what it wants. And I lost partial vision when the stroke happened, which is the thing I wish for the most. Other issues too likea noticeable (to me) cognitive decline, and a few other items.

But I'm here, still kicking. Still learning, last few years has been networking and server admin stuff. I now run 3 servers - a nas, a tower server, and a vps, all running docker, with the tower server running proxmox. NAS hosts family data, tower and vps hosts game servers, home assistant, and BOINC (tower has an older Xeon, might as well put it to use). Slowly built out the home network with cat6a to all rooms with tech, switches. Need to get better (managed + 2.5+) switches so I can use more than 1g. I *just* got fiber installed a couple days ago, the day after service went live.

So comparatively I'm in brutal shape, struggle with basic things... But I'm still here, still trying. I have been able to take little trips - I used to go to Utah twice a year to see my ex, and I attend conventions in Pittsburgh and Chicago, hopefully more soon. Trying to get back into the workforce, and if that goes well money won't be excruciatingly tight.

It's been a crazy ride. But I'm still kicking.

[hamradio]

I've been okay, yeah - took me a few years to get the right med combo, and I'm still basically deadweight on my right side. Can't articulate my foot so I can't walk well, frozen in place really. Arm I have some control but nothing useful, so it just does what it wants. And I lost partial vision when the stroke happened, which is the thing I wish for the most. Other issues too likea noticeable (to me) cognitive decline, and a few other items.

But I'm here, still kicking. Still learning, last few years has been networking and server admin stuff. I now run 3 servers - a nas, a tower server, and a vps, all running docker, with the tower server running proxmox. NAS hosts family data, tower and vps hosts game servers, home assistant, and BOINC (tower has an older Xeon, might as well put it to use). Slowly built out the home network with cat6a to all rooms with tech, switches. Need to get better (managed + 2.5+) switches so I can use more than 1g. I *just* got fiber installed a couple days ago, the day after service went live.

So comparatively I'm in brutal shape, struggle with basic things... But I'm still here, still trying. I have been able to take little trips - I used to go to Utah twice a year to see my ex, and I attend conventions in Pittsburgh and Chicago, hopefully more soon. Trying to get back into the workforce, and if that goes well money won't be excruciatingly tight.

It's been a crazy ride. But I'm still kicking.

-wreckedcarzz (July 02, 2025, 03:30 PM)

Sounds like despite all your health issues you have had you are doing an awesome job handling it and such. Anyways nice hearing from you again. Will let the topic continue if anyone else has anything to say on Calendula or one like it.

[rjbull]

I've searched for and tried similar apps (just foss, since I don't trust random apps on the play store with my medical info) and they all suck, really.

-wreckedcarzz (June 23, 2025, 09:16 PM)

You don't list which apps you  tried.  I've just seen a heads-up in a UK magazine for MyTherapy Pill Reminder.  Sanity check - I have not tried it - and the Data safety does say

This app may share these data types with third parties
Personal info and App info and performance

This app may collect these data types
Personal info, Health and fitness and 3 others

Data is encrypted in transit

You can request that data be deleted

Maybe that's the price you have to pay for "free" 

[wreckedcarzz]

Yeah - essentially everything on the play store is a non-starter because of data 'sharing' and collection. There are a couple that have no collection, but they aren't very good, sadly. I've searched the web for 'foss android medication reminder' and the like, and while there are a few options, none are intuitive or reliable (I'm fine with paid apps, or even say $1/month - I support a few foss devs monthly like this, as well as content creators etc), but yeah 'free' at the cost of my data is absolutely DoA.

Currently I'm using the app Tasks.org for notifications, and sticking with Calendula (notifications disabled) for med tracking. It's alright, I have to check two notifications instead of one for each scheduled med, but I get reliable notifications now. Still worried about the SDK/Android version not supporting older apps though. I think it was last updated during android 10.

I even looked at self-hosted services that use either an app with push notifications, or even just email alerts, but nothing seems to exist. Which is wild to me - in my social circle, if you are into tech, you very likely have regular medications. I guess most geek-types just have better memory and time-management abilities than I do

I just did a quick look again before posting, and https://github.com/Futsch1/medTimer might be what I'm looking for. The screenshots look promising, and I haven't seen it before so maybe...