Seeking Meizu Pro 5 Firmware
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If you look at my signature, you'll see I have meizu MX4 Ubuntu touch edition since 2015 and now a Nexus 5.
And I had to accept both are dead ends.
Not only because porting Ubuntu Touch 20.04 would be a tremendous work even for a really good porter because of lack of the appropriated vendor Linux Kernel for the SOCs of those phones, but also because hardware is dying, I had to let go my MX4 even if I prefer it to the Nexus 5 because it is impossible to find a battery in a good condition, and a bad battery just make hardware act weird.
My next phone will be a fairphone 4 or 5, there I'll get long both hardware and software support.
But those are expensive, another good choice is Google pixel 3a, very well supported, under 20.04, and you can be sure you'll find batteries way more longer than for meizu devices.
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Hello @Moem and @Keneda, my Dear UBPorts Friends
14). Dear @Moem, with the Great Help of Both of you, I'm starting to understand that this is a Big Challenge but I would like to try anyway ...
Could you help me understand, how to find the UT 16.04 Porters who were responsible for the Implementation of UBPorts to my 3 phones, please? 14.1). From what I can see all the 3 smartphones are supported on 16.04 but I cannot find the information, who were the Porters...
14.2). Meizu PRO 5 - almost all is working except: Anbox Patches and Torchlignt
https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/turbo/release/xenial/14.3). Meizu MX4 - the same as above - all works except Anbox Patches and Torchlight.
https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/arale/release/xenial14.4). BQ Aquaris E5 FHD - 100% GREEN - All Working
https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/vegetahd/
15). Dear @Keneda, would you be so kind to explain in simple words (for a noob like me..) the "appropriated vendor Linux Kernel for the SOCs of those phones", please ?
15.1). I would like to be able to explain what is to do to my IT Friends who know Programming but might not have experience in Smartphones/UT Development, please
16). There are batteries available at about 10USD, for MX4 here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-meizu-mx4-battery.html17). Thank you for your hints which models are UBPorts Friendly
Well, the FairPhone 4/5 are actually expensive...Thanks in advance for the feedback from Both of you and kind regards ~~ Piotrek~~pe3no
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@pe3noATo2DOTpl said in Seeking Meizu Pro 5 Firmware:
Could you help me understand, how to find the UT 16.04 Porters who were responsible for the Implementation of UBPorts to my 3 phones, please?
Well, oof...
I looked at the device page for the first time, it seems this phone was actually sold with UT on it. That means that there is no community member who ported it.Also the phone is from 2015. Is it really worth someone spending weeks or months to keep it going into the future? Are the phone's specifications sufficient? This needs careful consideration. We don't want someone wasting their time on a phone that will always be too weak and slow to run UT well.
Another thing to think about... Are there still enough of these devices around for people to buy and use? The old BQ devices are getting very rare. What use is a new version if no one can find the device?
Thank you for your hints which models are UBPorts Friendly
Well, the FairPhone 4/5 are actually expensive...True. It's a good thing they are far from the only option! I use a Oneplus 5t and it's very good and a very complete port.
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I'm not a Dev so I'll explain with my knowledge and words, may not be 100% accurate, but not far from reality :
- Ubuntu 20.04 need a minimum Linux kernel. Ubuntu Touch on android devices needs the android Linux kernel that smartphones vendors provide with all the hardware drivers in it (closed source provided by SOC vendors). For a newer Linux kernel to work with old devices, you need either reverse ingeneer old Linux kernel vendors drivers to make it work on the newer kernel, or heavily tweak the old Linux kernel to make it work with the newer version of Ubuntu. This is not an easy task.
Old ("legacy") devices like MX4, where maintened by the UBports guys after canonical drop (2017), they have lot of work with the OS and have others smartphones to work on. Thanks to them we could keep on those device untill now.
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I know that, but by experience those batteries are coming almost dead as those are li-po long stored. I ordered one few years ago, it almost blowed after some month of use (I saw it inflated my phone so I stopped using it, poor battery life anyway, not better as my old genuine ones).
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Yes they are expensive, but you can't compete with companies that sell millions smartphones a month (from beginning, fairphone sold less than 500K smartphones, all models), doing long lasting software support on self designed repairable phones. Buying a fairphone 5 today means official software (android) updates and hardware parts untill 2031 minimum, so using it with Ubuntu Touch (when out for FP5) means potentially even more.
Anyway if you can't afford pristine or used Fairphones, like said, there are good 20.04 supported phones at better prices.
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P pe3noATo2DOTpl referenced this topic on
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My Dear UBports Friends, @Moem and @Keneda, hello again and sorry for my late answer/s... I'm trying to improve my UT skills and it takes time...
Dear @Moem,
20). Thank you for the information that no community member has ported to 16.04 my phone/s, which were sold originally with UT on them
21). Yes, these phones are from ~2015 when the UT was launched initially
Well, I understand the specifications concern/s. Therefore, let me take in consideration only my strongest UT phone, i.e.: Meizu Pro 5. It has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of HDD, Dual Sim / micro SD (256GB works), Exynos 7420, USB-C, Flyme 8.0.5.0A (Android 7) from 2022. I'm trying to get involved into the porting process, here: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/9051/try-to-upgrade-the-port-of-meizu-pro-5-using-halium-7-122). I value it highly because it was one of the first UT Phones but also it is a perfect candidate for the "Cable Convergence". For health reasons I try to limit the exposure to radiations
From what I can see, the UT Phones seem to offer the "WiFi Convergence" only, if I correctly understood (?). The Old Good Nexus 5 was offering the Convergence via cable and I also remember from one of the threads that Meizu Pro 5 was unique in this area too 23). Well, I believe there's a Huge Number of Meizu Pro 5 Chineese Version Phones which are on Chineese Market, still in use, after the Flyme 8.0.5.0A (Android 7) was released on 2020-07-14.
24). However, I think that this is not only the question of numbers but also the fact that "Meizu Pro 5", "Meizu MX4", "BQ Aquaris E5" are the first Ubuntu Phones that were launched in the world - that's why I would like to conserve them, to be able to show how the UT history was starting and how it continues...
I do not expect to quickly get the possibility to use them forever with every new UT release However, I'll be happy to get involved in any porting attempt I will also keep eye on their availability on the Market, having in mind that you mentioned that Topic 25). Well, I got a little bit crazy for FP and yes, I would like to get a Fairphone if I find a used one, at a good price
Dear @Keneda,
26). Thank you for the explanation what's needed to port one of my UT phones to 20.04 :). Now I understand that this is a Challenge!
27). I'm also very grateful to UBports Developers that they assured at least the 16.04 for my UT 3 phones (Meizu Pro 5, MX4 and BQ Aquaris E5)
As I said, I'm ready to get involved in their porting to 20.04 and futher... 28). I'm so sorry that these batteries did not work for you...
The batteries are still working in my 3 UT Phones as I keep them in the drawer for all these years and I re-try them when a new UT Release occurs.29). Yes, I read a bit about Fairphone and as I wrote above, I got a little bit crazy/addicted to FP...
I created an account and I started to collect points, with the idea that one day I'll be able to get their phone at a lower price 30). Previously you mentioned that "another good choice is Google pixel 3a" - how long could it be supported on Ubuntu Touch? I checked that "The Pixel 3a reached its end of life (EOL) in May 2022 and won't see a software update ever again — it is stuck on Android 12 forever".
Dear @Moem and Dear @Keneda, thank you in advance for your further Feedback and I wish All the Best to Both of you and kind regards ~~ Piotrek~~pe3no
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@pe3noATo2DOTpl said in Seeking Meizu Pro 5 Firmware:
Previously you mentioned that "another good choice is Google pixel 3a" - how long could it be supported on Ubuntu Touch?
That is not known, but it is an up-to-date and complete port. It's running Focal, which is the newer version of Ubuntu Touch based on Ubuntu 20.04, and it seems reasonable to assume that it will also be ported to 24.04 in the future.
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@Moem 24.04 ? Hallium 10.11.12.?
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@DPITTI said in Seeking Meizu Pro 5 Firmware:
24.04 ? Hallium 10.11.12.?
Sorry, I don't know anything about Halium. I'm a user, not a porter.
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@Moem No problem, I'll just take a look at the devices page.
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My Dear Friends, @Keneda, @Moem and @DPITTI
35). I would like to thank you for your Great Help and all the UBports Knowledge you were so kind to share with me
36). I managed to find the 5.1.3.0A Firmare for Meizu PRO 5 here: http://firmware.meizu.com/Firmware/Flyme/PRO_5/5.1.3.0/cn/20160130134300/50c60f50/update.zip
37). Therefore, I would like to mark this Topic as [SOLVED] - in the title or in another way but I don't know how to do it... would you give me a hint, please?
I wish you All the Best, thank you and kind regards~~ Piotrek~~pe3no.
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