Misunderstanding about ubuntu touch on Nexus 7

Stefano

@zlamalp deb is on Ubports server, so I assume it should work. link text

zlamalp

I know its there, but there is also github issue related to this, that installation doesn't work an install different image (for wifi only version - flo), which fails to start or something like that.

https://github.com/ubports/ubuntu-touch/issues/643

Since @doniks participated in this discussions I kindly asked him for instructions. I don't feel like installing some twrp recovery or something like this, since I don't understand this much and I definatelly don't want to brick just bought device (even if second-hand).

And also from this github issue I'm nut sure, wheter "deb" is going to be kept between supported devices. Would be nice, if somebody from ubports could clarify it.

Thanks.

Stefano

@zlamalp Yeah, that would be good if someone clarify that. I just bought Flo, 32 Gb, was tempted to get Deb, but it was more expensive, so I went for Flo. I had issues in the past to install UT on Flo, now it should be fixed, so I'm gonna try again.

Lakotaubp

Have a read of this it may help https://forums.ubports.com/topic/44/installing-ubuntu-on-nexus-7-2013-deb-lte Also use the forum search function to find other articles that may help

zlamalp

Hi, @Lakotaubp, I'v read that. But it dates to 2016 and requires downloading some files from someones gdrive or knowledge of building own boot image etc. In the github issue linked by me is mentioned another approach (at least from my point of view). So I search for current status and installation guide. Also I want to know, if there is a goal to support LTE version.

Lakotaubp

@zlamalp asked the question in the Telegram group so let's wait and see.

doniks

@zlamalp said in Misunderstanding about ubuntu touch on Nexus 7:

Dear @doniks,

I'm considering buying "Nexus 7 2013 cellular (deb)" and as you pointed out in many threads i found, there are problems with installation. But I'm not sure, what informations are current and how to install it on the device.

Would you be please so kind to share some sum up of "what works and what doesn't" and "how to install Utouch manually" on the device ? You seem to know about the issue a lot. Thank you.

Pavel

Hey @zlamalp , I haven't tried again lately, but I'm pretty sure the "deb situation" is still the same.

That means, the files necessary to install are on the server, however the installer somehow doesn't put them correctly onto the device. This means for installation you do need to break out the commandline and mess around. I don't think that there is a risk to permanently damage your device. At some point in between, yes you might run into a situation that it doesn't start anymore, but that is fixable.

With respect to what's not working

installer as mentioned, and I think this includes OTA updates. So, you might have to do some commandline dance anytime you want an uptodate version.
bluetooth doesn't work. I assume that this is fixable, but probably needs a recompiled kernel

Now, for actual cellular functionality ... I just cannot remember ... it's been so long that I haven't had a sim card for this thing. I actually assume that it works, because I think I would remember if it was broken ... but, again it's been years that I had a sim card inside. I actually wanted to reflash and try it, but I'm just not getting around to do it. I'm 95% sure it works. @zubozrout do you know?

Everything else, I'd say "just works"

With respect to continued support from ubports, that's always a tough question. Remember it's largely a volunteer run project. Resources are limited. That said, I don't see any reason why the support for deb should get worse.

Hth, doniks

zubozrout

@doniks Yeah, LTE and everything else did work for me back when I was using http://system-image.tasemnice.eu/ubuntu-touch (currently dead) repository - which was based on the original Canonical images.

The last time I had my "deb" in my hands (before I gave it away) I was trying to install Ubports on it after that original repo died and I can see that I was not able to make bluetooth and camera to work but I was hacking things on top of what was available so I guess that was the issue: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/44/installing-ubuntu-on-nexus-7-2013-deb-lte

But ... even with these workarounds LTE did work for me ... it was just a matter of having a correct "boot.img" flashed AFAIK.

Btw, it seems pretty much everything worked for you at some point as well, including Bluetooth:
https://forums.ubports.com/topic/44/installing-ubuntu-on-nexus-7-2013-deb-lte/23

doniks

@zubozrout said in Misunderstanding about ubuntu touch on Nexus 7:

@doniks Yeah, LTE and everything else did work for me back when I was using http://system-image.tasemnice.eu/ubuntu-touch (currently dead) repository - which was based on the original Canonical images.

The last time I had my "deb" in my hands (before I gave it away) I was trying to install Ubports on it after that original repo died and I can see that I was not able to make bluetooth and camera to work but I was hacking things on top of what was available so I guess that was the issue: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/44/installing-ubuntu-on-nexus-7-2013-deb-lte

But ... even with these workarounds LTE did work for me ... it was just a matter of having a correct "boot.img" flashed AFAIK.

Not sure if you can confirm camera working as well (?).

Great! Thanks @zubozrout for the quick response and confirmation that LTE worked.

I'm 95% sure that the boot.img (kernel) on the ubports system image server is that very file that originated from tasemnice, so all that knowledge is still relevant.

Camera - good point. Another thing I barely use ... come to think of it, I might have actually not ever tried taking a picture with UT on deb. So, can't say.

Ok, let me try turning around and listing some things that I CAN remember worked: touchscreen, sound, wifi, rotation, gps, usb file transfer, libertine, desktop mode and generally everything to do with system UI and apps, app updates.

zlamalp

Hi @zubozrout and @doniks,

so to put it together I should:

Get Ubuntu 16.04
Install required packages so following commands are available
Run following commands

ubuntu-device-flash touch --channel=ubuntu-touch/stable/ubuntu --device=flo --bootstrap
# Reboot into bootloader
fastboot flash -w boot boot.img
fastboot flash -w recovery recovery.img
# Boot into recovery
ubuntu-device-flash --server http://system-image.ubports.com touch --channel ubuntu-touch/rc-proposed

But I'm not sure which channels etc. to use. I believe something like this would be more appropriate:

ubuntu-device-flash --server http://system-image.ubports.com touch --channel ubuntu-touch/stable --device=deb
fastboot flash -w boot boot.img
fastboot flash -w recovery recovery.img

NOTE: boot.img and recovery.img should be taken from the @zubozrout G-Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_T_rjYvwUdgQ3RJMHhSLWVvY0E/view?usp=sharing

doniks

@zlamalp no, that doesn't sound right. A UT installation consists normally of the following four pieces

boot image
recovery
system image (device independent)
android container

the steps you propose do nothing to get the deb android container. here are the steps I used: https://github.com/ubports/ubuntu-touch/issues/643 in Workaround.

Some more nitpicking:

I'm not sure in which version of Ubuntu the ubuntu-device-flash tool is available. I painfully realized that at some point it wasn't available in my version (probably 18.04). This might have been resolved, but good to check
It makes no sense to use --server one time, but not the other. Either your version of ubuntu-device-flash always goes to Ubports server by default, then you're good. Or it never goes there by default, then you always need to specify
wrt channel - if you don't know which one you want, then you want stable

dobey

@doniks said in Misunderstanding about ubuntu touch on Nexus 7:

I'm not sure in which version of Ubuntu the ubuntu-device-flash tool is available. I painfully realized that at some point it wasn't available in my version (probably 18.04). This might have been resolved, but good to check

The tool is available in 16.04 in the Ubuntu archives, and there is a build for 18.04 in the ubports repository (https://repo.ubports.com/) which can be used.

Stefano

@dobey I thought that u-d-f doesn't work on 18.04, I couldn't install it, any particular package to install? Could you clarify what build to use, as I can't find any. Thanks.

doniks

@zlamalp said in Misunderstanding about ubuntu touch on Nexus 7:

ubuntu-device-flash --server http://system-image.ubports.com touch --channel ubuntu-touch/stable --device=deb

Actually, after reading your post again I realize ... if this command works, you should be done.

zlamalp

Thanks @doniks I'll see if that works if I get the device.

dobey

@stefano said in Misunderstanding about ubuntu touch on Nexus 7:

@dobey I thought that u-d-f doesn't work on 18.04, I couldn't install it, any particular package to install? Could you clarify what build to use, as I can't find any. Thanks.

The latest ubuntu-device-flash package for your architecture from https://repo.ubports.com/pool/bionic/main/g/goget-ubuntu-touch/ should work on 18.04.

Stefano

@dobey I tried to install, it says installing,but won't install. Really strange. It's normal .deb amd64 package and it just won't work. Never mind, my wife is on 16.04, so I just keep flashing it on her laptop. Thanks for the help anyway.

zubozrout

@stefano Probably the best to add the repo to your system and use it from there. Did you try that?

echo "deb http://repo.ubports.com/ bionic main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubports.list
wget http://repo.ubports.com/keyring.gpg -O - | sudo apt-key add -

and then

apt update
apt install ubuntu-device-flash

Stefano

@zubozrout W: GPG error: http://repo.ubports.com bionic Release: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 4BD4B4D6DBB583F1
E: The repository 'http://repo.ubports.com bionic Release' is not signed.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

Stefano

@zubozrout @dobey I found this and managed to install it. I know it's for 14.04, but somehow it work, don't really know what I've done. I played with aptitude and get the public.key from ubports, it still said that click-ubuntu-policy is missing and has no installable candidate. Anyway, now it just successfully flashed my Pro5 with latest Stable release. I'm over the moon
this is what I've done;

echo "deb http://repo.ubports.com/ bionic main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubports.list

wget https://repo.ubports.com/pubkey.gpg
--2019-01-18 10:36:36-- https://repo.ubports.com/pubkey.gpg
Resolving repo.ubports.com (repo.ubports.com)... 104.24.1.9, 104.24.0.9, 2606:4700:20::6818:9, ...
Connecting to repo.ubports.com (repo.ubports.com)|104.24.1.9|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 1702 (1.7K)
Saving to: ‘pubkey.gpg’

pubkey.gpg 100%[===================>] 1.66K --.-KB/s in 0s

2019-01-18 10:36:36 (10.3 MB/s) - ‘pubkey.gpg’ saved [1702/1702]

stefano@stefano-Inspiron-13-5378:~$ sudo apt-key add - < pubkey.gpg
OK
sudo apt update

then just download this package and install it:http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/g/goget-ubuntu-touch/ubuntu-device-flash_0.2+14.04.20140416.2-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb
all done and ready to flash UT on 18.04 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks you guys for your help, you rock!