Call for testing: background location updates

AppLee · 21 May 2021, 17:16

@mardy
Thanks for your answer, I'll install it and will try to test it out, but I'm mostly at home for the moment so not many opportunities to test the GPS.

Thanks again for your work.

kugiigi · 21 May 2021, 17:30

I think one of the best app to test this is Activity Tracker. I won't be able to help with the test so I just suggested something

cliffcoggin · 21 May 2021, 22:44

@applee If switching channels is an easy way to restore a current OTA that is fine and I am happy to test this modification. Re-installation however is not an option for me as I have never been able to get the installer to work.

cliffcoggin · 22 May 2021, 14:29

I tested this today after a long struggle to copy the code from here to the terminal of my Nexus 5.

The test is in two parts using OSM Scout Server (with suspension enabled), Pure Maps, and Activity Tracker (with suspension enabled).

In the first part of the test I found that the lockscreen was prevented, consequently the display was continually on and the battery level dropped rapidly. That is something I would want to see fixed. Nevertheless the three applications mentioned all worked. I also tested that phone calls, text messages, and internet also worked. (I don't recall if the latter was using SIM or Wi-Fi.)

For the second part of the test I manually engaged the lockscreen with the power button. Every ten minutes I checked that the mapping continued to work, and battery levels were dropping at a more acceptable rate though I did not note any specific figures for power drop.

The one oddity was Activity Tracker which showed many data points while it was active, but when it was stopped and saved, only 4 data points were recorded instead of the expected 13. I don't know if that is an effect of the new software or something In Activity Tracker. It is not an application I use regularly.

Does this report help?

Cliff.

mardy · 22 May 2021, 20:06

Thanks @cliffcoggin ! I realized just now that not all the packages made it to the PPA: the lomiri changes are not there, and they are essential to get this functionality working fine. I'm still trying to understand what is the correct branch to use for lomiri, and then I'll rebuild the package. I'll keep you guys posted!

For the time being, better not use this PPA, as it's incomplete.

cliffcoggin · 22 May 2021, 23:55

@mardy OK. I will await developments.

To get back to stable channel I changed to RC which appeared to go well. I then tried changing back to stable channel, and it told me it was switching channels, but it remained on RC. Is that because RC is essentially the same as stable at the moment? Do I need to do anything more?

mardy · 23 May 2021, 05:09

OK, now the PPA seems ready

Please test it again, and sorry for the previous glitch!

cliffcoggin · 23 May 2021, 11:08

@mardy Initial indications are good. Lockscreen engages as normal, Sensor Status and Pure Maps show the correct location.

I'll perform a longer test next time I go out and let you know the outcome.

cliffcoggin · 23 May 2021, 13:53

@mardy Further information: the battery level dropped from 65% to 5% in less than three hours. (I don't know the precise time as the phone turned itself off while I was away from it.) That's probably similar to what it would have been before the modification.

kugiigi · 23 May 2021, 14:22

If i remember correctly, the main issue before is that location stops working when you lock the screen even if you disable suspension. I had to stop automatic locking whenever I use Activity tracker. I was lucky Bq E5's battertly is great so I was able to use it for many hours.

TotalRando · 30 Jun 2021, 22:19

Hey this just turned my GPS on! Thanks!

magdesign · 15 Aug 2021, 18:18

@mardy
Thanks!
After doing

sudo ubports-qa install xenial_-_locationbg

and rebooting my oneplus6 several times the GPS is finally working!

hsce1 · 30 Jan 2024, 16:41

Hey @mardy, do you know if your background location service implementation has survived the transfer to focal?

Edit: I guess I found the relevant MR: https://gitlab.com/ubports/development/core/lomiri/-/merge_requests/70

aimar · 1 Feb 2024, 20:52

Wow! How did I miss this feature? I have seen the last post and realize that it was available two years ago.
Well, BQ E4.5 OTA 25. I have just installed it, but I am not very confident it will work. I get some errors that make me suspect:

ubuntu-location-service-bin#####]
W: No sandbox user '_apt' on the system, can not drop privileges
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
ERROR:ubports-qa:Failed to run 'apt full-upgrade'. See the output above for details.
mount: / is busy
WARNING:ubports-qa:Failed to remount root filesystem read-only.
WARNING:ubports-qa:Please consider rebooting your device.

I have rebooted the phone. This weelend I will test the background data adquisition.

aimar · 2 Jan 2024, 21:06

I think ubuntu-location-service-bin is not properly installed.

Just some questions. I see the following packages upgraded:

biometryd-bin
libbiometry1
qml-module-biometryd

Why do we need biometry stuff?

This ones were downgraded:

libubuntu-location-service3
qtubuntu-sensors
ubuntu-location-service-bin
unity8 unity8-common
unity8-private unity8-schemas

@mardy you mentioned Lorimi, but I still see unity. Is it all right? I understood this change was for xenial devices.
I hope I do not miss anything with the downgrade.

aimar · 16 Feb 2024, 13:41

It works.
I tried it with Activity Tracker and records my position with the phone locked.
During the first try, the location switch turned off automatically whenever I turned it on. But now the switch and me seem to have achieved an understanding.
Thank you very much for such a useful feature.

AmauryDBZ · 23 Feb 2024, 19:56

@aimar didn't worked for me. Any tests that I can perform ?

aimar · 23 Feb 2024, 22:23

Hi @AmauryDBZ. Sorry, I am not a developer, so I cannot provide any hint. I usually use a trial and error approach. You can try uninstalling the package and reinstalling it again.
Actually for me, the first time it was not properly installed because I lost the wifi connection. I tried again and although I had some doubts (see posts above) it works.
My phone requires some time to connect to the satelites, but once it is done, Activity Tracker followed me.

aimar · 23 Feb 2024, 22:25

Why have I been downvoted?
I was just reporting an initial weird behaviour, but finally a succesfull performance.

AmauryDBZ · 24 Feb 2024, 08:08

@aimar thanks I'll try this :thumbs_up:

@aimar said in Call for testing: background location updates:

Why have I been downvoted ?

I had the same question