I asekd at VollaPhone to purchase an image for GigaSet GS290

A Former User

Re: Villa Phone identical to Gigaset GS290?

Hi, it was mentioned "why not to ask at VollaPhone", I did this.
I own a GigaSet S290 longer than I was aware of VollaPhone project and would have loved to support them.
The answer from Volla was: you can buy another VollaPhone for 300€. I wanted to get rid of Android and would have been willing to pay around 100€ for this, also to Volla. Unfortunately the installer from UBports for Volla does not work for a GigaSet GS290.

hummlbach

@Tellina i was playing with the same/a similar idea... Would good to have a second android phone for me atm to play with for my current job. So i was thinking of buying a GS290 and flash ut on it later when i'm done with the job and donate 100 Euro or whatever to volla to support their efforts.

flohack

Is the hardware really identical? If so, you could make an alias in the installer and it will put the Vollaphone image onto it. You basically would add it here: https://github.com/ubports/installer-configs/blob/1991b3f675b942e7222a11b7fb366c877c0cf817/aliases.json#L8

A Former User

@Flohack
Hi Floh,
thanks for your suggestion. I think the relevant hardware is identical.

As per my minimal understanding of the whole topic the entry I´m looking for would be this:

adb -s GS2900000005217 shell getprop
[ro.build.flavor]: [full_k63v2_64_bsp-user]

Did I get you right that I just need to add "full_" as an additonal alias?
"k63v2_64_bsp": "yggdrasil",
"full_k63v2_64_bsp": "yggdrasil"
But just to ask another stupid question. Basically you assume the phone has been rooted before using the installer?

Thnx,
Tellina

flohack

@Tellina Hello, no you don't need to do anything, the "full" is not part of the name. Can you do a getprop on [ro.product.name]
[ro.product.board] or
[ro.product.device]
and confirm this? It should be just k63v2_64_bsp - if so, connect the installer, and give it a try

Note for rooting: Well you need just an unlocked bootloader. You need to enable developer mode in Android, allow USB debugging, then connect your host while still in android, and authorize the access. From there the installer will take you.

Beware you might loose all data. Also you must ensure first that you install stock Android 9.

A Former User

@Flohack
Hello, thanks for your immediate response.

While running the installer, I get this message:
Yikes!
and the choise on the phone to reboot, take ubuntu actions or android actions.
Which way to go?
Issue reported 1306
Greets
Tellina

A Former User

@Tellina : Situation did not look promissing. So I did the following steps to leave the endless loop:

start ./adb reboot bootloader
Start installer again.
Then: surprise files has been transfered to the phone.
Updates has been installed.
Phone rebooted.
Mission accomplished! Well done!
Donation is on the way! Many thanks.
Tellina

flohack

@Tellina It might need a wipe of all partitions with TWRP before you try, maybe the installer hit smth it could not understand. But good that you tried a 2nd time lol

jojumaxx

@Tellina

Could you list the single steps you did to get UT installed on the GS 290? I got one, too and would love to run UT on it.

Unlock bootloader
Go with the installer
If it comes to "Yikes" you did exactly what?
4 ...?

Could you give the commands you used?

What kind of code is "GS290000000521"?

Is it necessary to initially delete partitions (did that on the Meizu Pro 5, wasn't fun though)?

Thank you!

A Former User

@jojumaxx

Hi, long time ago and I was totally stressed.

With Android I enabled developer mode & allowed USB debugging. Connected the phone via USB to my PC.

I unlocked bootloader in adb, (./fastboot flashing unlock).
Started the UT installer
Choose manually the device "VollaPhone"
When it came to "Yikes"
I had the options on the phone to: reboot, take ubuntu actions or android actions.
-> This was an endless loop, because even to reboot ended up always here.
Not sure I think I made a factory reset. (But I think this is not necessary.)
Started again on my PC : ./adb reboot bootloader
Started again the UT installer (phone connected with usb cable to the PC, selected manually the VollaPhone).
And the processing went fine.

"GS290000000521"? I assume it is the serial number of my phone or do you have the same?

Ok?

jojumaxx

@Tellina Thanks! I'm gonna try that!

Happy_Penguin

Hi everybody,

I am glad I just found this thread, because I happen to know a GS290 that would like to switch to UT.
So how are things - did the installation via the installer work for you, and how "complete" is the port to the GS290? Anything serious missing, or already suitable as a daily driver?
Looking forward to hearing from you and thanks a lot in advance for sharing your advice and experiences.

A Former User

@Happy_Penguin said in I asekd at VollaPhone to purchase an image for GigaSet GS290:

Hi,
please define:

Anything serious missing?
Suitable as a daily driver?

I´m using it as daily driver & I like it. Check out this for the current issues:
https://github.com/HelloVolla/ubuntu-touch-beta-tests/issues

Cheers,
T.

Happy_Penguin

@Tellina said in I asekd at VollaPhone to purchase an image for GigaSet GS290:

@Happy_Penguin said in I asekd at VollaPhone to purchase an image for GigaSet GS290:

Hi and thank you for your reply.

please define:

Oops, sorry, you are right ... that was a little generic.

Anything serious missing?

(If my GS290 is indeed the same beast as the Volla phone, my questions have already been answered elsewhere and no reply is necessary, but for completeness sake bear with me ...)

... like

reliably working phone calls in acceptable quality
internet via mobile data and Wifi
camera (photo / video)
browser
GPS navigation
multimedia support (MP3, MP4, MKV, ...)
push messages via any of Whatsapp (in Anbox), Signal (Axolotl or in Anbox), Fluffy (for Matrix), TELEports (for Telegram)
audio / video calls using messengers (or Jitsi)
ssh
...

Suitable as a daily driver?

As in e.g.:

no spontaneous reboots
no hang-ups that require reboot (at the most inconvenient moments, naturally )
battery lifetime of at least a day for normal use

I´m using it as daily driver & I like it.

Glad to hear that - and hoping I will be saying the same, soon.

Check out this for the current issues:
https://github.com/HelloVolla/ubuntu-touch-beta-tests/issues

Does that imply the GS290 is the same hardware as the Volla phone (other than the larger battery of the latter)?
If so: Has anyone tested dual-booting on the GS290, which seems to work for the Volla?

And (first things last ) : Has somebody else been successfull installing UT on the GS290 using the UT installer and the steps you outlined?

A Former User

@Happy_Penguin
Hello, hm can´t make statements about hardware details. Core is surely the same, otherwise major issues would exist, maybe the battery differs or color. But honestly IDK.

You can ask jojumaxx about the experience, maybe I was just lucky.

Your points:
This is working (more or less) see issue link to get the latest status
reliably working phone calls in acceptable quality
internet via mobile data and Wifi
camera (photo / video)
browser
multimedia support (MP3, UT Q&A)

No experience/ interested in:
GPS navigation
push messages via any of Whatsapp (in Anbox), Signal (Axolotl or in Anbox), Fluffy (for Matrix), TELEports (for Telegram)
audio / video calls using messengers (or Jitsi)
ssh

Haven´t seen this during the last 8 weeks:
spontaneous reboots
hang-ups that require reboot
battery lifetime of at least a day for normal use

Battery depends on how the phone is used. Checking frequently mails, with or without WiFi, Data, BT, ... I think they improved the power management.

No clue about dual boot, pls tell us more.

But bear in mind, even camera, phone etc is working, it will take some more time to fix the issues in the details. You do not have a zoom, you do not have reliable carrier registration nor international roaming & can´t adjust the volume while calling.
UT is on a very good way but still not there yet.

Update: (version 2020-10-14/2, dev channel)

Flashlight is working with camera.
Zoom function is now available.
Carrier registration national and international has been fixed.

Happy_Penguin

@Tellina said in I asekd at VollaPhone to purchase an image for GigaSet GS290:

@Happy_Penguin

Tellina,

thank you very much for your response and all the details.

Hello, hm can´t make statements about hardware details. Core is surely the same, otherwise major issues would exist, maybe the battery differs or color. But honestly IDK.

Since the UT version for the VP seems to be running OK on the GS290 (from what I read here), I would expect they cannot be too different.
Or, the other way round: As long as the VP-UT-version makes my GS290 happy, I don't care.

You can ask jojumaxx about the experience, maybe I was just lucky.

Yes, I hope he will tell us about how it went for him.

Your points:
This is working (more or less) see issue link to get the latest status

Impressive.

No experience/ interested in:

Some of these things need to work (if not all), if UT is going to be used as an "official" OS on the VP, I think. So, as you say below: WIP.

Haven´t seen this during the last 8 weeks:

That's very good news.

Battery depends on how the phone is used. Checking frequently mails, with or without WiFi, Data, BT, ... I think they improved the power management.

Well, I carry a power cord with me most of the time (or a powerpack) anyway. And since I don't play resource-heavy games on the phone ...

No clue about dual boot, pls tell us more.

Don't know details either, only read somewhere that there is someone working on dual booting the VP. There seems to be a working alpha out even ... I think it was the "Android-Boot-Manager" from
[edit]
Had a URL here and got "Error Post content was flagged as spam by Akismet.com" - are URL not allowed in postings? Well, a decent search engine should find it on github.
[/edit]

But bear in mind, even camera, phone etc is working, it will take some more time to fix the issues in the details. You do not have a zoom, you do not have reliable carrier registration nor international roaming & can´t adjust the volume while calling.

So for a while I would continue carrying a second phone as my primary dd. I am quite used to that by now.

UT is on a very good way but still not there yet.

I have experienced its beginnings in 2013/14, gave it up when Canonical did and am glad to see that it is still alive, kicking and growing with UBports now. So maybe it is time to jump aboard again, and my GS290 seems to be a good candidate for testing.
And this community here seems nice and supportive, so I think I will give it a try.

Happy_Penguin

@Flohack said in I asekd at VollaPhone to purchase an image for GigaSet GS290:

@Tellina It might need a wipe of all partitions with TWRP before you try, maybe the installer hit smth it could not understand. But good that you tried a 2nd time lol

Is there a TWRP for GS290?
Could not find one on https://twrp.me/Devices/ ...
Would be nice to have before installing UT on my phone to backup the current system and configuration first, in case I want to go back to it later for some reason.
Or how did you backup before UT-install ... if at all?
How would you go back to stock Android (did not find a LineageOS for GS290 either)?

A Former User

@Happy_Penguin
Well, I never had a desire to go back to Android. So I did not cared for a backup at all.
I don´t have much knowledge about porting but I think there must be a LineageOS for GS as per my incompetence it is the source for ports. And there are many ports with status WIP these days for GS290, one from postmarketOS and /e/ as well.
Nope, never used TWRP. Like I said, maybe I made factory reset, but I think this was just for the wolf.

Happy_Penguin

@Tellina said in I asekd at VollaPhone to purchase an image for GigaSet GS290:

Well, I never had a desire to go back to Android.

I would like to keep the Android around for dual booting. Just in case and for things like bank TAN generator apps ... while trying to keep the beast in check with firewall, Shelter etc.
Maybe even focus on understanding how to get the dual booting first and then keep UT as the secondary OS on a SD card?

So I did not cared for a backup at all.

With regard to backups I am more conservative, thinking it can never hurt to have one at hand.

I don´t have much knowledge about porting but I think there must be a LineageOS for GS as per my incompetence it is the source for ports.

I thought the ports are based on stock Android or AOSP?
Could not find a LOS for GS290 at their official site or elsewhere.

And there are many ports with status WIP these days for GS290

Could you please help me with a link or two? My search engine did not show me any.

one from postmarketOS

Could not find it there (https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices) ....

and /e/ as well.

...nor any GS290 on https://doc.e.foundation/devices/.
Any hint where you have seen these would be appreciated.

Or are you referring to the build for the Volla phone, since this has the same hardware as the GS290? Found mention of that for pmOS ... might be interesting as a tertiary multi-boot, as it gets a lot of work now due to the Pinephone.

Nope, never used TWRP.

Having that would solve my backup issue. Don't know if I want to try doing a dd.

Like I said, maybe I made factory reset, but I think this was just for the wolf.

If impatience wins I might yet follow in your steps ...

Thanks again and have a nice evening.

libremax

@happy_penguin said in I asekd at VollaPhone to purchase an image for GigaSet GS290:

Could not find a LOS for GS290 at their official site or elsewhere.
Could not find it there (https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices) ....

and /e/ as well.

...nor any GS290 on https://doc.e.foundation/devices/.
Any hint where you have seen these would be appreciated.

/e/ for GS290 is available here: https://doc.e.foundation/devices/GS290/