We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely

TotalSonic

@grenudi said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

Browser Development Challenge
Current situation:

Morph browser maintained by small team

Yes, Morph is indeed maintained by a small team, but the QtWebEngine it uses is maintained by a larger team upstream of it, and is basically an implementation of Chromium (which obviously has a gigantic team maintaining it).

No extension support (including ad blocking)

INCORRECT - ad blocking can be easily enabled via the uAdBlockNG app (available in the Open Store at https://open-store.io/app/uadblockng.liohmoeller ), and in the EFF's online test at https://coveryourtracks.eff.org provides "strong protection against web trackers and ads" once it is activated

Alternative approach:
Consider adopting Firefox Mobile or Chromium-based solution with privacy enhancements, allowing browser development resources to redirect toward core OS improvements.

See above - Morph is using Chromium. AND Marius posted today on the UBports Telegram group a new test build using the Qt6 Webengine (which updates to a much more recent Chromium version) that should likely be integrated into a UT update by the end of this year.

There is also THREE additional projects led by UT community members developing alternative native browsers for UT:
uFirefox - a mobile optimized fork of Firefox that uses the current 143 verson - https://gitlab.com/debclick/uFirefox
uWolf - a mobile optimized version of Librewolf (which is a privacy/security hardened fork of Firefox) - https://open-store.io/app/uwolf.chromiumos-guy
Mimi - new browser in alpha state using Apple's WebKit webengine - https://open-store.io/app/mimibrowser.fredldotme

SO - browser development for UT is ongoing, and seeing some major improvements that will be available to all UT users soon.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

TotalSonic

@grenudi said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

Comparison: PostmarketOS Approach
PostmarketOS demonstrates alternative strategy:

500+ device ports versus Ubuntu Touch's approximately 50

While I appreciate the efforts by the PMOS devs, most of those 500 device ports you note from PMOS just boot the system, and then don't do anything most people need a phone to do. Where as on UT the ported devices are much more likely to actually be capable of working as daily drivers, with the majority of the supported devices having all expected functions working.

700+ contributors and growing
Active funding (NGI grants, reserves over 40k EUR)

That's great, and I know that UBports would welcome additional developers and funding too. Be aware that UBports does have a good number of patrons though.

Reuses existing components (Alpine packages, established desktop environments)

Obviously UT reuses LOTS of existing components received from Ubuntu, and has collaborated with Debian & Manjaro teams as well. PLUS there have been exchanges with the Mobian, Droidian, Postmarket and Sailfish OS teams working on certain issues too.

Monthly development updates with community engagement

There are regular updates from the UBports dev team on their YouTube Q&A, along with constant posting on multiple dedicated Telegram and Matrix channels.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

TotalSonic

@grenudi said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

Resource Allocation Suggestion
Current distribution (estimated):

This isn't even estimated, it's just a wild guess with zero data supporting the conclusions made in it.

t12392n

NGL, @grenudi I am note sure where your determination of hammering down on UT is based of.
The way you set up this thread I can see its not so much aimed towards the developers of UT but rather the community behind them but what is the gain?
Are you trying to get resources diverted to another project or a merge?

And to be totally honest, I bought an €700 phone (Volla Quintus) which is running UT and yes, atm I cannot use it as a daily...
I am very wary of how (hopefully not if) I am to make the switchover from my current Android phone. But in my eye and experience its just a matter of when this could be a base of a daily driver for me.

But bully be me, I will not stop hoping, supporting or cheering for any project with the right intentions!

Moem

@gpatel-fr said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

My understanding is that UT has about 10.

Currently 26 on the list: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/
And 28 if you count the Oneplus 5 and 5t, which are contrary to what the list says well supported, and should appear back on it soon.

Lakotaubp

I really don't mind a good discussion and arguments about what we do compared with other foss OS and even about the main two.
However please drop the swearing this is not the place for that. We want anyone who is interested to use and find the forum a frindlyand helpful place to go, regardless of age etc.
Some of your points are valid and we are more than aware of them and those bits I read through.
One point to remember is that UTs aim is to be the alternative, straight out of the box daily driver alternative to the main OS. So our aims might not align with what all Foss users would want.
We want people to be able to pick up a UT device and just use it as great phone. No complicated options or requirements, but something they can get their heads around and feel familiar with quickly while getting all the advantages of Foss.
Are we there yet, no. Are there things (some of which you mention)we need to improve on yes. Will we get there? Yes we will, I have no doubt on that.
If you want to be part of that you are welcome, if you want to change and alter UT on your own device feel free. You may discover something of use to UT in general. We however will not change the aims and purpose of UT as first set out when Marius started on this journey and I for one will change or apologize for that aim.

EDIT: 20/09/25 @grenudi I have edited the swearing on posts, forgot to do it the other day. Please do not repeat.

gpatel-fr

@Moem said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

Currently 26 on the list: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/

yeah I know about this list, it's quite outdated it seems; for example the Fairphone 5 is listed with support for Focal only, I understand it works also with Noble, and I was trying a guess about the number of devices able to be a daily driver with Noble since Focal is - as the link you give aptly says - outdated itself.

gpatel-fr

@t12392n said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

atm I cannot use it as a daily...

hmm, is it about Volte or your bank don't like Waydroid ? if the latter, it's not quite entirely the OS fault's.

Keneda

@gpatel-fr said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

it's not quite entirely the OS fault's.

I would say it's absolutely not the OS fault.

2 years ago I was still able to validate payment with my Ubuntu Touch phone just using a SMS code received on it.

Now I must use their app, "for security reasons", and it doesn't work outside iOdroid, on the other side sometimes I have to validate integrity of this app... Using a SMS code !!!

t12392n

@gpatel-fr

The fact that i need to use certain apps for bankind, digital ID or even enterprise stuff is a fact but not the point. I am well aware that I need to use Waydroid till the world is more mature and restarts its effort for supporting Linux .

My main problem is to replace the daily android apps where many even already exists in the Linux ecosystem.
To name a few;

1Password
KeepassXC
Signal
HomeAssistant
pure firefox

Even if I can install them, most are designed for Desktop usage and not mobile device.

None, of these are Ubuntu Touch "issues/faults" yet they remain as a factor for my user experience and a bigger factor for my to swap my daily.

arubislander

@t12392n said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

HomeAssistant

https://open-store.io/app/home.s710

pure firefox

https://t.me/CrackleApt/3068/4628

gpatel-fr

@t12392n said in We Drop Ubuntu Touch Entirely:

1Password

it seems that the provider of this software already provides a snap for x86, so maybe you could try to ask them if they could build it for ARM64 ? or even try to search the snap store in the unlikely case where they had already done the job but not yet updated their web site ?

TotalSonic

This post is deleted!

klh

@arubislander the HA app you linked is just a webview, not sure why people bother uploading these