Linux Mobile A Reality Check

UBportsNews

The Linux daily driver, is it already here? Marius Gripsgards latest blog has a few thought provoking ideas.

https://mariogrip.com/2020/01/08/linux-mobile-reality-check/

#UBports #UbuntuTouch #Ubuntu

kugiigi

I fully share the same sentiment as Marius in this blog. Based from what I read, people are expecting too much from the PinePhone. Librem 5 and such and some expectations are not practical. Many seem to want a phone that's very identical to their linux desktop/laptops. It looks and sounds cool but in real scenarios, they don't make much sense. That's why I think UT might not be a popular choice for many enthusiasts interested with the PinePhine. But regardless of this, I'm still hopeful the every linux OS out there will be successful in their own ways

A Former User

Pine Pope, Pine Phine...next please!

makeixo

On the one hand (some) users have unrealistic expectations and don't think about the things which have to be implemented.

On the other hand there is a lot of fragmentation as well. ~ 98-99,99% use, develop and spent their money on 2 mobile operating systems, while some thousands do that on how many? There is UT, Plasma Mobile, ManjaroARM, Postmarket, SailfishOS, LuneOS, Purism, Phosh, Nemo, Maemo Leste. Which did I forget?

Its great if they reach the point on which you can use them as daily driver, but it slows down the progress of each OS.

Pulsar33

Hello,

I don't understand what is the problem. I've already written in two places here what should be at least a Linux Mobile, according to what a smartphone is nowadays.

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

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) <= partially

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

I removed or adjusted some points that were not consensual.
Many users will says "I want this or that" but here above is the pure simple definition of what should work immediately without drawbacks after installing a Linux Mobile Operating System.

What is the status today for Touch or Others ?
Best regards
Pulsar33

NOTA : Ubuntu Touch OTA15 from Canonical had a ALL OK status for that

mirroronthewall

As @Pulsar33 mentioned his use cases of interest, I think knowing what you want and expect is most important here. I guess I am looking for a laptop/phone convergence at some point; I want to see a UMPC phone like the Cosmo Communicator, but with a keyboard that's a Sony VAIO P Series clone (basically something that's a fully touch-typeable pocket laptop). Then, for everything light, phone, laptop, and tablet are kind of baked in to one. So I am still waiting on hardware here (UMPC-phones aren't really touch-typeable) and I'm not sure how that would interface with Ubuntu Touch or what I would need to change (would have to work on that when the time approaches). So, the article mentions that things like GIMP wouldn't work, which is ok for now but which I guess I was assuming would work well and is going to in the future (isn't convergence a goal and advertised feature?).

I agree with the "Be Honest" part: I felt some of the Linux OS claims were definitely unrealistic and left me feeling frustrated and confused and thinking an average user would just quit dealing with a Linux OS once they ran in to the same problems (unless they were motivated enough by the benefits of the Linux OS to push forward and figure out how to make things work for themselves). I am of course entirely grateful for all that has been done with Ubuntu Touch, and maybe I underestimate what the average user can do these days.

I guess what we want to discuss and hone in on are, what are the most valuable features to work on or improve that can be focused on next?

Giiba

I think the reasons laid out by Marius are the very reasons UT is going to succeeded alongside the PinePhone.

People might start trying a linux on phone in many forms available thinking that is what they want, but when that disapoints there will be UT ready to offer them the experience they really want.

I think with open hardware access, UT will flourish.