I'm from Volla. We think, that a convenient VPN app for Ubuntu Touch would be a good idea, because the VPN from in the settings is only for experienced users. I think of a simple login in form and a selection of the country.

We are working with Hide.me for the Volla Phone, who provides a simple REST API for the available server and OpenVPN scripts. Further more they will publish soon the source code for a Linux WireGuard command line tool.

Is someone interested to work on this app? We could spend a Volla Phone as a thank you for the effort. Let me know.

We are planning a community event with hackathon from May 18th to 19th to promote an open source alternative for Android and iOS. We invite developers but also founders and entrepreneurs to discuss possibilities and cooperation with us and to work on some practical topics.

For Ubuntu Touch on the Volla Phone I'm looking for a solution to extend the system UI with the Volla Springboard. It's a new approach for a simplified user interface for quick actions without the need to open apps. You may have a look at our project page.

One idea is to modularise the system UI to replace the content of the left sidebar with an app. Another clever idea on our Volla Community Days last week was, to use the finger print sensor to trigger an event to open an app or bring it to the front.

Some more ideas, comments, estimations of feasibility? Is someone interested to work on that challenge? We could spend a Volla Phone as a thank you. Let me know.

If I follow the recommendation in the documentation, I should use crossbuilder for platform development and clickable for app development. The suggested editor is Atom. Unfortunately I have no idea, how install the mentioned plugin.

I wasn't able to install the Unbuntu SDK, that seems to be out of maintenance:

What's about Qt Creator and a setup with the libraries and dependencies, that are necessary for UBports?

I have doubts, that the system settings could fulfill the requirements for VPN.

• Dynamic server list
• Country selection
• Kill switch
• App specific VPN settings

VPN apps needn't be a hack. It’s a standard for Android, iOS, iPadOS or macOS. So UT could learn from this operation systems.

For sure a VPN app usually asks to related permissions. Afterwards the VPN would occur in the network settings.

Anyway, the improved system VPN settings could be a short term solution like in Sailfish OS. Is someone interested to work on it? Or does someone know anyone else?

Does someone know, wether it’s technically possible to develop a VPN app for UT and publish it n the store? We would like to promote it with our partner.

@dobey Thanks. Very clear answer. Do you have a recommendation to resolve the crossbuild issue? Or is it sufficuent to use cmake and make commands?

@ingo Thanks for your recommendation. The installation did work, but then a system update of UBports has detroyed my Fairphone. No, problem, it is a developer device. I was able to recover my Fairphone and install Anbox abein with the android tools as described on the documentation page: https://docs.ubports.com/en/latest/userguide/dailyuse/anbox.html

I could mange to install FDroid from a download and then Yalp Store within FDroid. Running Yalp Store seems to be to abitious. Yalp Store crashes while logging into the Play Store. So, in general Anbox is working on my Fairphone.

Sometimes the interaction with Android apps is liettle bit tricky because of the missing back navigation button on the system level. Alien Davlik adds a navigation bar with a back button. Maybe this could be an approach for Anbox either. The disadvantage would be a smaller screen.

I use to develop apps in small interation of coding and testing, that includes showing a UI in an emulator. This is a common approach in Xcode, Android Studio and Qt Creator of the Sailfish SDK. Do I have to deploy an app to the developer device each time, if I develop for UBports? What is the best practice?

Is there anyone who is working on an improved, modern UBports system user interface that is more oriented towards mobile use than the Ubuntu desktop user interface? My company is thinking about developing something towards Sailfish OS or Nemo Mobile. Instead of a fan of opened apps there are thumbnails of opened apps in a grid arrangement. Synergies for this development would be welcome.

I'm working for the Volla Phone. The EU law requires to ship a smartphone with a printed user manual. We even need to translate the manual for each European language.

Our idea is to keep it simple like a leporello. On the backside we would print legal staff like warranty. On the front side, we would like to give a small introduction with screenshots.

I assume, that some resource already exists, because of the UBports labelled PinePhone. We would appreciate some help or hints, where we could find such resources.

This work is not only for the Volla Phone but all devices with a pre-installed UT, a prerequisite to make UT popular for average consumers.

@totalsonic Thanks for the post! Just one remark: The Volla Phone X, like the Volla Phone, is a small series manufactured for the Volla brand. It is not based on the GX290. Here are some specifications:

• IP68 water and dust tested
• CPU: MediaTek Helio P23 Octa-Core MT6763
• Display: 6,1“, 19.5:9 HD + IPS V-Notch, 283 PPI
• 4 GB RAM + 64 GB internal storage
• 13 MP (SONY sensor) + 2 MP dual rear cam
• 8 MP front cam
• Connectivity: 2G/3G/4G, Wifi, Bluetooth, NFC
• Interfaces: USB-C (USB 2-0), USB-OTG, headphone jack
• Slots: 2 Nano SIM or 1 Nano SIM + SD Card
• Battery: Lithium-Polymer 6200 mAh / 3,85 V
• Weight: 270 g

@CiberSheep I think that the design of the manual might be different for each device but not necessary. We would be pleased to share our layout.

We think of a fanfold or staple of estimated 22 pages. The first half of the pages will be about the device and the operating system, and the second half about warranty and other legal stuff.

The real manual will start with a sketch of the device, buttons, connections and SIM and SD card slot. The main OS setup and features could be explained by one page text and one screenshot for each topic. This could be generic and device independent.

@3T_Ed No, I have asked the UBports foundation only, because they promote the PinePhone with the UBports logo. I conclude, that a manual exists to match the EU law. Thanks for the link of lfrOSS. That might help us to save money. We work with two agencies specialized on regulations. It's indeed a jungle with CE, WEEE and regulations for battery and waste.

The Purism 5 manual is indeed a good template. We need something similar for the chapter about Ubuntu Touch.

@C0n57an71n Unfortunately I can't open this link.

Sure we could share the work.

@dobey It's not a use case for hide.me. I know this form other VPN providers like NordVPN.

Sailfish OS uses a simple approach to setup a VPN by importing an OpenVPN file. This is fine for the first step.

But I realized, that the servers for each country are frequently changing. For a consumer it's difficult enough to download the correct OpenVPN file from the provider's support page, but frequently do this again is not convenient, in particular if you are mobile and busy and you realize, that the VPN is not working any more.

I'm working for the Volla Phone. The EU law requires to ship a smartphone with a printed user manual. We even need to translate the manual for each European language.

Our idea is to keep it simple like a leporello. On the backside we would print legal staff like warranty. On the front side, we would like to give a small introduction with screenshots.

I assume, that some resource already exists, because of the UBports labelled PinePhone. We would appreciate some help or hints, where we could find such resources.

This work is not only for the Volla Phone but all devices with a pre-installed UT, a prerequisite to make UT popular for average consumers.

@domubpkm Sounds promising. Is it available in the store or on any platform like Github?

@dobey How could a system setting retrieve the available servers and countries of a specific VPN provider?

@scottbouch I see. That’s another reason for an app, that includes a kill switch an automatic reconnection, if you chance the network. So that you can be sure to be connected to the VPN.

Good news. Our partner eVenture has recently published a command line tool for a Wireguard VPN connection as open source on Github:

https://github.com/eventure/hide.client.linux

It would be great to have a UI for this command line tool, so consumers can use VPN on Ubuntu Touch conveniently. Is someone interested to help us with an improved user experience regarding VPN on Ubuntu Touch?