@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?

@dobey Sure, not all devices has a fingerprint sensor. But using a fingerprint sensor in an app would be a benefit for the devices, that have this hardware feature. NFC and Dual SIM are also features, that not all devices have. But the operating system should support it. Anyway, the feature was only requested for Volla devices, which will have a finger print sensor.

Ubuntu Touch is not Android, but it should support requirements of a platform for mobile devices not limited by Smartphones. This includes customization if OEMs. Ubuntu Touch could alternatively use the approach of Jolla for Sailfish OS.

Anyway, this is out of scope of this thread. If someone know, how we could access the fingerprint event, let me know. Because the system needs this event, there must be somewhere on some level an API.

@Keneda Exactly. We may develop that our selves. But community developers are invited to help us. We would spend a developer device.

@kugiigi Thanks. Community developers are invited to help us.

@dobey It works on Android devices. The idea doesn't come from myself but from the community. I like the convenience.

See the Android documentation and some articles like this

@arubislander Yes hide.me offers a script for OpenVPN. This works fine for experienced users. However this script doesn't cover the following requirements:

1. Considering changing servers
2. Optimizing bandwidth by choosing the currently fastest server for a location
3. Switching countries
4. Supporting kill switch
5. Supporting newer protocol WireGuard
6. Convenient installation for consumers

UT has the potential to become an alternative to Apple and Google for consumers. Therefore I'm looking for a convenient and best solution.

If someone is interested to work on a convenient solution, let me know. We can offer a Volla Phone as a Thank you.

@AppLee Exactly. Modifying QMLs is fine for a proof of concept of the UX and to show it to a focus group, but not for a product release.

Therefore my question for a modularization of the system UI to allow customization as a standard.

Sailfish OS offers the approach with a VPN script. The disadvantage is, that it doesn't cover the requirement to change the server or - as mentioned in the discussion - a kill switch. A kill switch might be implemented by the system itself.

One more thing. We should be aware, that many consumers doesn't know anything about openVPN scripts or similar technology, but they are able to install the app of the VPN provider, they have chosen from an app store.

Companies would need an MDM solution for UT. But this is another topic.

@dobey The app wouldn't need the biometrics information itself, just an event, that the sensor was touched. So the critical information would be protected.

For other use cases biometric confirmation, encapsuled in the middleware, could be an interesting feature, for example to unlock a protected data source or to confirm any transaction.

Where is the component to get this event? The middleware needs this event either?

@kazord Last year a developer has shown in our hackathon, that is s quite simple to exchange the system UI by modifying some QML files. He presented the nice grid style ofr open apps like Nemo Mobile and Sailfish OS instead of the current fan style in Ubuntu Touch.

My hope was, just to modify a QML for the sidebar with a Loader, that loads the launcher app instead of the current sidebar logic. To avoid conflicts with the default system this part could be dynamically controlled as a standard - with any setting or an installed app with specific privileges.

My idea in general is to provide customization of the system in a standard way. Sailfish OS could be a good example for this approach. OEMs like Intex and Jala have used the Standard Sailfish OS with some customization for their market. The idea of a Super App is quite smart. It is a app, that can be called with one swipe gesture. It can be controlled by a setting.

Anyway. If someone is interested to help us with a proof of concept. Let me know.

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.

@AppLee Ok. Thanks. Is it possible to do this programmatically?

The app wouldn't be available in the app store but exclusively available on our devices. Is it possible to add further repositories to the Store like F-Droid?

To implement a convenient UX we would need a one touch call of the springboard. Therefore I like the fingerprint idea.

Otherwise we would need to modify Lomiri but I would prefer standard customization optons.