Smooth Edges: Current Bug Report

Ubuntu Touch Bug Fixing Initiative

Updated: November 27, 2024
Source: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/11644/smooth-edges-name-pending-let-s-fix-the-bugs-that-drive-you-mad

I'll keep this up to date

Note this is taken directly, this will need to be cleaned up once collecting is done

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Table of Contents

1. Priority 0: Platform Viability
2. Priority 1: Core System Stuff
3. Priority 2: Basic Phone Features
4. Priority 3: Daily Use
5. Priority 4: Polish
6. Priority 5: Nice to Have
7. Installer Issues
8. General Themes

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Priority 0: Platform Viability

Definition: Issues that affect the viability and sustainability of the platform itself.

Device Hardware & Support

• Most phones are 5+ years old - No one wants to invest in outdated phones with poor batteries. Future development not guaranteed, relies on individual contributors. Suggested solution: New "primary device" released every two years.

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Priority 1: Core System Stuff

Definition: Boot loops, crashes, phone completely unusable. Fix immediately.

System Stability

• Random Lomiri crashes - System randomly crashing
• Lomiri freezing/crashing after extended use - Phone gets stuck/freezes after using it longer without rebooting or using more than 3-4 apps. Lomiri crashes and restarts.
• Lomiri crashes on shutdown/restart - Bug since 2015: When you've opened more than 3 apps and try to restart/poweroff, Lomiri crashes and restarts. Have to select restart/poweroff again.
• Passcode prompt stops working (Volla Quintus, 1.x daily channel) - Number keys don't enter characters or phone doesn't respond to full passcode entry
• Battery drainage on LTE - Missing proper app state management (background/foreground/suspended). Works on 2G with battery-saver app, but phone lasting less than a full day is not reliable.
• Daily reboots without command (Poco NFC X3) - Device reboots and disconnects SIM about every 12 hours (device-specific)

Networking & VPN

• OpenVPN non-functional/unfriendly - Can't access corporate networks, complicated terminal setup that doesn't work

Device-Specific

• Apps not properly accessing apparmor - Camera app on OP5T and other devices have apparmor errors in logs, unclear if they're important or can be ignored
• Mobile data on SIM2 doesn't work - PR exists for this issue

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Priority 2: Basic Phone Features

Definition: Calls, SMS, WiFi, Bluetooth, notifications, camera. If these don't work, it's not really a phone.

Bluetooth Connectivity

• Car Bluetooth connectivity issues:
  • Bluetooth audio playback problems in car
  • Car refuses to turn up music volume
  • Contacts don't sync - only shows numbers when calling, not names
  • Music controls (play/pause/previous) unreliable from car/headphones
  • Music auto-continues after Bluetooth disconnect
  • Answering calls while driving unreliable due to connectivity/UI issues
• General Bluetooth improvements needed - Usable with certain prerequisites but could be better
• Bluetooth almost unusable - No file transfer possible, no HFP (hands-free profile) in cars

Email & Notifications

• IMAP email notifications don't work (outside Gmail)
• Green email icon persists even after viewing notifications - should revert to non-active state after checking
• Keeping Dekko updated or replacing it - Email is critical feature for most users

Camera

• Multiple cameras not supported - Devices with multiple cameras (e.g., Volla Quintus with 3 cameras) can't switch lenses in main camera app, though test apps can access them
• Camera too slow, images blurry with motion or bad lighting (may be device-specific)
• Camera app lags behind Android - Slow focus, missing macro function, wide angle, panorama modes
• Camera app crashes - Daily crashes or device-specific, requires reboot (Poco NFC X3 and other devices)
• Camera image quality poor - All pictures and videos have colors off and overall poor quality (may be device-specific)
• Camera not fully supported - Partial hardware support on some devices

Communication Features

• VoLTE - Needed for calls, will be required across Europe in coming years. Not reliable yet, becoming "basic phone functionality" in more countries
• VoLTE issues - Phone app freezes when receiving call while already online with VoLTE enabled, requires reboot. Switching to airplane mode often disconnects VoLTE, requires reboot.
• RCS (Rich Communication Services) - SMS/MMS replacement, will be next big point for UT

Security

• Encryption should be mandatory - Several users left UT because of lack of encryption. Entire device should be encrypted when powered off. Bonus: lock-screen encryption like Android.

Display & Interface

• Display cutouts and rounded corners not handled - Makes upper taskbar display incorrectly (especially FP5), restricts usage of indicators. Clock not fully visible. Nowadays a must, instant frustration for new users with no option to set it correctly.
• Notch handling + too many indicators:
  • Dual SIM with roaming = 4 network icons alone
  • Rotation lock is entire pull-down with one item
  • Many pull-downs have only 2 items
  • Suggested: Remove rotation lock, Bluetooth, GPS icons entirely from header
  • Merge dual SIM icons into one
  • Email icon should only show when there's a notification
• Notification area too fragmented - Better to have less indicators or option to reach most used on same "page". Hard to swipe down without accidentally selecting wrong indicator.
• Lomiri must avoid rounded corners and camera notch - Bring indicators under camera notch

Browser

• Morph browser old and falling behind - Mentioned by multiple users as Priority 2
• App menu too long (12 actions) and redundant - Use ToolBar for additional actions
• Downloads not integrated in indicator since Oxide

Messaging

• Improvements needed in Teleports, Matrix, Signal apps - Messengers are most used smartphone apps
• Call/video call options needed in browser and messengers

Backup

• Backup function should be in UT installer or at least have tutorial/instructions
• AGPS missing - Navigation hard to rely on without it
• Data backup and syncing missing

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Priority 3: Daily Use

Definition: Browser crashes, app store issues, keyboard problems, file management. The stuff you hit every day.

Browser Issues (QtWebEngine)

• Outdated QtWebEngine - Most frequently mentioned issue
• Firefox alternative has no clipboard
• No autoplay disable option in native browser
• Poor web smoothness

Keyboard Problems

• Keyboard crashes during active SMS/chat conversations - "Gets my pulse going"
• Random OSK crashes
• Keyboard positioning too low - Need ability to raise/lower keyboard. Ambot installer keyboard works better.
• OSK issues:
  • Predictive text gets in the way
  • Weird behavior when typing/deleting
  • Paste doesn't work between apps

Multimedia & Files

• Nextcloud photo sync unreliable
• Gallery loads slowly
• Video playback issues - One of UT's weakest points since beginning:
  • Poor UX in Camera app preview - opens separate Video app that stays open after playback
  • Video flipping at end of playback
  • App crashes (e.g., in Teleports)
  • Totally stops working on some devices until restart of media hub or reboot
  • Experience generally bad
• Camera app crashes (device specific but affects several devices)
• Too slow to take picture/video - Too much delay, sometimes fails and needs reboot

Navigation & Location

• Navigation apps unreliable/non-functional - Forces use of Waydroid
• GPS position doesn't work reliably in webview (works in PureMaps) - Orientation/compass problem, important for Google Maps public transport itineraries
• Faster GPS needed - Initial fix can be slow, too slow for reliable navigation
• GPS too slow - General positioning speed issue

Calendar & Contacts

• Calendar sync failures with Google/Nextcloud - Leads to missed meetings. Event links and call info not clickable/openable
• Call history unclear - Hard to track communication sequence with contacts (missed calls, outgoing, answered)
• Date indicator - Tapping dates doesn't show all calendar entries

Networking

• Cellular network re-connection sometimes needs reboot
• Loses cellular data connection (especially dual SIM) - Have to switch from 3G to LTE/4G in settings to get internet back
• MMS doesn't work if WiFi is On
• Dual SIM boot issues - Sometimes boots with only one SIM working or none, requiring reboot. Can also change default parameters to SIM2 that persist even after reboot with SIM1.
• WiFi always trying to connect to last used network - Instead of the one with the best signal

VPN

• No usable VPN UI - Required for corporate users, Wireguard, Tailscale. Terminal commands won't work for most users. Need integration for several protocols for open WiFi security.

Email (Dekko)

• No HTML replies - Everything sent as plain text only
• Broken message forwarding - Forwarded messages become garbled/unreadable for recipient due to plain text limitation

System & Performance

• Interface sluggish/freezes - Not fluid or snappy, varies over time (may improve with next Halium upgrade). Sometimes freezes for fraction of second or even few seconds.
• Overall performance could be smoother - When switching between apps
• App start time much longer than Android - Even simple apps like calculator or clock need several seconds to start
• Mir 2 migration essential - Convergent Linux apps don't work due to scaling/keyboard issues. X server jankiness is a problem (keyboard, slowness, focus issues).
• Developer mode keeps turning on after every boot even when toggled off (security issue, may be daily channel specific)

Apps & Integration

• No default target selection with url-dispatcher or content hub
• Calendar sync issues - Painful to get working reliably again when it breaks
• Native Matrix client needed - Ideally disconnected from "Matrix" branding, just "UT Messenger" or similar
• System-side backup feature - Not everyone can setup Nextcloud/Syncthing easily

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Priority 4: Polish

Definition: UI glitches, UX improvements. Things that make UT feel unpolished.

Keyboard & Input

• Keyboard .tld button (.cz, .com) - Frequently misclicked instead of spacebar, causes DNS errors when using address bar for searches (typing "query.czsearch.cz" instead of "query search")
• Keyboard sometimes hard to use - Writing sentences full of mistakes because of missing blanks. May be due to keys being too narrow or input being too slow. Tip: Disabling haptic feedback may help typing speed.

Contacts & Dialing

• Clicking contact in history doesn't call directly - Just pre-fills number in dialer instead
• Contact navigation arrows impossible to see - Small visual indicators for swiping navigation

Buttons & UI Elements

• Small back buttons - Hard to tap accurately, especially for one-handed use. Major issue for users coming from Android. Examples: dekko, uRSSes - sometimes can see button press but have to tap again because it was too short.
• Notification UI - "Clean" button should float at bottom, not positioned relatively below all notifications

Header & Indicators

• Header clutter - Too many icons make it hard to see time:
  • Remove rotation lock, Bluetooth, GPS icons entirely
  • Merge dual SIM icons into one
  • Email icon should only appear with actual notification

Apps & Consistency

• App counters/badges - Should use notifications indicator instead. One place for all notifications instead of going app by app.
• Core apps have inconsistent UI - Random icons, different designs
• Notes app abandoned - Needs work
• App drawer organization - Need ability to make folders, favorites and rarely used sections

Audio

• Audio feeds to both earpiece and speaker simultaneously

Security Perception

• Lack of security trust - Unlocked bootloader, corporate data/banking inside Waydroid creates feeling of insecurity

Device-Specific

• Under-screen fingerprint reader doesn't work (Volla Quintus)
• Fingerprint reader activation - Would be nice to unlock Lomiri without pressing button first

Connectivity

• Connect to public WiFi via QR code - Missing feature

APIs & Integration

• Auto-fill/auto-type APIs missing - Copying/pasting passwords is inefficient and insecure
• KDE Connect port needed - Phone/computer sync is very handy

Waydroid Integration

• Notifications not propagated to main notification bar - Should function like native notifications, opening corresponding Android app
• Multiple window mode needs icons in sidebar/app drawer properly
• Copy/paste doesn't work inside Waydroid or between Waydroid and system
• File access not transparent - Waydroid should see home directory without copying files via Waydroid Files app

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Priority 5: Nice to Have

Definition: Advanced features, edge cases, stuff that matters to specific users.

Apps & Software

• Productivity apps missing - Native MS Teams, Slack, Google Meet support
• Spotify non-functional via Waydroid - Painful experience. Proposed solution: Integrate mainstream desktop Linux apps (Snap, Flatpak, AppImage) into OpenStore as alternative to Waydroid
• Cloud notes app missing (e.g., Nextcloud integration)
• Banking software and government apps missing - Hence Waydroid use
• Snap applications should be offered to fill gaps
• Update snapz0r for direct snap installation without terminal
• Docker container cannot start normally - Nice to have feature

Features

• Shared clipboard - Like iOS/Android + KDE Connect
• QR code reader extremely unreliable
• Audio playback speed control
• Swype feature in OSK - Currently only possible with proprietary code. Options to explore:
  • AnySoftKeyboard (open source swiping)
  • FUTO (source-available, open swipe dataset)
  • Magic Keyboard for Sailfish OS
  • Heliboard uses proprietary Google library
  • Florisboard has glide typing but functionality uncertain

System

• Core apps force specific viewport - Clock app mentioned specifically, shouldn't do this
• Dash filters for apps
• Backup/sync app with PC - rsync was removed (can be reinstalled via crackle)

Privacy & Security

• Browser privacy/security lacking - Need ability to change DNS server, secure browser with anti-tracking/fingerprinting extensions

Documentation

• Device port maintenance info - Not just "Last commit on X date" but also why and for what
• Better documentation on which apps can replace popular Android apps, how to get VPN or OwnCloud working
• Precise description of what you get by installing UT vs what you lose by changing ecosystems

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Installer Issues

Definition: First impression problems that prevent adoption.

Installation Experience

• Installer can block/hang - Pressing continue button on phone during assumed hang causes issues, needs reflashing of Android. Need better warnings.
• Raining arrows icon confusing - Unclear what's happening during download, meaning not obvious to users
• Installation complexity puts people off - Fear of rendering phone unusable
• Offer stable versions before dev versions in installer
• Polish critical for installer - Last 5% of polish can get or stop thousands of users. Last 1% toward perfection very important.

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General Themes

Most Frequently Mentioned Issues

1. Outdated browser/QtWebEngine - Mentioned by nearly every user
2. Bluetooth connectivity problems - Especially car integration
3. Display cutout/rounded corner handling - Makes UT look unfinished
4. VPN integration/UI - Multiple users need this
5. Encryption mandatory - Multiple users left because of this
6. Camera issues (slow, crashes, multi-camera support) - Multiple users
7. Dekko email client needs work - Multiple users
8. Waydroid integration improvements needed
9. Dual SIM issues - Multiple users
10. VoLTE - Increasingly critical
11. Video playback - Consistently problematic across system
12. Small back buttons - Especially for one-handed use

Key Insights from Community

On Polish vs Features:

• "Polish" has much more important ranking for new users than Priority 4 suggests
• A phone is a status object - obvious defects block adoption
• First impressions are critical - can block influencers from featuring UT
• For installers, getting to 95% isn't enough - last 5% of polish critical

On Browser:

• "Without an up-to-date browser, we don't do much!"
• Affects almost everything you do on a phone
• Absolute priority according to multiple users

On Device Support:

• Future development not guaranteed for older devices
• Heavily relies on individual contributors
• Need for sustainable hardware strategy

On Security:

• Privacy-focused users need adequate browser protection
• Encryption is deal-breaker for many users
• Corporate users need VPN support

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Document Statistics

• Total unique bugs reported: 100+
• Priority 1 (Critical): 7 issues
• Priority 2 (Essential): 25+ issues
• Priority 3 (Daily Use): 30+ issues
• Priority 4 (Polish): 25+ issues
• Priority 5 (Nice to Have): 15+ issues
• Installer Issues: 5 issues

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This document compiled from UBports Community Forum thread "Smooth Edges (name pending) - Let's Fix the Bugs That Drive You Mad" as of November 27, 2024. Includes community feedback from multiple users across various devices and use cases.

Please discuss here: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/11644/smooth-edges-name-pending-let-s-fix-the-bugs-that-drive-you-mad

Hey everyone,

Starting a new bug fixing project for Ubuntu Touch called Smooth Edges (name pending). The idea is simple: fix the bugs that make people give up on UT or prevent them from trying it in the first place.

The Problem
Look, we all know Ubuntu Touch has rough edges. Some bugs are annoying. Some make daily use frustrating. And some make people pull out their old Android phone after a week. We need to fix those bugs first. I'm not talking about theoretical issues or edge cases that affect small amount of users. I mean the stuff that actually stops UT from being a usable daily driver.

How This Works
Instead of just going through the bug tracker randomly, we're prioritizing based on impact. Two questions:

What bugs stop people from switching to Ubuntu Touch?
What bugs make current users switch away?

Simple as that. Real-world impact over everything else.

Priority Levels
Breaking bugs down into 5 categories:

Priority 1: Core System Stuff - Boot loops, crashes, phone completely unusable. Fix immediately.

Priority 2: Basic Phone Features - Calls, SMS, WiFi, Bluetooth, notifications, camera. If these don't work, it's not really a phone.

Priority 3: Daily Use - Browser crashes, app store issues, keyboard problems, file management. The stuff you hit every day.

Priority 4: Polish - Like those tiny contact navigation arrows that are impossible to see. UI glitches. Things that make UT feel unpolished.

Priority 5: Nice to Have - Advanced features, edge cases, stuff that matters to specific users.

QtWebEngine Upgrade
This is a big one. The browser affects almost everything you do on a phone. We're planning to upgrade QtWebEngine, which should improve a ton of daily use cases.

Finding the Bugs, We're looking at:

Forum posts, support tickets, social media complaints
Comparing UT to Android/iOS to see what's missing
Actually using UT as a daily driver (dogfooding)
Testing

Timeline (really rough estimate)
Roughly 20 weeks broken into phases:
Weeks 1-2: Figure out what needs fixing and how bad it is
Weeks 3-10: Fix the critical stuff (Priority 1 & 2), start planning the QtWebEngine upgrade
Weeks 11-18: Fix daily use bugs (Priority 3), get QtWebEngine upgrade done
Weeks 19-20: Test everything, make sure we didn't break anything

What Success Looks Like

No critical bugs in stable releases
Phone features that just work
You can actually use UT daily without workarounds
People stop complaining about the same issues
UT becomes a real option vs Android/iOS

Not shooting for perfection, just want UT to be solid enough that you'd recommend it to someone.

Need Your Help
This only works if the community gets involved:

Tell us what's broken - What bug almost made you quit UT? What stops you from daily driving it?
Report bugs properly - Help us reproduce issues
Test fixes - Volunteer to test updates
Spread the word - Help gather more feedback

Tracking Progress
We'll measure:

Crash rate
Number of Priority 1-3 bugs
Boot time, battery life, app performance
Community feedback (less complains = winning)

So What Do You Think?
What bugs are driving you nuts? What would it take for you to daily drive UT? Drop your thoughts below.

@tigerpro yes, should be mostly just plug and play, see https://forums.ubports.com/topic/10675/status-update-on-the-next-noble-based-ubuntu-touch-release-december-2024 for the changes that may be needed on pulse config.

@uxes sadly yes it's slightly bigger, this is something we need to figure out, ether by slimming the image down or resize partitions on the fly. LTO has been enabled on nobile, this makes the binaries smaller at the same time, so the increase comes from more code

@Keneda if it's fp5 you're referring too, yes this is pretty much daily driver ready on focal already, for noble it does require more work on the os itself, but the device port is ready. But I wouldn't use noble as your daily driver yet.

Hi all,

I'd like to start posting weekly development updates here on the forums - this is a bit of an experiment, so please let me know if you find these updates useful and what could be improved. The goal is to provide a high-level overview of our development progress.

This past week focused heavily on Noble development, with rapid changes to the image. I'm pleased to report that the latest daily build should have all hardware features working, including GPS, calling, sound, fingerprint reader, NFC, and more. We've also fixed several indicator bugs, making the 24.04 base system quite usable.

Currently, we're missing 24.04 built clicks, which is why some core apps aren't starting yet. While most of them build and run fine, we're waiting for some clickable changes to enable compilation. There are also some pending tasks related to accounts and push services, plus likely a few bugs to address.

Please test out 24.04 and report any bugs you find! Your feedback helps us improve the system.

@Inali Awesome! Here is how to enable it.

1. be on the latest devel (rev 30)
2. Install ofono-binder-plugin-ext-qti (using apt)
3. Add this extPlugin = qti to /etc/ofono/binder.d/qti.conf

Here is how the full file should look like

phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ cat /etc/ofono/binder.d/qti.conf 
# This device do have 2 slots, but the other is eSIM only and we currently do not have
# a way to install or modify those
[Settings]
ExpectSlots = slot1
extPlugin = qti
radioInterface = 1.5

[slot1]
path = /ril_0
slot = 0

Then reboot

@peat_psuwit done

@Enrico13011978 You need to ask the porter of the device to enable ims and this plugin.

@kristatos

1. Nope
2. I haven't tested it yet, but it should
3. Mtk has its own plugin, it should already be in devel and enabled on the newest volla devices.

@Beta-Break It will say 5G and VoLTE in the indicator

@Lakotaubp Haven't tried on my FP4 just yet, but its on my todo list.

@alagirialagiri They need to be ported to be able, see my comment above for instructions.

@tigerpro Yeah, at least LTE has to work. To test it, install ofono-binder-plugin-qti and add extPlugin = qti to binder.conf or binder.d/something.conf under [Settings]

Example from FP5

phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ cat /etc/ofono/binder.d/qti.conf 
# This device do have 2 slots, but the other is eSIM only and we currently do not have
# a way to install or modify those
[Settings]
ExpectSlots = slot1
extPlugin = qti
radioInterface = 1.5

[slot1]
path = /ril_0
slot = 0

Also remember to re-enable ims services that might have been disabled under porting.

@messayisto does not have to be, its the device i have used to develop and test volte for Qualcomm so i know it works. For other devices it might require some work to get it to a new device.

Has this been updated to the latest? since some of these issues should be fixed by now. We do have a system image (installer) image now.

13 is best, then we get the latest drivers. The drivers (vendor partition) are for android 11 regardless anyway. they work fine across android version due to treble and common qcom stuff.

Hi everyone,

After a brief delay caused by some medical issues on my part, I'm excited to announce that I’ve successfully developed a fully functional VoLTE implementation for Qualcomm devices. I've been using the Fairphone 5 (FP5) as my testing platform, and everything is now up and running.

I do however request some help with testing, anyone wanting to help out with that?

Hi all,

!! Experimental !!
This will modify your rootfs and make changes, DO NOT use this on your daily driver if you don't know how to recover.

I have made a crude and hacky widevine drm test if anyone wants to try, I need to gather some input on what works and what does not.

I would like to test different websites with both settings->Set desktop mode enabled and disabled in morph settings. This has the effect that it changes the user agent, this may work on some website that tries to force you on an android app.

This is done to figure out what needs a user agent override and what already works without. so please test websites that is known to use Widevine.

A quick demo to check if it all works: https://bitmovin.com/demos/drm

Please report your findings here https://pad.ubports.com/p/widevine-test

https://open-store.io/app/widenabler.mariogrip

Thank you

@domubpkm sadly i cannot do this easily, but will try.
How does this look?