Ubuntu Touch Q&A 123 call for questions

[arubislander]

@jmlich your questions seem more appropriate to several dedicated forum posts than for a general Q&A livestream.

[Keneda]

@arubislander
You're right.
I splitted his message in a new thread in the appropriate subforum.

[arudy]

Hi, thank you for all the contributions !
My questions:

1. Will gallery app have some photo edit features more than crop like photo filters as a built-in feature? Or you think using third app such as InstantPho is enough for now? I guess there are others features that gallery or photo apps could have built-in ? (qrcode, filters, but also: add texts / emoji / stickers to a photo, etc). I love the way contenthub allow to add many features almost like it was native, but for basics features that some people use daily, it would help the UX to have some of those features just built-in. I'm quite splitted about this question, where is the border? what are your thoughts ?
2. Already asked this question years ago, just wanted to know about it but nowdays: Are apps package format will keep being click for now, or is there actually a roadmap to snap (Note, i've seen this initiative: https://open-store.io/app/snapz0r.fredldotme )
3. Talking about snap, is there a discussion about going from Ubuntu LTS to LTS, to Ubuntu Core ? Might require a lot a base work, and pipelines, but would reduce effort on system upgrades i guess, or not ? any thought to share with us? Would it be easier to maintain specific hardware package with "gadget" or kernel snaps, or same but different ?
4. Is there a roadmap for new app permissions ? For example: I guess this one would make sens for app that require fullscreen and many in-app controls (such as games) : app could call to switch themselves to an "immersive desktop" mode where right & left swipe are disabled during the use of the app? It could be also user enable/disable-able from an indicator i guess (We can see this initiative: https://open-store.io/app/indicator-immersive.kugiigi ), and also the apps permission to switch itself the mode could be removed from a setting permissions list (just like notifications for eg). This is an exemple, but maybe you have others in minds ? tell us please !
5. You said no porting question, so I won't ask when fairphone5 will be listed in the Ubports Installer

Once again, thank you to all the contributors, the ones from the beginning to the newest ones, from porting to new devices, to contributing to coreapp, lomiri (etc), or third apps, translating, qa, moderation and all the others

[MrT10001]

@Hugehead said in Ubuntu Touch Q&A 123 call for questions:

i am asking because with the loong time nothing heared in Q&A and (i feel) slow process in 20.04 (my oneplus 6 is nearly unusable) i felt like UT is kind of dead?

It is not, but I know it feels like it is. Everyone has other things to do in life, and of course what life's curve balls that come your way (I have had a massive one last year).

A lot goes on on Telegram, which I am no fan of (Telegram that is - social media avoidance). A lot of the conversation goes above my head as I am not a developer or programmer. It is better though for quick responses.

My question is:

With Google implementing anti-rollback features in its Android future, how badly will this affect open source development, especially Ubuntu Touch in the future?

[domubpkm]

@MrT10001 said in Ubuntu Touch Q&A 123 call for questions:

Google implementing anti-rollback features in its Android future

Please clarify in plain language. Not everyone is supposed to understand.

[MrT10001]

@domubpkm They are preventing rollback from lets say Android 13 to Android 10. This may sometimes brick the device attempting to roll back. This may stop open source development where an older Android is required to install UT or another custom ROM.

Read about it here.

[A Former User]

@UBportsNews What is the link to be there?

[domubpkm]

@MrT10001 Ok thank you. Personally, I assume that any problem can be circumvented, it is only a question of computer skills that is why computer flaws and remedies are discovered and vice versa. We read this all the time. And at UBports there are super qualified developers (not enough, yes).

[uxes]

is gonna be this project ever gonna be supported again by some company, for example Canonical?

[arubislander]

@aoam companies are welcome to sponsor development, and there are some that do. But as far as the project becoming dependent on one company to finance development, I feel that would again put the project at the mercy of internal business decisions of said company.

[arudy]

The Q&A did happend yersterday, and you can wath the replay here:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tedLPBTDxbU

Some of my questions ️ were answered, so for the record, a wee TL;DR :

1. They agree there is a need to define what should be built-in and what should be used through the contentHub, but since there is a lot of works here and there, any contribution would be welcome (Before spending time on a huge merge request, i still strongly recommend to come and say hi in a telegram or matrix ubports channel, or simply create a post on the forum and talk about some mock-up and list what to add to the gallery app, or not, because as it was said, we might don't want all the features of the universe in there )
2. Same answer than years ago: it is not a short term target, click are just fine, they do their jobs just fine, many work to do. You can still install this app and try some snaps (could be useful for your tablet/desktop experience)
3. Too much work would be needed to implement this, and not even sure yet it could work for phone devices, for now it is better to stay on a known platform (Ubuntu LTS) and focus on what's is more urgent.
4. were not read/answered
5. were not "answered", but made our host smile when reading it (because it was explicitly asked to not ask about porting device, and the "me" still added the sneaky question, sorry, not sorry ), and Marius said he would love to see this device ported since he loves the idea behind the fairphone project, and added that receiving a device from Fairphone, or having a contact to help ubports (doc, w/e) would be very welcome.

Note on the 5. : Postmarket OS (alpine linux based distro on phone) is currently being ported on the Fairphone 5. They (Luca) already have a device, one of them is/was working at fairphone (just checked) so maybe that helps them a lot, but maybe some cherry pick could help the portage if someone starts it ! (probably not before people receive their device anyway. PS: if someone start the portage, count me in as a tester ^^)

1. their wiki: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Fairphone_5_(fairphone-fp5)
2. their merge request on gitlab : https://gitlab.com/postmarketOS/pmaports/-/merge_requests/4359

[travisfw]

Are there any full-time mobile linux/ Ubuntu Touch Developer Advocates?

[Keneda]

@travisfw
Q&A is finished

[arubislander]

@travisfw this is an interesting question. Are you looking to fill that role, or get in contact with someone who fills that role?