I probably should have introduced myself here first. Hi, I am The Privacy Dad and I write a blog under that pseudonym (theprivacydad.com). I've been writing since 2022 about my experiences with privacy software, platforms, devices and good habits for me and for my family.

Last month I bought a second-hand Pixel 3aXL in order to try out UT. I have tried out a lot of mobile operating systems and feel excited and hopeful learning about Ubuntu Touch.

I cannot contribute technically, but I like to write and edit.

@arubislander said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:

Opening an issue about it on the Installer's issue tracker will keep the info from getting lost.

Done! https://github.com/ubports/ubports-installer/issues/4177

@arubislander An easier fix might be a highlighted warning message in that particular window of the installer to newcomers to choose the latest 'stable' version. That way the changing order doesn't matter.

@arubislander It looks like that, yes, from newest to oldest.

Hello,

I'm trying out UT for a blog post and, thanks to some contributors here on the forum, have just discovered that I've spent the last week testing out stuff on the Beta channel of Noble, with quite a few frustrations.

I see now that there is a small print link underneath the channel drop down menu in the installer that links to this informative page (https://docs.ubports.com/en/latest/about/process/release-schedule.html) but I fear a lot of new users may read past that and trust that the default selection ('24.4 daily' in this case) is the best one. Additional to that, very non-tech users may not even fully understand the release schedule page descriptors.

I would therefore like to suggest that the latest stable mode should always be in the default position in the drop down menu in the UBPorts installer, especially as the installer is meant to give access to more people.

@kugiigi

Thanks for the good info. I'm running NC 31.

@kugiigi said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:

you're most likely using Beta version of Ubuntu Touch 24.04 Noble

Oh, wow. You are right. I will have to start over with my notes, most likely, after installing the stable channel.

I have now found this page: https://docs.ubports.com/en/latest/about/process/release-schedule.html via the small link in the installer.

I don't know who to report this to, but if the UBPorts installer is designed to lower the barrier for non-tech people, can I suggest putting the stable channel as default in the drop-down menu? Someone new to all of this will read 'daily' and not understand what that is. I read right past it and continued the installation.

Thank you! I'll reinstall today sometime.

@ChromiumOS-Guy said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:

By default LibreWolf will delete cookies when closed you can change that in about:settings

Thanks, useful to know! I and thanks for the work you are doing!

@wally said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:

To my mind, as data collection grows and grows, (and as authoritarianism rises worldwide) the need for smartphone alternatives starts to seem kinda dire. AOSP-based ROMs are good until Google decides not to share anymore, which it kinda sounds like they're already starting to do.

Thanks for your detailed response. There is a lot of useful information for me there and I've been learning a lot.

I'll try the uFirefox link. I was happy to learn that Open Store files are sandboxed - a good thing!

The paste issue persists on my device, which basically means I won't be logging into my tuta.com on that device for now, but that's ok, because I usually access mail on desktop. But when traveling, this could be an issue.

I agree 100% with what you wrote in the quote above. I like that UT is working on different phone models and not as dependent on Google continuing to share information, as for example GrapheneOS, my current daily driver, is. It would be great to have a mainstream Linux mobile OS that 'regular' people can try out.

You mention UT is a 'true Linux OS', but I've read that it still requires some aspects of Android to communicate with the hardware (unlike something like PostmarketOS). Any thoughts on that as a vulnerability to the UT project?

Using the Nextcloud integration apps has been mostly a great experience. I get more out of my home server with UT than I have with other operating system. But the dated browser is a real barrier to user-friendliness, since having an up-to-date browser is essential to most online actions, whether your use Webber to make a webapp or just work in the browser.

@kugiigi said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:

What was the problem with copy pasting your password from Keepass? The Keepass app from the store didn't work on your database? Had troubles copying? The OSK showing when long pressing doesn't seem an issue since I would expect the menu to paste would stll show. Also, you can long press on the spacebar or swipe up from the bottom of the OSK. You can move the cursor from there and also access buttons like paste

It was difficult to get my Keepass database downloaded from my Nextcloud server, to begin with. I tried the UBsync app but the database file never showed up locally. When accessing my server via Morph Browser, you can long-press and select download on specific files, but they don't download. Eventually I got the file downloaded, I think via uWolf and logging into my server there.

The open store Keepass app doesn't work. When I 'pick DB' and go to file manager to pick the database file, nothing happens and it just goes back to the previous screen.

I discovered Keeweb via one of the contributors on this forum and made a webapp using the Webber app from the Open Store. This opens my database ok.

I can long press the password in my Keepass database to copy it, but when I long press to paste it into the Tuta.com login screen in uWolf, the password is not pasted in, and the keyboard appears. When I flip that keyboard up and select the 'paste' icon there, the password is still not pasted in.

So I thought I'd open the Notes app with a yellow icon (not sure if that's a default app or where that came from) in order to paste the password into that, but it just shows a white screen with no functionality.

I opened my Jotit Cloud Notes app connected to my Nextcloud notes, which is something that works really well, and paste my password in there, so I can see it, and then copy it by hand into a notebook, so I can type it into the Tuta.com login screen.

This gave me access to my emails, but on next login, the password wasn't remembered, even though I'd ticked that box. Typing the username and password manually into the passwords section on uWolf also didn't work.

There were some other issues with the keyboard after I'd adjusted opacity, but those were resolved by a reboot of the device.

Anyway, that was an example of a bad hour with UT. I was running Linux mobile OSs on a PinePhone previously, so I am familiar with these types of hiccups, but given that all the boxes are ticked green for the Google 3AXL I wasn't expecting this type of headache.

On the other hand, Nextcloud integration with notes and music works well, as does the podcast app, taking photo's, connecting to a bluetooth headset, and so on. So it's a mixed experience so far.

@johndoe I'm learning some of what you're saying. Just getting a password out of my Keepass database and paste it into the Tuta.com login page on any browser took me an hour of fiddling and trying different things. I ended up using a notebook and wrote the password in by hand, then typed it in manually too. Why does the keyboard pop up when I long-press to paste a password in?

But other things work really well, so I'm still on the fence. I really want Linux mobile to succeed and would like to be a part of that.

@Futura said in Trying out UT on Pixel 3a XL for review article:

Since I switched to UT my relationship with my cell is a lot healthier, a lot of the time I just leave it home which was unheard of when I used Android/IOS.

I do that at the moment but that's because I take a feature phone outdoors.

@johndoe Thank you, that is really useful to know!

Hello everyone,

I have been trying out Ubuntu Touch on a Pixel 3A XL and taking notes for a user experience article on my blog, which is https://theprivacydad.com/. I always write from a 'regular' (non-developer) user perspective, someone who wants more agency and privacy. I write the blog as a 'labour of love' project to promote better understanding of digital privacy tools for non-technical users and usually have between 200 - 300 unique visits a day.

I am also testing out UT with a view to possibly installing it for my own kids. They currently run /e/OS, as that works on so many older devices.

I just wanted to say hello here. I usually do my own research and note-taking, but if there are any specific aspects of UT I need to be aware of, I would appreciate that information.

I watched this week's Q&A and found that format helpful for newcomers, especially information about app updates. I am finding this forum and the UBPorts documentation excellent. I love that the documentation is clear and concise (reading in English).

Other aspects I've had to discover more organically, by watching YouTubers, for example. I learned about Libertine that way (and thankfully, how to see the installation progress, which took 24 hours!) and Waydroid, which I still need to try.

A hurdle at the moment for me as a new user is outdated browsers in the store, since there are some sites that I would like to turn into WebApps but I get warnings about them not working. This includes my own Nextcloud homepage, from which I cannot download my KeePass database file (nor does UBsync seem to work for me). I will try out uWolf, though not sure what to make of the warnings about my system in red when I installed it. I appreciated @RJDan 's reference to the KeeWeb Online Web App on the forum.

The OpenStore looks and feels excellent. I like that the user experience feedback is prominent. The OS installation process was super easy with the installer! Hopefully that will help new users without tech skills better able to access UT.

Perhaps one question I have is that I see a terminal but don't know how far I should attempt to go with installing software the way I am used to on desktop Linux.

Anyway, if I am missing any major aspect, I'd be interested to know. Thank you for the work on this important project. I have been a desktop Linux user for years, as have my children, and I'd love to be able to use it on mobile too!

@johndoe Thanks, I have downloaded uWolf and will check out Mimi.

So snap packages can be installed directly into UT?

@libremax Thanks. I have just learned about Libertine and am downloading that. Taking a while!

For newcomers like myself, could you share tips on best practices with browsers in UT for beginners?

I have discovered the Webber application, but several sites I normally use, including music streaming and my own Nextcloud server page, don't work or give warnings of being out-of-date.