essential software proposals for ut

[utouchuser]

there existed a thread listing all kinds of essential software missed / wished to be ported over to ut, which i am unable to find atm. here is a few suggestions, i would find quite usefull.

some, though qt based, might be difficult to turn into clickapps - but the terminal & more leightweight tools should be in range, i guess.

cmus terminal player - https://cmus.github.io/ (offers "missing" audioplayer features)
deadbeef (http://ddb2.me/), foobar2000 (http://mobile.foobar2000.com/), music(player) featuring: folderplay, gapless playback, resume on restarts, replaygain
falkon browser - https://www.falkon.org/
~~htop terminal monitor - http://hisham.hm/htop/~~
kate editor - https://kate-editor.org/
micro terminal editor - https://micro-editor.github.io/
qtox secure communication - https://qtox.github.io/de.html
ranger terminal filemanager - https://github.com/ranger/ranger
tor-browser - https://www.torproject.org/

@mods: please feel free to append to the initial thread. thanks

[Photojoe4]

I can't speak to the others you listed, but htop works fine on my Nexus 5.

[utouchuser]

you are absolutely right, i checked before with my phone in openstore, but obviously it was not to be

[dobey]

You can create a libertine container and install any console based tools you want to use, which are in the Ubuntu 16.04 archive and available for the phone's architecture. Though, terminal apps on a phone will be difficult to use, and hardly qualify as essential software.

Remember, UT is not a traditional PC Linux distro.

You can probably install and run some of the other legacy GUI apps in libertine and use them as well, if they work, but if they are not built to scale properly and deal with touch based interface, they will be difficult to use. Also, legacy GUI apps in libertine won't have accelerated video, so they may not perform very well either.

[utouchuser]

@dobey said in essential software proposals for ut:

You can create a libertine container and install any console based tools you want to use

is libertine performance-wise also possible on the nexus 4? how much space will a container ask for?

@dobey said in essential software proposals for ut:

Though, terminal apps on a phone will be difficult to use, and hardly qualify as essential software.

regarding essential software: this is just meant to be desktopsoftware which i consider important myself, ut limitations possibly included

this is also why i named a few audioplayers, all more or less offering the features i am missing in music (for now).

[TotalSonic]

Not to be mean about it - but as someone that has used UT as the OS for my mobile devices for over the past year none of the apps you listed have ever particularly occurred to me as "essential" - and a number of them seem redundant of native UT apps that are already readily available. While I would not object at all if a developer wanted to take on porting of these apps, I think this type of thing would not be a good use of developers' time in comparison to numerous other priorities for the UBports team.

I think a better thing to do is assess what features any of these apps provide for you that the available apps for UT are not able to do (e.g. "folderplay, gapless playback, resume on restarts, replaygain" that you mention for Deadbeef) and then make feature requests and possibly bounties to have these features added into the existing UT apps (e.g. the Music and Media Player core apps in the case of these features you note Deadbeef has).

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[utouchuser]

hi steve,

thanks for your feedback.

@TotalSonic said in essential software proposals for ut:

none of the apps you listed have ever particularly occurred to me as "essential"

no surprise, as this is a purely subjective list - i would probably feel the same about your priorities. i don't seem to find the initial thread anymore, otherwise i would have posted there.

@TotalSonic said in essential software proposals for ut:

and a number of them seem redundant of native UT apps that are already readily available

true, but there is quite some features missing. you are probably right about improving existing software and making suggestions, which i already did before.

i am also in for any recommendation you can give me. how about a secure messenger like tox f.ex?

[TotalSonic]

@utouchuser said in essential software proposals for ut:

hi steve,

i am also in for any recommendation you can give me. how about a secure messenger like tox f.ex?

I've never used tox f.ex, nor do I know anyone else that has, so can't comment on it. I can however say that end to end encrypted messaging can now be engaged via using the Axolotl UT native Signal client https://open-store.io/app/textsecure.nanuc -
or by initiating a "secret chat" in Telegram using the recently updated TELEports client - https://open-store.io/app/teleports.ubports
There is also a (admittedly clunky) webapp for the Wire service as well - https://open-store.io/app/wireut.totalsonic

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[dobey]

@TotalSonic @utouchuser I believe FluffyChat now also has e2e chat for Matrix.

[utouchuser]

@TotalSonic said in essential software proposals for ut:

Axolotl UT native Signal client https://open-store.io/app/textsecure.nanuc -

thanks for recommending axolotl beta, i will definitely check it out.

anyway, as a longtime tox user, a https://utox.org/ or https://qtox.github.io/ clickapp would still be awesome to have

i especially like the fact that you only choose a username and voila, that is the whole "registration" process. voip is also possible.

[AppLee]

@utouchuser FLuffyChat and Matrix is also without complex registration and e-mail related account.

[Pulsar33]

@utouchuser
Hello,
Your list of "desired applications" is not consistent with the title you gave to this thread
"Essential apps" must be justified regarding general smartphone usage.
This subjetc has already been addressed here

At this time, I wrote this :
Strange how people don't share the same feeling about core apps ...
Here's my point of vue :

My phone is a phone so :

• Phone app
• Contacts app (at least with local database)
• Messages app (SMS, MMS)
• Clock app (with alarms)

My phone is built over Linux so :

• Terminal app
• Filemanager app
• Preferences app
• System update app
• Apparmor management app <= missing

My phone has I/O interfaces so :

• Camera app (photo, video)
• Galery app (photo, video)
• Play and Record sounds apps <= partially
• Display GPS coordinates app (textual, no map) <= missing

My phone is smart and connected so :

• Calendar app (at least with local database)
• Calculator app
• Notes app
• Web browser app
• Mail client app
• Openstore app
• Anbox app <= necessary for UT survival

IMHO, other applications would be valuable but are not "essential".
It would simply be important to help developers to port or maintain them.

Have a nice day
Pulsar33

[AppLee]

@Pulsar33
Hi, I agree with your point of view.

But I would add some things :
Display GPS coordinates => have you tried https://open-store.io/app/sensorsstatus.chrisclime or https://open-store.io/app/harbour-messwerk.mymike00 both might have the feature requested

I strongly disagree on this point : Anbox app <= necessary for UT survival
According to me, native apps are essential to UT survival not some blobs developped by companies to fetch data. APK are not a solution it's heavy and slow and will give a bad image of a wonderful OS.

And I'll add that a good messaging app is required for smartphones :
Teleports and FluffyChat are great apps but they need more man power to put them to the next level : video chat, audio calls are features expected by travellers and business people.
No something you cannot live without sure, but very important in our modern world.

Best day to you all.

[mirroronthewall]

I am still looking forward to a redshift / flux / night shift / blue light filter feature (I see some progress was made in that direction)