Dear all...

After skirting round the forums and doing my best to help (I am not a coder/hacker/programmer), I thought I would give some advice for people coming to Ubuntu Touch (UT) from Android based ROM's. Most of you are looking to install UT on a spare device or looking for an alternative to Android to use as your main device (daily driver), so you kind of want your device to function like and Android device which I get.

UT is open source and maintained by people in their spare time, hobbyists, enthusiasts - people from all walks in life who have interests elsewhere. This means that a device may be well maintained, may not be, may full of bugs and so on, so before jumping in to install on your device, please:

1. Make sure it is on the devices list

2. Check the maintenance state of the device

3. Read through all the issues. If you want fully functioning telephony and there is no sound in calls for your device, then don't put UT on and/or look at a better supported device.

4. Plan ahead - backup anything you want to keep, make sure you read up on the device, read @Lakotaubp Frequently asked questions, read the forum pages for the device you wish to install UT too for tips and tricks to install, that are not always clear.

5. Plan ahead - plan and think what to do if UT fails to install with the installer. Have you installed the correct version of Android? Is the bootloader unlocked? and so on...

6. Plan ahead - download and keep the version of stock Android that is required for UT and look at how to install it, in case UT is not for you and you wish to go back to Android. This should put any partitions that have been resized back to the original size.

7. To run UT, the bootloader on the device has to be unlocked. Google search (or whatever your search engine may be) for that particular devices way to unlock the bootloader. UT will NOT install or work with a locked bootloader.

8. If for whatever reason you return to Android my advice is and the consensus of opinion from other forums is DO NOT RELOCK the bootloader. This can brick the device, i.e., render it useless, unless you get a new motherboard or split it for parts.

9. If i didn't mention before plan ahead and read up on what UT is all about.

10. There are reasons why you have to install a particular version of Android in order to install UT. This is usually down to Vendor BLOBs (ie think of it as drivers for the hardware and on devices a lot of these are closed source (proprietary)).

11. Follow the installers instructions.

12. Keep it simple. Use the installer, that's what it is there for. Even if you are good with the command line, the installer can make it easier. It can also make it easier to back track if any issues arise.

I have too many PC's and devices (as my other half continually reminds me). I mainly use windows 10/11 to install UT (I need M$ stuff - being polite - for work) which works the majority of the time so I install Android Studio and update it -

13. Have the latest version of Fastboot and ADB drivers installed on your PC. This resolves a multitude of issues. I install Android Studio to get the latest versions. You don't need to, but my advice is that it does help.

My go to Linux is Ubuntu as it works for me, so I have a low powered Ubuntu machine to install to certain devices if Windows fails, but that is me.

14. Your PC (inc laptop) which you use to install UT to your device, make sure the operating system is up to date, nothing worse than in the middle of pushing UT to a device the PC reboots after an update (thanks windows).

@UBportsNews Please don't apologise for this issue. it happens. This is done by volunteers in their own time and is way above what myself and others can do, for which myself personally am very grateful for. Please keep up the good work it's greatly appreciated.

Just found Tweak Tool for Focal and the parts I use are working, yeah.... :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes:
Many Thanks to Imran Iqbal for this most useful of apps!

I have held off on this thread, but I thought I would put my bit in now!

Bought 2 x BQ Aquaris e4.5 when Canonical and BQ put them on the market that day. One was mine and the other was mine too, but I handed it out for people to play with.

As a phone, text, MMS, camera and web browsing, most used and thought it was adequate. For social media, it was no and a resounding no at that.

Ok so come to 2022/2023. Canonical has devolved Ubuntu Touch to the community when the phones and tablets did not take off as planned - you have to try these things! So now Ubuntu Touch is run as a charitable foundation (UBports) by volunteers. There is some commercial working from what I can see, but most is run by enthusiasts and volunteers. This means your data is not going to be scraped and sold to the online bidders so you can get spammed with ads (thanks Amazon, Google, Apple, Xiaomi......). It also means that some things work, some things don't and it is not for everyone as they want a device that just well works for what they they want.
Some things won't work as UT is open source, i.e. Internet banking apps (encryption), Social Media, such as SnapChat and Whatsapp and so on. (BTW this is my opinion from what I have observed and read).

The Browser issues has been strongly covered with reasons why Morph is used and not Chromium or Firefox, but I find Morph overall very usable and suitable for me.

The Apps issues has also been extensively covered and again a lot are coded by volunteers and enthusiasts who spend their own free time and money running and maintaining them (kudos given for that). If you want an app that is not in the store, create it yourself, or use the browser, or heaven forbid, use your Android or Apple phone. It is that simple. What I cannot use on UT, I will use on my computers, or Android phone (my Iphone is out of Action, but was needed for one app).

I don't use Waydroid as I don't see the point personally (using UT is to avoid some Android apps), as I said if I need to use an app that is not in the store, I will use it on another device. But for some Waydroid is convergence with Android apps and I see why people are enthusiastic about it and again Kudos to the people setting it up and running with it.

Options, options and options, there are so many to do what you want. There is always a way and work around.

Thank you all for your hard work on UT and also the criticism as criticism makes things better in most cases.

Kind regards to all,
Mr T10001:zany_face: (I pity the fool).

Volla Tablet is launching tomorrow - 17/4/2024 on Kickstarter.

Link

Got hold of a Oneplus 6. Running Android 11, so downgraded using OB25 build from here.
Unlock the device (open developer options by tapping build in about device until it states "you are now a developer", back to System, Developer options, enable OEM unlock and USB debugging). In a command prompt use ADB to reboot to bootloader and then use the fastboot command "fastboot oem unlock", then when done reboot the device and set Android up again. Set up developer options and USB debugging, set it file transfer and copy the OB25 file to the root of the device (i.e. not in a folder). Go to system update and check local update and tap the zip file. Allow it to do its thing and tap reboot when done. The set android up again and hey you are on Android 9!
Then just follow the UT installer.
Installed so easily, I thought it was a Nexus 4 (apart from the Halium splash). Less than an hour and it is up and running. Good device so far!

@daemonicvs It is more than that, it is about Lineage support and getting hold of Vendor Blobs ( a lot of vendor blobs are proprietary so they have to be reverse engineered - think of a blob as a driver in PC terms). It is the ability to unlock the boot loader so vendors like Huawei are out. It is also the ability to get the right Android on the device, some devices the Android version needs rolling back and it cannot be done without bricking the device.

And one of the main restrictions is having an enthusiastic person who has the ability and time to a) create the UT port and b) to maintain it.

Not a question, but please give a shout out to Brian for his work on the App store:

Link here to new store

It is looking good. It requires testing still.

@UTdroid Hi. I have tried e/OS and also Sailfish OS. Sailfish is similar in the way the touch screen works to UT and has a reasonably good app store. It is also known as Jolla. I have also tried Plasma Mobile, which is very rough around the edges and looks a lot more like a Linux system.
e/OS is based on Lineage, so is Android stripped out and more privacy oriented.
e/OS is my fallback. UT is by far the better for me for a community driven phone os.
They all have their quirks and issues.
Hacking is another issue. I have never had an issue with it.

@kimo There are many great phones out there for Ubuntu Touch and asking a question like this you may get confused with varying responses, but here is my bit.

Volla Phone and Fairphone are expensive for what they are. They may lead in free and open source software, but there are cheaper phones that work with Android that lack the foibles seen here and in other forums as well as working with UT.

The easiest to install on and most things work is the OnePlus 5 and 5T. The 6 and 6T follow close behind. The bootloader on these devices is straightforward to unlock and a soft bricked device can be recovered without having to go back to the manufacturer.

Xiaomi phones are a pain as they make it irritating to unlock the bootloader, but they have solid hardware. Redmi Note 9 Pro is a great start and is well supported. I am partial to the Redmi Note 7 as I used it a lot, good screen, but voice in calls was a bit flakey.

The OnePlus Nord N100 and N10 5G are good solid phones too and well supported, again most things work.

OK, here is the disclaimer. most devices have requirements to install UT, such as downgrading or upgrading the Android ROM that must be stock. Some are more difficult to install on than others (the Pixel 3a/3aXL was not a 100% straightforward install without a bit of working out). The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 and Xiaomi Mi a2, were and are a bit of a challenge to get UT up and running, but work well.

So you can see there is not a definitive answer, couple that with what is available in your region. If you have money and want UT preinstalled, Volla and Fiarphone are the way to go.

If you don't want to spend that amount and want an easy install, I recommend the Oneplus 5T.

If you are in North America and require VoLTE, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 pro is going well on that.

The UK has now implemented the Great Firewall of the UK to "protect us" from the internet's bad things (in the Governments opinion).

We already have monitoring of social media and people getting jailed for posting comments deemed inflammatory by the Government and UK justice system.

Now this article has appeared and this has been mooted before, but is now in the Governments sight.

Instead of jailing people who actually steal the devices, they want to basically end the second hand phone market.

I would definitely consider a VPN (I subscribe to one)......

@xiaohanys If you know what you are doing and have a strategy to recover the device if it goes wrong there is something to try:

1. Download and run TWRP through fastboot.

2. In TWRP recovery format DATA to EXT4 and wipe cache and system.

3. Reboot to the bootloader (fastboot).

4. Run the UT installer again, this time select the device from the drop down box.

ONLY do this if you know what you are doing and can re-install Android if need be and DO NOT relock the bootloader. You will lose all data.

@xiaohanys Ok, you have tried another USB cable and a different port? I haven't had a problem installing on this device. It looks to me from here the bootloader is not unlocked.

@xiaohanys OK, have you tried reverting to version 0.10.0 of the installer?

@zpeedmaster The easiest way to downgrade the Pixel 3a is to use the Android recovery tool in the chrome browser (not Chromium).

Choose factory image PQ3B.190801.002 (the required ROM) from here.

Then use the pixel repair tool in Chrome following the onscreen instructions.

Check this thread out:

Return phone to latest Android 9

(the steps below refer to the Android Flash Tool -- using the flash-all.sh script also works fine but starts with the phone booted into the bootloader)

check that 'adb' is not running
(otherwise, stop it with 'adb kill-server')

turn phone on the usual way

redo basic setup, as bootloader unlock returned it to factory default (see above)

reconnect to phone using 'adb devices' to get prompt to authorized PC and allow it

visit following URL in Chrome (authorise pop-ups in browser):
https://flash.android.com/

select device

select target build (PQ3B.190801.002)

DO NOT select to relock bootloader

click Install Build (confirm, accept license)
    DO NOT interact with device during flashing
    it reboots to fastboot
    reselect device in Chrome

flash successful -- power cycle device

reboot to Android 9, redo initial setup, enable dev. mode, USB debug, connect and allow PC, turn phone off

@linuxlion No, Ubuntu Touch requires an unlocked bootloader in order to run on this device. Locking the bootloader will most likely brick the device. AS @Moem states the unlocked bootloader is a badge of honour as you are free from Google.

@xiaohanys How long did you leave it at cleaning up?

@stanwood Its the vendor image from lineage - lineage-16.0-20200226-lavender-vendor.zip. It has decided to drop off again.... I don't know if you can use the vendor image from the stock ROM.

I have uploaded it to here. Link will expire soon

@NoodleCollie This came up before on another device. Just to check, you downgraded using the Android ROM stipulated on the devices page? You have also unlocked the bootloader too as downgrading or upgrading the Android ROM using the MSM Download tool will automatically lock the bootloader?

If all is done as above you should be good to go, if you are on the screen, manually select the device from the drop down box.