SOLVED Connvergence / Dock for Oneplus One?

thilov

@jro I don't think connecting an external screen has much to do with convergence either.
Convergence means running the same software on different hardware like PC, smartphone, tablet, Raspberry Pi, etc..

TotalRando

@totalrando thanks to @TotalSonic for describing the items needed for Convergence on OPO here. https://forums.ubports.com/topic/5810/using-firefox-with-ut-in-2021/14?_=1623956226816

Marking solved. Ok. Can't mark it solved. Guess it's too old to do housecleaning on. Actually, no. It's not my topic.

jro

@thilov Actually, with regard to Linux smartphones, it clearly does mean that the phone can convert itself into a full desktop computer when connected to a full display & keyboard. That's also how it is being described on the Ubports website. And again, with my pinephone it works: I plug in a USB-C port and everything connected to the USB-C port - display, keyboard, mouse, ethernet etc - becomes available. I don't know whether it works with Ubuntu Touch on the pinephone, its support of the PP hardware looks incomplete for now. But with other distros, it does work.

Flohack

@jro well as others said, convergence is more a vision right now: On other side everything is ready, but we need also hardware that can do whats cool. You can try with the Microsoft Miracast adapter to do wireless external display but your mileage may vary. It has a lot of input lag so you cannot really work with it like on a PC.

Rather than that we need devices that feature a native HDMI out port. Such a device is e.g. this one: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pro1-x-smartphone-functionality-choice-control#/ - there are videos on the net that show the Ubuntu Touch desktop whenconnected with an external screen.

But regular Android devices seem to have dropped that idea. Its simply not what "normal" consumers do with their smartphone. I guess we have to wait for open Non-Android hardware to do that job.

TotalRando

I have a slimport monitor port I used with convergence on my Nexus 4. It is the same connector type as the OPO. If it works I can't see why a larger slimport dock wouldn't be able to support it. The pinephone port is different though. I'll go check (this matters to me as well as the eventual goal for me is to replace my computer.)

EDIT: I haven't found it. I really need to clean my computer area.

dobey

@totalrando OnePlus 1 does not support video output over USB. It doesn't matter what adapter you use, as none will work.

TotalRando

@dobey ok. Was not aware. Wireless display it is then.

Edit: how do you hook up a wireless display? Bluetooth?

dobey

@totalrando No, Bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth for it. You need a Miracast adapter, such as MS Wireless Display Adapter. Some TVs and such have support built in. Also, it will be pretty laggy for interactive use. It's really only good for streaming a video or such.

TotalRando

@dobey Ok, bit of a depressing answer there-- so basically for convergence, operability and 4G it sounds like my main choice is "Nexus 5." Is there any way to build USB operability on the OPO, was it removed, I am really confused here.

dobey

@totalrando Not really. DisplayLink is proprietary (which is something that can enable video over USB on anything, but again requires yet a different type of adapter), so we can't include that. Whether a device supports it directly is something the manufacturer has to enable when building the device.

Several later devices with USB-C do support Slimport docks, but I'm not sure how many are supported by UT currently, beyond the Pinephone. Google Pixel phones do not support it.

TotalRando

@dobey I'm frustrated enough to look at the code. A Nexus 4 can support convergence and it doesn't even have 3G. Same USB-Mini port, so I can't see why it doesn't have it.

EDIT: Ok now I have a better understanding. I am going to try this before tearing my hair out and buying a Pinephone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXhPvW-aOtY&t=21s

EDIT #2: Ok-- I see what you mean. Displaylink is proprietary. It seems like my only path without buying a new phone. Gonna take the risk.

kugiigi

Wired external display supports must be supported by the hardware and software. At the moment, nexus 4, 5, and 7 are the common UT devices that has support for it. Fxtec Pro1/Pro1-X is the other one but rare, expensive and a very young UT port.

To be honest, desktop mode on an external display is cool but still not ready for actual use especially on these old under specced devices. So if you expect something that you can use every day, it may not be worth the money and effort.

dobey

@totalrando External display support is not "convergence" and the Nexus is a 3G phone.

And no matter what you do, none of these phones are as powerful as a full sized PC. So, unless the only things you do on your PC are pretty basic, a phone is not likely going to replace it in a way that fulfills all your needs.

TotalRando

@kugiigi I have a Nexus 4, if we're being honest I'd be using it right now if I had 4G, even though I am no longer sure my OPO is picking up 4G. The main issue with the Nexus is honestly memory size, as I like having a lot of gigs handy.

TotalRando

@dobey I generally have worked on low-spec machines for almost two decades now. Most of what I do is either on a browser or some sort of office application. I'm not playing World of Warcraft on these things.

TotalRando

@totalrando thanks to @TotalSonic for describing the items needed for Convergence on OPO here. https://forums.ubports.com/topic/5810/using-firefox-with-ut-in-2021/14?_=1623956226816

Marking solved. Ok. Can't mark it solved. Guess it's too old to do housecleaning on. Actually, no. It's not my topic.

AppLee

@totalrando
I will do it, as I don't know if OP is still active...