Ubuntu Touch OTA-17 Released - Still Working Toward Ubuntu 20.04 Transition

[NateHubbard]

Yeah, I know what the article is about, thanks.
I highly doubt it's improved that much in the couple of months since I last tried it. The problems I had weren't so much the OS itself (which is weird and takes a lot of getting used to) but rather trying to get used to completely different apps for everything. Assuming you can even find what you need.
I was actually impressed with how well it ran on the ancient hardware compared to how awful it ran in the past.

So I finally got around to installing this.
I'm not seeing where anything has changed for the better, at least on the Nexus 5. The option to import Google contacts is broken (not a big deal), and the GPS doesn't seem to work at all.
I did look up the GPS error and it seems like this is an old issue.

[edwaleni]

I have installed this on my BQ M10FHD Ubuntu Edition tablet after I had previously flashed it with Android.

The attraction for this OTA release was the reported integration of Anbox, but it appears there is still some work in progress.

Not a complaint by any means as BQ is now out of business and the alternate ROM's for MediaTek tablets are few.

Once the Anbox stuff can get sorted out, I will definitely give this more work to do.

[NateHubbard]

I don't know if you know this, but OTA-17 was released just now, and will not even finish rolling out till May 19. The article really was the giveaway here.

Yeah, I know what the article is about, thanks.
I highly doubt it's improved that much in the couple of months since I last tried it. The problems I had weren't so much the OS itself (which is weird and takes a lot of getting used to) but rather trying to get used to completely different apps for everything. Assuming you can even find what you need.
I was actually impressed with how well it ran on the ancient hardware compared to how awful it ran in the past.

[Vistaus]

He is 2 versions behind. But OTA-15 didn't come in 2017 at all. You are confusing Canonical OTAs updates with UBPorts OTAs updates that started over.
OTA-15 was actually released about 5 months ago.

But still, 2 versions behind is quite something, esp. since OTA-16 improved UT a whole lot.

[Vistaus]

I was curious about running Ubuntu Touch on the "open source" Pinephone. I found out that it doesn't support:

1. LED
2. Vibration
3. Camera
4. Calls, SMS, MMS
5. Data connection
6. Bluetooth
7. GPS
8. USB

Source: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/pinephone/

Can someone explain what the heck? Has Pinephone done such a poor work on actual open source support? Or is that some serious problem with Ubuntu Touch?

That page is old: all of those things are either working perfectly or working just good enough now.

[Mez']

That's a hard pass & heavy naw dawg.



The most interesting thing on UBPorts radar is the Pro1 X

https://www.fxtec.com/pro1x

Mostly because it has OOB support for LineageOS and UBPorts.

However, I wouldn't mind a better camera.

Just bought a Sony Xperia 1 II -- apparantly the Gen III will be out in August but the II has some people who have gotten LineageOS to run on it. AFAIK the device is manufactured in Japan which is a nice plus nice too.

Actually, the Fxtec Pro-1X is a work in progress depending on a funding campaign.

The one device that you can get right now with Ubuntu Touch pre-installed (choice at purchase) is the VollaPhone.
Just as Canonical understood that having devices sold with Ubuntu Touch was the best way to popularize it, UBPorts has been working towards that goal as well, through the PinePhone (they weren't picked though, but are still working closely with Pine64 and Manjaro in general), the VollaPhone and the Pro-1X. That's how they are going to gain traction.

Anyway, beside what was mentioned by Michael, it's worth noting there's a parallel GoFundMe campaign to lay the ground works for anbox (Android apps) support. I handed a small amount as it's essential to run the handiest possible apps. UT now already comes with the anbox installer (not anbox itself) but it needs serious work to make it work properly on a range of (if not all) devices.

Reading the Q&As is really interesting, and it's usually well detailed where they stand on every aspect of their project. Ubuntu Touch is a bit of a juggernaut and they can only do what their time and lives allow them to. Given the feedback they're giving and how they're progressing, I'd say they are doing pretty well (although not perfect either). What they lack to improve even further is more help from the community.

I've been following them since they started, even though I've never used their version (I switched to Android on my BQ Aquaris M10 FHD after Canonical dumped UT).
I think it's getting to a point where I might be interested again to try it out. There is still some work to be done under the hood (migration to 20.04 and the anbox endeavor in particular) but it's getting to a progress that makes it exciting all over again.

[Mez']

First, two major versions behind. OTA-15 came out in 2017. Then, contradition in spectacular fashion.
Then you equate the performance of that, to that of the whole OS, based on what you make the effort to point out, is an 8-year old phone.
Not only is it that, it is _one_ device.

He is 2 versions behind. But OTA-15 didn't come in 2017 at all. You are confusing Canonical OTAs updates with UBPorts OTAs updates that started over.
OTA-15 was actually released about 5 months ago.

[Quackdoc]

I was curious about running Ubuntu Touch on the "open source" Pinephone. I found out that it doesn't support:

1. LED
2. Vibration
3. Camera
4. Calls, SMS, MMS
5. Data connection
6. Bluetooth
7. GPS
8. USB

Source: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/pinephone/

Can someone explain what the heck? Has Pinephone done such a poor work on actual open source support? Or is that some serious problem with Ubuntu Touch?

Pinephone is a device for developers not end users. as such its fairly low priority to work on. I would assume that to be the main factor.

[ivan.cwb]

First, two major versions behind. OTA-15 came out in 2017. Then, contradition in spectacular fashion.
Then you equate the performance of that, to that of the whole OS, based on what you make the effort to point out, is an 8-year old phone.
Not only is it that, it is _one_ device.

OTA-15 came in December, 2020.

https://ubports.com/blog/ubports-news-1/post/ubuntu-touch-ota-15-release-3736

I wasn't talking only about the performance, but the ecosystem as a whole.

I don't know if you know this, but OTA-17 was released just now, and will not even finish rolling out till May 19. The article really was the giveaway here.

---

The idea of shooting down something you haven't tried, based on a flawed analysis to begin with, when it is made by a community of volunteers—is retarded.

I will install it again when they upgrade to 20.04 and I will bring my new analysis so kingu can dissecate it again /s...

[R41N3R]

I've installed it on a OnePlus 3. It works quite stable but feels limited quite often. So I always fallback lineageos. Some days ago I tried postmarketOS with Plasma-Mobile on a OnePlus 6 and this really feels like a Linux phone where you even can install and upgrade software with a package manager. Overall I'm quite impressed, Plasma-Mobile has improved a lot since I tried it last time and to run almost a mainline 5.12 kernel is a great achievement. Main issue for now is that the battery charges very slow. But other than that it really is a Linux phone OS as it should be.