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The most logical thing for Ubuntu Phone to do would be to start out with making some kind of ROM that people could sideload onto their existing Android. The peo
by hd4 10y ago
The most logical thing for Ubuntu Phone to do would be to start out with making some kind of ROM that people could sideload onto their existing Android. The people who first started out using Ubuntu were interested enough and wanted an alternative to Windows badly enough that they didn't mind installing it as a replacement. Why can't Ubuntu Phone start out as a replacement to Android? The only "problem" being that Android has not really messed up too badly yet, other than in making everything go through the Google Play Services and shutting out AOSP and leaving it stuck in 2009.
And yes there is a ROM out there but it's not available on enough devices to create enough of a stir. This is the mistake Canonical is making, and they might regret leaving the job of porting to popular devices up to the 'community' (read: volunteers) instead of paying a team of developers to just get the ROM working to a point where it is a half-decent alternative to even Cyanogenmod. Microsoft made that same mistake before the iPhone and never really recovered.
- Brakenshire 10y agoI think this is relatively easy if you have the right phone. I think you can even install MultiROM through the app store, and then install Ubuntu Touch alongside your existing Android installation. https://2buntu.com/articles/1510/installing-ubuntu-touch-with-multirom/ https://2buntu.com/articles/1510/installing-ubuntu-touch-wit... You're right about the half-hearted device support, though.
- dsr_ 10y agoAnd they should write a porting guide, first thing. Start with setting up a dev environment and cross-compiler. Then they should do a sample port to some very easy to obtain hardware, a Chinese $100 GSM phone, and document the whole process step-by-step. If you want wide support, you need to leverage enthusiasm.
- BuuQu9hu 10y agoThey have a porting guide here: https://developer.ubuntu.com/en/phone/devices/porting-new-device/ https://developer.ubuntu.com/en/phone/devices/porting-new-de... Cross-compilers have been available for a while now.
- BuuQu9hu 10y agoThat is exactly how they started before partnering with some phone vendors: https://developer.ubuntu.com/en/phone/devices/installing-ubuntu-for-devices/ https://developer.ubuntu.com/en/phone/devices/installing-ubu...