I want to know how to use apt on Ubuntu Touch?

JacekRock

I run

sudo apt install vim

but failed

incyi

What does the "fail" say ?

JacekRock

W: Not using locking for read only lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock
E: Unable to write to /var/chache/apt/
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

Lakotaubp

Fairly certain apt does not work on UT.

alan_g

See the FAQ: "Can I use the APT repositories on Ubuntu Touch and install packages?"

The system partition is intentionally read-only (because of design trade-offs suited to a phone). You can create a chroot and install things there.

JacekRock

but it says "Our goal is to provide a single platform for application developers, allowing a single code base to run on all Ubuntu Touch devices. Running apt on Ubuntu Touch is possible, but it's only for developers because it will break future OTA update push." Doesn't apt work in theory?

dobey

@JacekRock The supported method of using apt, is to create a container in libertine and install the legacy/console apps you want to use, in there. Being a single converged platform, doesn't mean supporting legacy insecure packaging methods of traditional distributions.

arubislander

@JacekRock
While I realize your question is about using apt, it might be worth noting that vim is already installed in the root filesystem.
You can access it with vi from the terminal application.

jezek

@arubislander vi is not vim. Or did I miss something?

AppLee

@jezek
mv vim vi and it is
I think @arubislander is correct and this is in fact vim that is executed with command vi on Ubuntu Touch.
I remember that happy face I had when I accidentally typed insert and saw the insertion mode message.

But my memory is bad so don't trust it too much.

dobey

vi on Debian/Ubuntu is indeed just vim in a more pure vi mode.

LinuxMasta420

@Lakotaubp goodness you are more useless than a Windows install. You have no business using an Ubuntu phone if you can't even figure out how to make apt work.

@JacekRock apt doesn't just work in theory, it works in practice, as soon as you make your filesystem r/w instead of just r.

@AppLee
@dobey
go post on some other thread about your text editors, this thread is about apt.

THE ACTUAL ANSWER TO THIS THREAD:
sudo mount -o remount,rw /

#this remounts the filesystem temporarily as rw. Another solution is using chroot or libertine.

Lakotaubp

@LinuxMasta420 Firstly welcome to the UBports forum. Secondly if you want to remain here and have people help you or follow your advice it is best not to insult people in anypost especially your first post.Please don't repeat it. Most of those you have criticized have been working on and developing Ubuntu Touch for sometime now and will have a greater knowledge than you may of how it works. Thirdly as mentioned by @dobey it is recommended to use apt only inside a Libertine container as it can wreck your system in some cases.

Gra

@jacekrock Hi, I can see it's old question, but I just solved the issue, I hope it will help others:
Default UT is minimised version, as most of the users will not use it on the level you want.

sudo unminimize

I found it as I tried use man command.