First impressions of Ubuntu Touch

[Moem]

Mine is on its way.

Exciting! Let us know how it goes.

[Portreve]

There is no need to run GBoard. There is even no need to run the standard provided keyboard. My Oneplus on LineageOS + Android uses OpenBoard instead and it works fine. I installed it from F-Droid (the FOSS app store) and I believe that it can also be installed on stock Android.

I just installed it on my factory stock install of Android 9. It seems to work fine, but it sucks that it doesn't let you swipe (or "Swype" if you prefer) your way through the letters of a word.

[Moem]

It's always a tradeoff, I'm afraid. As they say: freedom isn't free. But since you're on Android, there may be other options that may suit you better.

[BG405]

I'd be interested to know if Ubuntu Touch correctly displays the extra symbols I posted in this thread, also whether keyboard layout switching is straightforward as I sometimes need non-Western characters.

If or when I think of more potentially useful ones, I'll add them to that thread as it might be of benefit to others there and here.

[Moem]

As for keyboard switching: yes, that's straightforward.There is a button on the keyboard that, when longpressed, brings up the list of keyboard layouts that you have chosen as available.

[cliffcoggin]

Mine is on its way.

Exciting! Let us know how it goes.

Naturally I will.

[BG405]

As for keyboard switching: yes, that's straightforward.

Thanks for that & the character display. Always good to know if a platform has decent character support.

Some of those superscript numbers were seemingly unavailable in Windows 7, at least with the included fonts …

[cliffcoggin]

Well my Oneplus 1 arrived today and I have to report that I have failed to install Ubuntu Touch. As soon as the installation process starts it instantly unmounts the phone. For some unknown reason what I am seeing on screen does not match the UBports instructions and video, so I am giving up for today and will try again tomorrow. I'll report on progress.

[Moem]

I had a bit of a problem too, it took me several tries and I had to boot the phone into recovery mode (power button and volume-) instead of the advised fastboot (power button and volume+) but once I tried that, it worked. I don't even remember whether the phone stayed mounted during the process. I don't think it did.

I bet if you keep trying, it will all come out in the wash.

[Moem]

I found this advice on the UBports forum, and it's very elegant:

Installed UT by the installer on OPO always gave me problems, but never on the command line.
If you can't do it through the installer, I suggest you to try this simple procedure:

- put the OPO in fastboot mode;

- Plug the OPO into the laptop;

- Run the command line under the terminal (copy and paste the following)

Code: Select all

 sudo ubuntu-device-flash --server=https//system-image.ubports.com touch --device=bacon --channel=ubports-touch/16.04/stable --bootstrap --wipe

Let the procedure go until UT is installed on the OPO, this should take some time.

[cliffcoggin]

I saw that too, but I'll wait for responses to the question I posed there before attacking the problem with that weapon. I'd like to understand if I am doing something wrong or there is a fault in the installer or perhaps my phone is defective.

[gittiest personITW]

Cliff - carry on the way you are going. The price of the OnePlus 1 is slowly coming down. Carry on the good work.

[cliffcoggin]

Unfortunately I have to report that my attempts to install Ubuntu Touch on a Oneplus One phone have been an abject failure, so I shall get rid of the phone. The whole experience was frustrating for many reasons:
[1] The phone arrived with a defective cable that only connected intermittently. Charging was always continuous but data connection was not, so it took a day for my suspicions to be confirmed and another day to buy a new cable.
[2] The demonstration video provided by UPports for the installation onto a Oneplus One actually showed a Nexus 5 not the Oneplus One, which has a different menu.
[3] The assistance from the UBports forum was sparse, contradictory and lacking in explanation.
[4] Other guidance from non UP Ports sources provided yet more contradictions.

All those factors combined to deter me from repeating the experiment. Perhaps it was my undoubted lack of understanding, perhaps the installer is at fault, perhaps the phone is at fault. Whatever the reason, the failure has deterred me from repeating the experiment, so I'm considering buying a new smart phone with Ubuntu Touch already installed.

Anybody want to buy this phone from me?

[Moem]

I'm so sorry to hear it! I felt sure you could make it work, but I may have underestimated how convuluted the proces turned out to be in your case. Sorry for leading you astray. I'm hopeful that someone else here will want to have a go.

[cliffcoggin]

Don't blame yourself Moem, I knew it would be a gamble right from the start. It was a mistake I knew I could afford to make because I can resell the phone as a working Android machine after a factory reset.

[gittiest personITW]

Moem - obviously not your fault and no definitely you haven't led anyone astray (at least not on the forums!).
Cliff - thanks for posting your experiences. As it goes, if you don't test a theory, then it is still a theory.
Very interesting thread (if you're interested in this kind of thing).

Moem - any updates on useage - still happy with it? Any bugs? Anything good/great/bad that you've noticed - if you get time....

Cheers.

[Moem]

Moem - any updates on useage - still happy with it?

Well, yes, but I've not really used it yet. I'm waiting for a new screen glass, which is on the slow boat, to come in. After swapping out the cracked glass, I will stick my sim in it and use it for a week as my proper smartphone, and see how I like it, and if there are apps that I really miss.
I doubt it though. I do not use all that many apps anyway.

Here's one thing I've noticed: app development is quite active. I see apps being updated or added to the Open Store every week.

[gittiest personITW]

Great. Thanks Moem.
Do keep us updated if you can.

[BG405]

Here's one thing I've noticed: app development is quite active. I see apps being updated or added to the Open Store every week.

That is very useful to know, thanks! Lack of ongoing support with these "smart" devices is the biggest barrier to me becoming in any way keen, especially reliant, on one for daily use of any kind.

[Moem]

Well, the UT community feels lively and spirited, there is lots of communication from the developers. I'm not worried about it being a dead end.