Ubuntu Touch OTA-3 Focal Brings PinePhone Images, Initial Snap Support

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Ubuntu Touch OTA-3 Focal Brings PinePhone Images, Initial Snap Support

Ubuntu Touch OTA-3 Focal is out today as the UBport's latest release of this Ubuntu mobile adaptation for smartphones and tablets. This is the third release to be based on their Ubuntu 20.04 LTS base, which is quite aging at this point but still better off than their earlier 16.04 LTS foundation...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-Touch-OTA-3-Focal

[Eirikr1848]

Well shoot. Time to dig out the Pinephone (and LG Nexus 5X and Nexus 4)

Curious to see how well snaps work in terms of UI resizing and whatnot. Guess it’s time to geek out and report any that don’t work.

It seems their promoted phones (must have close to full compatibility) are:

- OnePlus One
- Nexus 5
- Volla
- Pinephone
- Fairphone 2

Then they have 23 unofficially supported devices with three “top level support” devices like:

- Pixel 3a XL
- Pixel 3a
- FairPhone 4
- and 20 more: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/

Seems to align with devices that still have an active XDA user base too.

Overall this seems like a pretty huge update.

Would be cool to see newer devices but hopefully snaps help with the app shortage and get more folks, especially from Phoronix, engaged.

[woojoo]

I got a pinephone community edition in october 2018.
It never had a anywhere near complete compatibility.

[Eirikr1848]

I got a pinephone community edition in october 2018.
It never had anywhere near complete compatibility.

Really? I always had good luck with Manjaro Mobile on it with Plasma Mobile including a full desktop when connected over HDMI to a monitor + OpenGL acceleration + Cell, GPS, Bluetooth.

[scratchi]

Saw this article as I was browsing on my Pinephone Pro with postmarketOS and flashed the image to my spare SD card, so writing this post from Ubuntu touch.

First impression is OK, UI seems much more stable than Plasma mobile and phosh. Rotating screen doesn't cause aligment issues like in plasma.

Camera doesn't work...it doesn't work in pmOS either though (but it does in Manjaro and Fedora 39). Keyboard vibration is turned on but its not vibrating? Also, don't see stand-by when idling option, screen just stays on. Anyway, need some more time with it, haven't popped my sim in yet to check phone/sms, chances are I'll go back to pmOS with phosh though.

Thanks for posting this article, gives me something to kill a few hours with

[Quackdoc]

Im waiting for some riscv phones to drop before trying these, hoping lichee might drop one eventually

[Danny3]

Snaps on a phone?
Aren't they bad enough on a computer?

[Quackdoc]

Snaps on a phone?
Aren't they bad enough on a computer?

I certainly wouldnt install any

[and.elf]

Snaps on a phone?
Aren't they bad enough on a computer?

I would argue that containerized apps is perfect for a phone. Not sure why snaps are bad, I kind of like the idea with "library"-snaps, but I'm not sure how well it works in practice

[Quackdoc]

I would argue that containerized apps is perfect for a phone. Not sure why snaps are bad, I kind of like the idea with "library"-snaps, but I'm not sure how well it works in practice

I dont mind the idea of containerized apps, flatpak is probably really good here. but snaps are a mess, the thing I hate most myself is the /dev/loop# spam, did they ever address that?