Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years
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@arubislander Would it be easier to use the Brave Browser? I find it more stable than Firefox on desktop Ubuntu.
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@ktatar156 The Foundations bylaws make it impossible for it to be a service provider in such a way as you suggest. But nothing is stopping members of the community from banding together to create an entity that provides such a sevice. Though this would be a very tricky endeavor as it would be storing / handling data from people accross the globe, making it subject to a variety of privacy and data protection legislations.
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@wizardi3 Integrating Brave into the OS environment would face many of the same challenges as integrating Firefox would, I imagine.
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@arubislander
Plus Brave is chromium based, so no big difference with Morph here. -
@keneda The main issues are probably not which browser engine is used. But have more to do with other functionality the browsers bring that users value, such as extensions and syncing across devices.
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Hi, I'm a silent reader, but this could help:
@zubozrout said in Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years:
And I don't want to rely on my own server as I would surely lose all data plus I would have to take care of it.
One user-friendly option to do this without much coding knowledge is "syncloud[dot]org" that I'm using myself in combination with my UT volla as daily driver.
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@arubislander You're right, I didn't think in that way... So maybe, we should try to convince some established provider to prepare 'special' offer for UT users and share some part of revenue with Uports Foundation. So it'll take major part of risk related, but on the other hand, get some additional clients and profit.
I'll try to handle with this topic (but I don't have any experience and connections in this area); I suppose, I should start with some questionnaire in our community to get some predictions, how much people would be interested in such service. Do you guys know there I should start? This forum or some other places (e.g. telegram?)?
Secondly, I'll try to get connections with some major opensource cloud providers. Or maybe, someone already know some people in this business? -
@ktatar156 Here's a link to test browser security from the Electronic Frontier Foundation
https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/
There is a reason for not having extensions.
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Hi @zubozrout ,
So, I replied to your post (with inclusion of the title post by Ktatar156:
@ktatar156 said in Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years:
I decided to set up my phone as primary (and configure must-have features in my opinion) - and then, problems starts:
There is no out-of-box mail app that could work with Gmail with push notification;
Importing Google Contacts also not working.So these two are a regression in comparison to few years ago usage while I had MX4.
Lack of native open-source Firefox (used in most linux distros) (fragmentation of software continues....) - in my opinion, the resources should be utilized to port Firefox on UT instead of creating new Web-browser.
Plenty of apps in Store are out-dated or not working properly anymore (or are only simply web bookmarks)
Support for Android apps still require a lot of work (e.g. GPS is not working).Above list is based on my personal needs and unfortunately, excepts open source and privacy aspects of using UT, I don't see any advantages for myself from using this phone
).
You have replied to the post of Kristatos following:
@zubozrout said in Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years:
Sadly some governments/cities/banks basically force you to use their Android or iOS apps or rely on WhatsApp if you want to talk to them. We do not live in an ideal world and I've been very lucky Waydroid got to UT when it got as if I didn't have that choice I would have to switch to Android just because of that. And surely I would stop using UT if I only had a phone with it laying all the time somewhere home.
Now I suspect that Kritatos himself knows that many participants, in the possibilities (apps) of the smartphone, make it very easy for themselves (governments,banks,ecetera). In my opinion, he finds that many people no longer want to use Android/iOS devices, but are actually not willing to give up what they are now used to.
From my point of view, Ubports is not obligated to provide the desired apps, or do you think Google/Apple created the mentioned apps for free for the organizations mentioned in your post?
As I wrote in my post, I have nothing against you, it was just the same old story in the reviews.
I'll try again: it's up to companies, organizations and especially governments to make their apps available for all operating systems, at least that would only be fair if they reach a certain size or turnover.That's just how I see it.
With kind regards Mario
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@mario-ch I agree with you. Which is why I said "we do not live in an ideal world". If I've stayed in my home country I would likely still be fine avoiding Android. It wasn't the case. But I can be happy about the fact Waydroid is available, I can run it whenever I need it, and I can still enjoy UT full-time. Considering the circumstances it is a win win scenario.
"Ubports is not obligated to provide the desired apps" - of course. They are actually not obligated to provide anything. No one is unless there is some contract or whatever in place. But I think having an option of Waydroid at least the way it is now is basically a must have. Unless you really want to say "so long and thanks for all the fish" to users who can't physically live in their country without certain apps. Saying it is not UBports fault is true, but since that's the case why avoiding a workaround like that if nothing else seems feasible?
Anyway, I am on UT since the release of MX4 with UT in 2015 and I don't plan to go anywhere else. With 20.04 around once dust settles down a bit things should become way more interesting again and I am really looking forward to that wishing UBports the best. And I am grateful to everyone who makes this possible. Even if I am not as enthusiastic about things as I used to be - must be me getting older and the amount of worries getting higher :).
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I have held off on this thread, but I thought I would put my bit in now!
Bought 2 x BQ Aquaris e4.5 when Canonical and BQ put them on the market that day. One was mine and the other was mine too, but I handed it out for people to play with.
As a phone, text, MMS, camera and web browsing, most used and thought it was adequate. For social media, it was no and a resounding no at that.
Ok so come to 2022/2023. Canonical has devolved Ubuntu Touch to the community when the phones and tablets did not take off as planned - you have to try these things! So now Ubuntu Touch is run as a charitable foundation (UBports) by volunteers. There is some commercial working from what I can see, but most is run by enthusiasts and volunteers. This means your data is not going to be scraped and sold to the online bidders so you can get spammed with ads (thanks Amazon, Google, Apple, Xiaomi......). It also means that some things work, some things don't and it is not for everyone as they want a device that just well works for what they they want.
Some things won't work as UT is open source, i.e. Internet banking apps (encryption), Social Media, such as SnapChat and Whatsapp and so on. (BTW this is my opinion from what I have observed and read).The Browser issues has been strongly covered with reasons why Morph is used and not Chromium or Firefox, but I find Morph overall very usable and suitable for me.
The Apps issues has also been extensively covered and again a lot are coded by volunteers and enthusiasts who spend their own free time and money running and maintaining them (kudos given for that). If you want an app that is not in the store, create it yourself, or use the browser, or heaven forbid, use your Android or Apple phone. It is that simple. What I cannot use on UT, I will use on my computers, or Android phone (my Iphone is out of Action, but was needed for one app).
I don't use Waydroid as I don't see the point personally (using UT is to avoid some Android apps), as I said if I need to use an app that is not in the store, I will use it on another device. But for some Waydroid is convergence with Android apps and I see why people are enthusiastic about it and again Kudos to the people setting it up and running with it.
Options, options and options, there are so many to do what you want. There is always a way and work around.
Thank you all for your hard work on UT and also the criticism as criticism makes things better in most cases.
Kind regards to all,
Mr T10001
(I pity the fool). -
@ktatar156 said in Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years:
I've been using linux on a desktop computer for 20 years, but unfortunately on phones we didn't make any spectacular success.
Ironically, Linux is also the most widely used smartphone OS in the world.
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Hi @dobey ,
How true - how true.
And if one refers to the original UNIX, - oh no, it is always such a thing, how far one looks back into history, because in the end we end up with electricity or not electricity, so 1 and 0.But, the important thing in this comparison is, the joint work of software engineering and hardware engineering is crucial to great success.
And when enough money flows to the creators, much is truly possible.
Greetings Mario
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@dobey
More likely "kernel" not "os" no ?
I mean, android/linux is far from being gnu/linux no ?2015-2023 : Meizu MX4 now in legacy drawer by lack of pristine battery š«
2023-***** : Nexus 5 (16.04 OTA 25) for daily use, slowly dying š¤
2024-***** : Fairphone 5 waiting UT for freedom š
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@keneda
Linux can be used to refer to OSes based on the Linux kernel.
GNU/Linux is used to refer to OSes also with the constraint of licensing.I don't do politics, but if I understand correctly, Ubuntu Touch cannot be considered a GNU/Linux OS because of the firmware blobs necessary to make it run.
So Android is a full Linux OS, same as Ubuntu Touch, but one doesn't lock the user to its ecosystem, Ubuntu Touch is more open and more manageable (manageable not being customizable).
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@keneda said in Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years:
More likely "kernel" not "os" no ?
I mean, android/linux is far from being gnu/linux no ?Linux is only a kernel. If you're going to refer to "Linux" as all the things on top as well, then it still includes Android.
FWIW, Alpine Linux is also not a GNU/Linux, since it doesn't use glibc. There is no requirement that all distributions of Linux must be compatible with each other, and Alpine and Android are just as much distributions of Linux, as Ubuntu and Fedora are.
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@applee said in Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years:
I don't do politics, but if I understand correctly, Ubuntu Touch cannot be considered a GNU/Linux OS because of the firmware blobs necessary to make it run.
No. The GNU there refers to userspace components, primarily the C library used. Ubuntu Touch is GNU/Linux, because it uses glibc and the GNU software stack in userspace. Whether there are proprietary components getting loaded into the kernel, or running in a container to enable hardware, is unrelated.
Technically speaking, Ubuntu Touch is two Linux distributions in one, at least on Android based devices, where we run minimal set of Android components in a container.
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@dobey said in Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years:
If you're going to refer to "Linux" as all the things on top as well, then it still includes Android.
That's the point, i don't do that, and prefer to be more precise when i talk about OS and kernel, to avoid confusion.
Most people think about GNU/Linux OS when talking about "Linux" OS without even knowing what's GNU.
If we call "Linux" any OS that runs Linux kernel, that can lead to people thinking those are the same, when they are not, resulting in more confusion.
That's my point of view, but anyone can have another one
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Like the broken record that i am ........we need to make UT more like the desktop version.......if i had the hardware and know how i would port ubuntu desktop to my phone .......
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@developerbayman said in Few thoughts regarding coming back after several years:
we need to make UT more like the desktop version.
I don't agree that this is a thing we need. As a user, I don't feel that I need it.
But it's fine to want it. Why is this a thing you want?
