What's the situation with blue light filtering on Ubuntu Touch?

UniSuperBox · 24 Jun 2019, 23:27

Gonna disappoint you here, I really don't know what's needed to do that. It's possible that color calibration is already built in to Mir (I'm sure it is), so that'd be the first lead to follow. @alan_g?

Giiba · 25 Jun 2019, 03:08

I know 18.04 offers it as a basic system setting so it can't be impossible.

arubislander · 25 Jun 2019, 04:46

No, adding a system setting is not impossible. The challenge is implementing this feature on the relevant software stack of the mobile devices, which is nothing like the software stack on the desktop. Which in turn is the reason that, unfortunately, the existence of an implementation on the desktop is irrelevant to the current issue.

alan_g · 25 Jun 2019, 08:40

@UniSuperBox said in What's the situation with blue light filtering on Ubuntu Touch?:

Gonna disappoint you here, I really don't know what's needed to do that. It's possible that color calibration is already built in to Mir (I'm sure it is), so that'd be the first lead to follow. @alan_g?

Not a full answer, but essentially "blue light filtering" amounts to customising the gamma curves. Mir supports setting the gamma curves as part of the display configuration: this allows more general "display calibration" than "blue light" but is the way to do it.

So far as I can recall this has not been used outside if the tests, and I can't say whether any of it works with your libhybris/android "platform".

It would be an interesting "exercise for the reader" to try implementing "blue light filtering" in one of the Mir examples.

A Former User · 14 Jul 2019, 19:41

I just saw this: http://jonls.dk/redshift/

I don't know if it would be of any use...

dobey · 15 Jul 2019, 03:09

@3arn0wl said in What's the situation with blue light filtering on Ubuntu Touch?:

I just saw this: http://jonls.dk/redshift/

I don't know if it would be of any use...

It doesn't support Mir/Wayland, and Mir/Wayland don't allow arbitrary apps access to the screen like that, so no, it's not really.

This is something that really needs to get baked into the system.

Opolork · 15 Jul 2019, 14:05

I'd see a blue light filter function as a very high priority given how it's known to affect peoples sleep so badly.

alan_g · 15 Jul 2019, 16:08

@Opolork said in What's the situation with blue light filtering on Ubuntu Touch?:

I'd see a blue light filter function as a very high priority given how it's known to affect peoples sleep so badly.

Everyone is entitled to decide their own priorities. If this is "a very high priority" for you, the joy of open source is that you can do something about it. Here's a plan:

Check out the Mir code and get it building.
Find the mir_demo_server example and add a "blue light filtering" option by setting gamma ramp on the display configuration.
Try it out and confirm if it has the desired results.
Adapt this code to provide this "filtering" option via the MirAL interface.
Propose (and get accepted) this addition to the Mir project.
Check out the QtMir code and get it building.
Make use of the new MirAL option for "blue light filtering".
Propose (and get accepted) this addition to the QtMir project.

There are people willing to help with every step along the way.

Good luck!

Opolork · 15 Jul 2019, 16:10

Hi Alan. But blue light affects everyone's sleep. Sorry, but I don't think I want to go through all of that. :see-no-evil_monkey:

alan_g · 15 Jul 2019, 16:11

@Opolork if it isn't a priority for you, that's fine too.

joe · 15 Jul 2019, 16:17

@alan_g Are there some suggested links to the Mir code etc?

Anyone know where to find these parts in the code?
Thanks

A Former User · 15 Jul 2019, 16:20

@Opolork @alan_g

There was an email address at the bottom of the Redshift website, so I just pinged the developer and asked if he might consider contributing some expertise to Mir.

alan_g · 15 Jul 2019, 16:24

@joe said in What's the situation with blue light filtering on Ubuntu Touch?:

@alan_g Are there some suggested links to the Mir code etc?

For starters, there's a handy guide to step 1 here: https://mir-server.io/doc/getting_involved_in_mir.html

alan_g · 15 Jul 2019, 16:31

@3arn0wl said in What's the situation with blue light filtering on Ubuntu Touch?:

@Opolork @alan_g

There was an email address at the bottom of the Redshift website, so I just pinged the developer and asked if he might consider contributing some expertise to Mir.

As dobey said above, there's very little overlap. About the only thing in common is the choice of values for the gamma curves.

A Former User · 15 Jul 2019, 16:47

Fair enough, @alan_g

Opolork · 16 Jul 2019, 08:45

A workaround for now. I will not use the smartphone after 8:30pm to combat that pesky nighttime blue light.

advocatux · 16 Jul 2019, 09:36

@Opolork in the meantime there's a proper solution, you could use a blue light filter screen protector on your device, or even use glasses with that kind of filter

Opolork · 16 Jul 2019, 10:15

@advocatux said in What's the situation with blue light filtering on Ubuntu Touch?:

@Opolork in the meantime there's a proper solution, you could use a blue light filter screen protector on your device, or even use glasses with that kind of filter

Those are also valid workarounds. Although I think it's good to ditch the smartphone around 8:30pm anyway - to wind down for the night. I go to bed at 10:45pm.

advocatux · 16 Jul 2019, 10:28

@Opolork wrong answer! You need to keep testing and improving UT until 4 a.m. at least

alan_g · 16 Jul 2019, 10:54

@alan_g said in What's the situation with blue light filtering on Ubuntu Touch?:

Propose (and get accepted) this addition to the Mir project.

I've added an issue to the Mir project. (But it won't be scheduled in the foreseeable future.)