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.

Ok, here we go....

Cheap otg hub with charging plugged in, no storage device detected, charging unplugged, no storage detected.

Medium priced branded OTG hub, storage detected with no power. With power - storage device is automatically removed.

Expensive OTG pure USB-C hub, power and storgae attached - storage is detected and phone is charging.

So the expensive one wins which cost (Amazon -£16) and is TiMOVO branded USB-C braided to 3 USB-C female adaptor.

The medium branded one is by BENFEI and I didn't expect it to work at all according to Amazon, but it was either charge or storage, not combined.

The really cheap one was a dud on this device as no storage was detected at all.

@Peter-Gamma There are other Android based privacy phone ROM's such as /e/OS and Calyxos. You will never be fully private on a mobile device as you will always ping against a phone mast, but avoiding giving Google, Apple, Xiaomi and so on your data ia a good thing....

@Appointed said in Usable phone display:

And worse, the paragraph "Smartphones should be a tool box" which explains, without wanting to, why UT has not evolved in functionality for years and is still not the Linux smartphone that so many people hope.

A smartphone is a communication device first and foremost, so telephony and messaging are going to be its main functionality. To get these two functions working with UT on Android devices with a limited amount of developers - people who can actually understand and do this in their own time with no financial reimbursement - is a massive undertaking. It is not easy at all and will always be behind what Google, Apple and the major players in the mobile market can do due to the amount of money that these big companies can throw at their operating environment.

Then there are the other features such as the camera, GPS, WiFi/Internet and so on, again taking a lot of time and effort to get to a usable state.

Then there are other things that are nice to have that nice to have, but again take a lot of time and effort to develop.

There are some things that I cannot do on my UT device that I use Android for, such as mobile banking, video calls. This is much like the desktop environment with Windows, MacOS and Linux. I know lots of people who use Windows, few that use MacOS and very, very few that use Linux desktop whatever flavour.

For my devices running UT, things that I want are Telephony, messaging, Internet, anything else is a bonus and anything I can get working is a bonus.

After trying various other mobile operating systems that are not mainstream, UT is one of the most advanced, with a lot of devices and a lot of interest. It could be better, but so could iOS and Android. We all use our smartphones in different ways, what works for some, doesn't always work for others.

Thank you for your thoughts.

It does have a smashed (but working screen). Waited the 168 hours to unlock, downgraded to the correct ROM as pointed out on the UT devices page.

Just installed Focal (stable) and charging the device ready to test.

Just posted to pint out I used Windows 11 and installed (was expecting the FastbootD problem) without a hitch (and no, not a Windows fan, but I paid for the licence so I am going to use it... :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes: )

Thanks to @rubencarneiro there are three additions to the installer one being this tablet (X306F).

It installs from the development channel (r24).

The tablet has to be on Android 11 - for the uninitiated this means stock Android 11 to ensure the partitions are at stock and the Vendor BLOBs work - which means the tablet has to be the 4Gb RAM, 64Gb ROM version.

The 2Gb RAM and 32Gb ROM won't work as it is not on the Lenovo upgrade matrix to Android 11 (booooo )

2 noticeable bugs are the screen on cold start or reboot opens up in desktop mode which can be switched off from the drop down power button menu. The other is the screen won't sleep unless you hit the hardware power button and it will switch straight back on if you accidentally brush the screen.

It is a good budget tablet that works well on UT so far.

I have managed to install Ubuntu Touch onto my Redmi note 7. It requires you to be patient and persevere, so I will give a few points from my experience.

Kudos to the installer, it makes life so easy, but being in beta it has its flaws. The main flaw across the phones and tablets I have installed to, is the phone or tablet always reboots during the download phase of Ubuntu Touch which causes the install to fail. When it does this, persevere and start again - it will work, especially on this phone.
I have now flashed this phone a few times, to make it work (on both phones in my possession) make sure a working SIM is installed - don't know why, but it worked for me, without it it always hung at waiting for adb device.
I flashed the phones with Android 10 installed and it worked. I did follow the advice and down graded to Android 9, but without the working SIM, it failed.
The other thing I found I had to do, apart from when unlocking is to register it with my Xiaomi account. I don't know again if this had much bearing, but when not registered it failed to install Ubuntu Touch.
Be patient. It seems to hang a lot, but will get there. The initial firmware flash, sits there for about five minutes with the progress bar 75% across the computer screen (all you get on the phone is the fastboot logo). It will then reboot and you don't see it get to 100%.
You know you are going to have success with the flash when it sits at the Halium-9 recovery and the installer is pushing the files to the phone.

I am very pleased to get this working and would like to thank all for porting this and the advice and notices given in this forum, especially Stanwood who linked to a very useful instruction on Github. So a big thanks from me, now I have a "premium" phone to run as a daily driver with Ubuntu touch.

@mihael Use the stipulated Android ROM indicated in the devices list and on the installer. It either won't work or some part of the system won't work if you use a different ROM.

@jezreel Other side of the planet... OPO is one of the easiest to install Ubuntu Touch.
First of prepare your workspace. So have a PC that has the Ubuntu Touch installer on it.
Install Android Studio - this gives you the latest fastboot and ADB drivers which are a requisite to install UT.

Ensure the OPO is running the latest version of Android.

On the phone, go to system, settings and about device. On the build number, tap it a few times till it tells you that you are a developer.
Then go into developer options and enable OEM unlock and USB debugging.

Assuming you are running windows (10/11) navigate to the folder platform tools:

C:\Users<user name>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools

In the platform tools folder, right click on an empty space, you may have to do this twice, and select open in terminal.

Connect your OPO to the PC via a USB cable and ensure that you accept in the pop up box that gives permission for USB debugging (vital).

In the terminal you have opened in the platform-tools folder, type in:

ADB devices

You may have to put ./ in front of the ADB devices, depedning on which version of powershell etc that you have running as a terminal CLI

This command should detect your phone and give a string of numbers - good. If it doesn't ensure USB debugging is enabled and try again.

Once detected type in :

ADB reboot bootloader

The device will reboot to the bootloader (fastboot mode).

Once at the bootloader type into the terminal:

fastboot OEM unlock

Be patient, let it do its thing, it should then reboot and start up. Follow the prompts to set up Android again - this is important. UT won't install or run if the bootloader is locked, so ignore any warnings about device security.

Once Android has been set up, make sure Developer options is enabled and then ensure USB debugging is enabled.

With the device attached to the PC, start up the UT installer and follow the onscreen instructions. For the time being, choose 16.04 Stable on the drop down box and tick the "wipe data" box.

This is from my experience, but if it goes wrong, it is recoverable, but can be a bit complicated if you are not sure of the command line. It has worked for me 99% of the time, but the time it didn't, I had to reinstall the stock ROM and start again. I cannot guarantee it will work 100% and (disclaimer)cannot be held responsible for you bricking the device or losing data (back up any data before starting anything).

If you do want to go for it there is a wealth of information here, on the UBports site, YouTube and XDA-developers forum.

@beyolf Ah, I forgot about fastbootD, I haven't used it in a long while (dm-verity ). When I have downgraded a Pixel 3A ROM, I used the Android recovery tool in Chrome which allows it to be disabled.

(On a side note Xiaomi phone hardware is good, but being forced to wait to unlock the bootloader of a device that you have bought and paid for is wrong, not withstanding the hoops you have too jump through to do it.)

After working with a lot of these devices, for those thinking of taking the plunge with one of the devices on the list for UT, here are some of my observations.

Battery Life

The older the device, the weaker the battery.

• not quite, I have some Nexus 4 and Nexus 5's which have an excellent battery life considering the date on the battery is 2013 and it hasn't been removed or replaced.
• some devices just have poor batteries, Google Pixel 2/3a for example, but see below.
• unless you owned the device from new, you will not know the past battery history and how it has been treated.
  -software can badly affect battery life - Google and Apple have spent vast sums optimising battery life which has not always worked and we know they do this because Apple throttles performance on older iOS devices to cheat battery life

Replacing the battery on some devices is nigh on impossible without replacing other parts, i.e the screen, seals and so on. It is not always for the less technically challenged. Tablet devices are a particular challenge.

Unlocking the Bootloader

Unlocking the bootloader is an absolute requirement to install Ubuntu Touch (or any other mobile OS). Some companies make it impossible (Huawei) or really difficult - Xiaomi, when there is no need to.

Unlocking the bootloader varies from vendor device to vendor device.

If you buy a device off eBay, check out the photographs. Some devices I get hold of look as though they have been run over by a truck, especially OnePlus One's (OPO). It is pot luck on the state of the device when you cannot buy it from a shop (most shops seem to sell only iPhones, Samsung phones and Huawei phones where I abide on the second user market). Do limit your budget as the device may have a limited lifespan due to battery failure and replacing it may cost more than the worth of the device - unless you enjoy tinkering and experimenting which I doff my hat to you and wish you good luck.

Spare Parts

Spare parts for older devices becomes a nightmare. I have many a Frankenstein phone, rebuilt from two or more other devices that are beyond repair. Unless you have a good contact on AliBaba, you may struggle to get screens and other bits for your device. I learnt and it is difficult to split smashed glass from the LED of screens. Not easy and has a really high failure rate. Gluing the glass back down without air bubbles is really difficult and getting it done right requires expensive equipment.

I am no professional at this and enjoy repairing stuff. If I think of any more tips, I will add to this thread.