Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article
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Hello everyone,
I have been trying out Ubuntu Touch on a Pixel 3A XL and taking notes for a user experience article on my blog, which is https://theprivacydad.com/. I always write from a 'regular' (non-developer) user perspective, someone who wants more agency and privacy. I write the blog as a 'labour of love' project to promote better understanding of digital privacy tools for non-technical users and usually have between 200 - 300 unique visits a day.
I am also testing out UT with a view to possibly installing it for my own kids. They currently run /e/OS, as that works on so many older devices.
I just wanted to say hello here. I usually do my own research and note-taking, but if there are any specific aspects of UT I need to be aware of, I would appreciate that information.
I watched this week's Q&A and found that format helpful for newcomers, especially information about app updates. I am finding this forum and the UBPorts documentation excellent. I love that the documentation is clear and concise (reading in English).
Other aspects I've had to discover more organically, by watching YouTubers, for example. I learned about Libertine that way (and thankfully, how to see the installation progress, which took 24 hours!) and Waydroid, which I still need to try.
A hurdle at the moment for me as a new user is outdated browsers in the store, since there are some sites that I would like to turn into WebApps but I get warnings about them not working. This includes my own Nextcloud homepage, from which I cannot download my KeePass database file (nor does UBsync seem to work for me). I will try out uWolf, though not sure what to make of the warnings about my system in red when I installed it. I appreciated @RJDan 's reference to the KeeWeb Online Web App on the forum.
The OpenStore looks and feels excellent. I like that the user experience feedback is prominent. The OS installation process was super easy with the installer! Hopefully that will help new users without tech skills better able to access UT.
Perhaps one question I have is that I see a terminal but don't know how far I should attempt to go with installing software the way I am used to on desktop Linux.
Anyway, if I am missing any major aspect, I'd be interested to know. Thank you for the work on this important project. I have been a desktop Linux user for years, as have my children, and I'd love to be able to use it on mobile too!
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@theprivacydad said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:
one question I have is that I see a terminal but don't know how far I should attempt to go with installing software the way I am used to
I think one of the most important things to understand for new UT users is, that the root file system is mounted read only and therefor it is not supported that the user just installs programs in the terminal with "sudo apt install ..." or makes changes to the system.
This restriction allows for OTA updates, so that everyone uses the same system packpackages. The individual applications on top of the system are not deeply integrated in the system and there are similar permission rules to android (for example camera and position permission). This should allow for more security.If you still want to use classic terminal programs like htop or vim, you can use Libertine for this or use Snapz0r or experiment with installing LXD with Snapz0r. Some people were also experimenting with NIX packages for Ubuntu Touch, but I do not know, if this is still in development.
With Waydroid you are also able to install many Android apps and in my experience it works very well for things like Signal or Whatsapp, but it needs some time to start and I advice for WayFreezr from the OpenStore to save some battery.
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@theprivacydad said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:
I am also testing out UT with a view to possibly installing it for my own kids. They currently run /e/OS, as that works on so many older devices.
Despite me using and liking UT, I personally do not recommend it as a daily driver for others right now.
I think hardened Android flavors like /e/OS or Volla OS are probably a better choice for most people who just want to have something that is more privacy focused than standard Android. Taking the most used mobile OS (Android) and removing the spyware is just a simpler solution and results in better compatibility with existing infrastructure than you will have with UT.
With Ubuntu Touch much more things need to be done from scratch, this can result in many advantages in the long term, but in the short term you have a less polished OS (for example the standard web browser being outdated or VoIP not working on every device).I am sure this things will improve, but most hardened Android flavors are most likely more polished right now.
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@johndoe said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:
Despite me using and liking UT, I personally do not recommend it as a daily driver for others right now.
This is highly personal. I've been using it exclusively for four years, so it can be done, but it certainly depends on the individual's wants and usercase.
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@johndoe
FP5 here running 24.04 with VOLTE working just dandy.I will agree that most "normies" who just want to run XYZ app regardless are not well suited for ANY mobile Linux OS at the moment.
Personally I find that hardened Android (I am talking no GAPPS) is a really similar experience to UT, with all the yucky feelings associated with Android and its spyware.For me, something new and fresh with say a weather app that is made to show you the weather and not catalogue your every move and sell them to any data broker willing to pay is well worth not running some applications. I not going to use Waydroid in any capacity, everything can be done in a browser on a PC. Since I switched to UT my relationship with my cell is a lot healthier, a lot of the time I just leave it home which was unheard of when I used Android/IOS.
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@johndoe Thank you, that is really useful to know!
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@Futura said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:
Since I switched to UT my relationship with my cell is a lot healthier, a lot of the time I just leave it home which was unheard of when I used Android/IOS.
I do that at the moment but that's because I take a feature phone outdoors.
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@johndoe I'm learning some of what you're saying. Just getting a password out of my Keepass database and paste it into the Tuta.com login page on any browser took me an hour of fiddling and trying different things. I ended up using a notebook and wrote the password in by hand, then typed it in manually too. Why does the keyboard pop up when I long-press to paste a password in?
But other things work really well, so I'm still on the fence. I really want Linux mobile to succeed and would like to be a part of that.
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@theprivacydad What was the problem with copy pasting your password from Keepass? The Keepass app from the store didn't work on your database? Had troubles copying? The OSK showing when long pressing doesn't seem an issue since I would expect the menu to paste would stll show. Also, you can long press on the spacebar or swipe up from the bottom of the OSK. You can move the cursor from there and also access buttons like paste
My opinion on this is that if you want ultimate privacy then UT isn't really for you. Privacy isn't the focus of UT, at least it's not a priority since we're a very small community/foundation. It won't do anything that will sacrifice your privacy though. It is still free and open source after all and it respects your privacy but anything extra isn't a priority.
UT also lacks features so for example kids controls and security features don't exist. Good thing is it's open source so if you're capable, you can implement them yourself the way you like them
At the moment, the outdated browser is a big issue but we're hoping we'll get an updated one soon. There's an ongoing effort for that.
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@theprivacydad Hi!
First, it is strongly recommended not to install apps via apt. More technical users could explain this better, but my understanding is that it's because of the immutable root file system. Installing via the Open Store, Libertine, or Snaps are the recommended ways.Not sure why the keyboard pops up when long-clicking to paste, but maybe cause some people are used to using copy/paste from the swipe-up menu at the bottom of the keyboard? I do love that menu for text selection.
Browsers are of course one of the main pain points right now. Morph is slated to get a major update to Qt6, but this may not happen for some months.
In addition to uWolf, there's also uFirefox, which isn't in the Openstore, but can be installed via a click package. This seems to be the most recent: https://gitlab.com/debclick/uFirefox/-/jobs/11063789436/artifacts/file/build/aarch64-linux-gnu/app/firefox.fuseteam_142_arm64.click
Download the .click file, and open with Openstore.
Not being IN the Openstore means it's not reviewed by the Openstore.. all I can say is that my impression is Fuseteam has been around UBports a long time and seems to be a trusted member of the community.
Not sure if one can make webapps from non-Morph browsers or not.The full system access warning that you see for uWolf in the Openstore is by comparison to most apps being confined - sandboxed by default. This is a major feature of Ubuntu Touch, almost all apps are, and need permissions to access things from other apps, via ContentHub. Privacy-wise, it's a huge asset. I'm sure it makes things like KeePass harder to implement though.
My two cents, as a non-technical user who's been using UT as his sole phone since 2020, is that the longer you use it the easier it gets. There's definitely a learning curve, and sometimes it's just a question of finding other ways to do a thing that doesn't work the way you'd hoped. Some things are lacking and imperfect, but I've always found it incredible not just that there was a true Linux OS for phones that's so usable, but that it's so pleasant to use.
To my mind, as data collection grows and grows, (and as authoritarianism rises worldwide) the need for smartphone alternatives starts to seem kinda dire. AOSP-based ROMs are good until Google decides not to share anymore, which it kinda sounds like they're already starting to do.Thanks for checking out and writing about UT! Whatever your review, good to get the word out.
Hope it winds up being a good, useable OS for you! -
@kugiigi said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:
What was the problem with copy pasting your password from Keepass? The Keepass app from the store didn't work on your database? Had troubles copying? The OSK showing when long pressing doesn't seem an issue since I would expect the menu to paste would stll show. Also, you can long press on the spacebar or swipe up from the bottom of the OSK. You can move the cursor from there and also access buttons like paste
It was difficult to get my Keepass database downloaded from my Nextcloud server, to begin with. I tried the UBsync app but the database file never showed up locally. When accessing my server via Morph Browser, you can long-press and select download on specific files, but they don't download. Eventually I got the file downloaded, I think via uWolf and logging into my server there.
The open store Keepass app doesn't work. When I 'pick DB' and go to file manager to pick the database file, nothing happens and it just goes back to the previous screen.
I discovered Keeweb via one of the contributors on this forum and made a webapp using the Webber app from the Open Store. This opens my database ok.
I can long press the password in my Keepass database to copy it, but when I long press to paste it into the Tuta.com login screen in uWolf, the password is not pasted in, and the keyboard appears. When I flip that keyboard up and select the 'paste' icon there, the password is still not pasted in.
So I thought I'd open the Notes app with a yellow icon (not sure if that's a default app or where that came from) in order to paste the password into that, but it just shows a white screen with no functionality.
I opened my Jotit Cloud Notes app connected to my Nextcloud notes, which is something that works really well, and paste my password in there, so I can see it, and then copy it by hand into a notebook, so I can type it into the Tuta.com login screen.
This gave me access to my emails, but on next login, the password wasn't remembered, even though I'd ticked that box. Typing the username and password manually into the passwords section on uWolf also didn't work.
There were some other issues with the keyboard after I'd adjusted opacity, but those were resolved by a reboot of the device.
Anyway, that was an example of a bad hour with UT. I was running Linux mobile OSs on a PinePhone previously, so I am familiar with these types of hiccups, but given that all the boxes are ticked green for the Google 3AXL I wasn't expecting this type of headache.
On the other hand, Nextcloud integration with notes and music works well, as does the podcast app, taking photo's, connecting to a bluetooth headset, and so on. So it's a mixed experience so far.
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@wally said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:
To my mind, as data collection grows and grows, (and as authoritarianism rises worldwide) the need for smartphone alternatives starts to seem kinda dire. AOSP-based ROMs are good until Google decides not to share anymore, which it kinda sounds like they're already starting to do.
Thanks for your detailed response. There is a lot of useful information for me there and I've been learning a lot.
I'll try the uFirefox link. I was happy to learn that Open Store files are sandboxed - a good thing!
The paste issue persists on my device, which basically means I won't be logging into my tuta.com on that device for now, but that's ok, because I usually access mail on desktop. But when traveling, this could be an issue.
I agree 100% with what you wrote in the quote above. I like that UT is working on different phone models and not as dependent on Google continuing to share information, as for example GrapheneOS, my current daily driver, is. It would be great to have a mainstream Linux mobile OS that 'regular' people can try out.
You mention UT is a 'true Linux OS', but I've read that it still requires some aspects of Android to communicate with the hardware (unlike something like PostmarketOS). Any thoughts on that as a vulnerability to the UT project?
Using the Nextcloud integration apps has been mostly a great experience. I get more out of my home server with UT than I have with other operating system. But the dated browser is a real barrier to user-friendliness, since having an up-to-date browser is essential to most online actions, whether your use Webber to make a webapp or just work in the browser.
