Tag: opensource

  • Linux phones – Ubuntu Touch

    Linux phones – Ubuntu Touch

    A Fairphone 3 showing the homescreen and some apps on the left hand side.

    Linux phones – my experience with Ubuntu Touch

    Earlier this year (2024) I wrote an article about my belief in linux phones as a partial solution to the multiple distractions and negative influences being piped directly into childrens’ brains by their use of mobile phones, and particularly the use of social media, at a young age.

    If my own children are to use linux phones, I have to dogfood it for myself. Partly to show leadership, partly for reasons of trouble-shooting.

    For the last week or so I have been using Ubuntu Touch (by UBports) on a OnePlus Nord N10 5g, and then a Fairphone 3 (because I lost my OnePlus!) to understand whether I could use it as my daily phone, without having my GrapheneOS Android in close proximity. (Note – if you’re not yet ready to leave Android but you want to take the first step in mobile privacy, GrapheneOS is a brilliant first step if you have a Google Pixel phone).

    TLDR: I’m not yet ready to use Ubuntu Touch as my daily driver. Read on to find out why.

    A Fairphone 3 showing the homescreen and some apps on the left hand side.

    Caveats

    I have a limited amount of time to be able to properly dig into different alternatives to various apps. I have gone as far as trying flatpak versions of different software packages in order to get things to work. However it is likely that there are solutions to some (most?) of the problems I encountered. I am grateful for any suggestions for alternatives that might work!

    Why Ubuntu Touch?

    There are plenty of people who will tell you that Ubuntu Touch isn’t ‘real’ linux because it’s based on an Android ‘layer’ that enables it to use the hardware.

    That’s fine; I’m less interested in purity than usability. I love 💗💗 the work being done on PostmarketOS and other pure linux systems, and I can’t wait until they are able to work with the drivers on a wider array of phones. But until then one of my ‘show stopper’ use cases is taking photos of my family, and in that case Ubuntu Touch is probably the best choice.

    Ubuntu Touch can also run Android apps via Waydroid (this is also the case with most linux mobile systems), which helps make the transition to a linux device more manageable.

    Ubuntu Touch also tends to be available on more modern phones; if I’m going to be moving from Android, I want my phone to have realtively good specs.

    Installation

    Most linux-enabled phones are on the old side, and I want something newer both for myself and for my kids when they are old enough to need a phone of their own

    I looked at the websites to find the most ‘modern’ linux-compatible phone I could (as of June 2024) and it appeared to be the Nord 10 5g. I bought one for ÂŁ120 on ebay.

    Ubuntu Touch (Ubports) was the most likely solution, even though it’s not ‘pure’ linux (it’s a modified layer sitting on top of the Android driver set). This is because the disadvantage of sticking close to the android code base (more on that later) is mitigated by the good access to the camera. And having a good quality, working camera, is an absolute show-stopper for me

    Running the UBPorts installer is generally a piece of cake, but in this instance it failed; my first attempt resulted in a soft bricked phone. I hadn’t read the instructions, which specified that it should be downgraded.

    That set me back a few months as all my computers are linux. The downgrade tool provided by OnePlus only works on Windows.

    Lucky for me I had a Fairphone 3 as backup (ÂŁ60 on ebay) as I have since lost the Nord 10! But nonetheless I learned some useful lessons along the way, not least to read the documentation before trying to install.

    Installing Ubuntu Touch on the Fairphone is very straightforward. Connect the phone via USB, run the installer and you’re away. Super-simple.

    On OnePlus Nord 10, you have to downgrade the software using the MSM tool you then just connect the phone via USB and run the installer as for the Fairphone.

    Things that just worked

    Here’s a list of things that worked mostly just like you expect.

    • Camera
    • Phone calls
    • Text messages
    • Wifi and hotspot
    • Mobile internet
    • Bluetooth
    • Browser (Morph, a bit basic but fine)
    • Messaging or social media apps such as:
      • Telegram (via Teleports or Webber)
      • Element (Matrix)
      • WhatsApp Web (using a burner Android phone as the ‘host’)
      • Mastodon

    In other words, most of the basic functionality that you would expect from a simple smart device is functional.

    Things that worked via Waydroid

    Some functionality is not available natively to Ubuntu Touch and needs to be installed through Waydroid. This has a delayed startup compared with a native app; which is usually not a big problem. These apps include:

    • One of my banking apps (Nationwide) – note several other banks did not work via Waydroid
    • Privacy Friendly Sudoku (fun to challenge friends/family to the daily puzzle)

    Things that took a bit of working out

    MFA/2FA

    I struggled a bit with a suitable 2FA app. Initially I used the 2FA Manager app; however I wasn’t able to use either the camera or manual login. Happily Authenticator NG worked perfectly.

    WhatsApp

    I also wanted a work-around for WhatsApp. I refuse to install the app on any device, and anyway there’s no app for it on Linux phones. So the solution is to use a burner Android phone (use an old or super-cheap ebay one) as the main account, and then login via WhatsApp Web. The formatting via the app worked much better than the browser version in my case.

    Contacts

    I couldn’t figure out an easy way to sync my contacts with Nextcloud (I have struggled with WebDav), so I manually exported from my ‘main’ phone and imported them which worked fine.

    Things that haven’t worked out

    Sadly there are some things that either haven’t worked at all, or are only partially successful.

    GPS

    Navigation is one issue; Android phones are apparently bundled with drivers and software to make GPS connections very fast. This is not the case with Linux installations, which are slower to identify location. Whilst in principle the various mapping tools, such as Pure Maps or uNav, work perfectly, they are dependent on the GPS location in the first place.

    If you are patient this does not present a problem. If not it might be an issue. GPS fix is affected by density of nearby buildings etc, so is likely to be a bigger problem in towns and cities than the countryside.

    Banking apps

    I have a business bank account that just didn’t work; this is a problem, as the app is generally needed to confirm purchasese, payments etc. I guess this is something that could be done on the burner phone, but it is less convenient. There is likely no way around the issue as the banks have security that is tied to the Android operating system.

    Password manager

    I didn’t expect a password manager to be a problem, but I couldn’t get a work-around for Bitwarden; the web vault refused to open, and there appear to be no viable locally installed password managers.

    Podcasts

    I’m a big listener to podcasts, and there is a perfectly usable podcast player, PodPhoenix. However I like to listen at 1.6x speed, and there is no capacity to modulate the listening speed. This would mean I would have to miss out on a substantial number of podcasts.

    E-reader

    When I run out of podcasts, I like to listen to books being ‘read’ (text to speech). This is possible on GrapheneOS via Librera FD but I haven’t found anything similar yet for UT.

    Design choices

    While I’m on the subject of Ubuntu Touch, I think it’s worth mentioning that the notifications/top pull-down bar is not as intuitive or helpful as the standard Android or PostmarketOS one. Sometimes you have to search around a bit to find (for example) the wifi hotspot or torch functions. Although not a showstopper, there’s probably a reason why other systems have gone with the ‘most used’ apps in an easily reachable drag-down area.

    Other than that, the swiping system and pinning of apps works effectively.

    Conclusion

    As it stands, I am having to bring along my existing GrapheneOS device as well as the Ubuntu Touch for my daily driver, predominantly to listen to podcasts at variable speed. Also quality of life stuff like the banking apps (though less of a showstopper).

    Having two phones with me is probably the reason I lost my first Ubuntu Touch so I’m going to revert to GrapheneOS for now, and maintain a strong interest in the further development of Ubuntu Touch, PostmarketOS and other mobile linux systems.

    However, the reasons for me reverting the GrapheneOS phone are not showstoppers for my own children, and I am confident that when it’s time for me to consider what phone they should have, I will feel reasonably happy with mobile linux as an ethical and practical choice.

    Edits

    Added the lack of an E-reader that can provide TTS functionality

    One response to “Linux phones – Ubuntu Touch”

    1. Linux mobile; safer phones for children? – David Clubb

      […] Linux phones – Ubuntu Touch – David Clubb October 16, 2024 […]

  • Technology and Cymraeg

    Technology and Cymraeg

    Technology and Cymraeg

    In June 2024 Welsh Government launched a ‘call for information‘ on what is needed to make technology more friendly to Cymraeg.

    I produced a response to highlight the power of open source in enabling low-cost, high quality and ‘translation-friendly’ services. I post the response in full below.

    Hashtags:

    Recommendations

    • The value of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) to health and well-being in Wales is so profound that it should be supported through a fund or equivalent of approximately 0.001% of the NHS budget
    • Public bodies in Wales should be required to use a FOSS equivalent (where one exists) of any existing proprietary social media platform, and to contribute to Welsh translations of the platforms

    Philosophy

    Technology is never agnostic. The deployment of technological tools depends strongly on the philosophy of those who created it. My response to this call for information is therefore predicated on the standpoint that open source solutions are generally preferable to commercial and proprietary alternatives. 

    Open source (also known as FOSS – Free and Open Source Software) has four freedoms:

    • Freedom 0: The freedom to run the software as you wish, for any purpose.
    • Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the software works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish
    • Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others
    • Freedom 3: The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others. By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes.  

    The beauty of FOSS to Wales is:

    • Using FOSS eliminates the leakage of money from Wales for licencing costs for using proprietary software
    • FOSS usually makes it very easy to translate, greatly reducing barriers to adoption for people who would like to use the Welsh language. 
    • Using FOSS can help upskill people within Wales (see freedoms 1 and 2).
    • Using and supporting FOSS directly helps achieve Wales’ future generations goal of ‘Globally Responsible’, because any improvements that are supported or produced from participants, volunteers or donors in Wales, are freely available for use or adoption by anybody globally, reducing the barriers to participation by the poorest in society (in Wales this supports the socio-economic duty)

    In the European context, Wales is a poor country within a poor unitary state, particularly if London is excluded. Issues of ownership and licensing are very important in this context. The use of proprietary software effectively means that the people of Wales are paying people elsewhere so that we can de-skill ourselves.

    In February 2022 I produced a White Paper entitled: “Why Wales should embrace free and open source software”. In it I made the case for open source against several Welsh Government objectives in the Digital Strategy for Wales. FOSS directly supports the following components:

    • Digital inclusion – creating digital public goods
    • Digital skills – widening participation in learning, and participation in communities of technology and interest
    • Digital economy – for some sectors, savings of more than 80% have been achieved through the use of FOSS

    For further details see the White Paper.

    The benefits of Cymraeg

    The use of the Welsh language produces numerous benefits for the individual, and still more for the community at large. Some of the individual benefits include:

    • Improved health outcomes
    • Improved career prospects
    • Increased performance in learning additional languages
    A mind map showing the links between the Welsh language and a range of positive well-being indicators

    Some of the benefits of using Cymraeg, all of which are evidence by peer-reviewed literature

    The health, educational and economic benefits are so profound that I believe the case should be made to divert a tiny proportion (say 0.001%) of the budget for the NHS to establish or fund an independent organisation aimed at improving understanding and adoption of FOSS in Wales.

    Cymraeg and communication technologies

    Welsh public institutions have been ‘captured’ by the early proprietary communication platforms to the extent that most use X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or other platforms without a thought as to the rationale, or the case for using alternatives that better support the Welsh language.

    The use of proprietary platforms indirectly enriches far-right voices, and certainly leads to a leakage of money and skill to (usually) America-based organisations through advertising and data harvesting.

    The proprietary platforms are not generally responsive to requests for making their interfaces multi-lingual, in direct contrast to their FOSS equivalents. 

    In order to properly implement the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, as well as the Welsh Language Act, public bodies in Wales should therefore be required to use FOSS social media platforms (where they exist) in addition to, or as a replacement for, their existing use of proprietary social media platforms. 

    This would give the opportunity for them to also contribute to the Welsh language translations of these platforms, making them more suitable for Welsh-language users.

    Other blog posts relevant to this article:

  • Welsh Government’s approach to ‘digital’

    Welsh Government’s approach to ‘digital’

    Welsh Government’s approach to digital is being described through a series of blog posts.

    I’m really encouraged by this approach to a new for Wales – and for public services in particular.

     I like the way that a blog is being used to describe each of the ‘missions’ which underpin the strategy, and I think that there are many positive aspects (and potential outcomes) from the missions. 

    But….so far, there’s been a notable omission from any of the narrative for me – and that’s any explicit mention of .

    Open source software (yes, and even hardware in some cases), underpins most of the world’s IT infrastructure and systems. It liberates, educates, and is a tool to lower barriers and costs for billions of existing and potential digital users globally.

    In the context of Wales’ Future Generations legislation, it’s a slam-dunk for many of the goals, and more so in many cases than closed-source tools.

    At the outset of a digital strategy development cycle, we have the incredible opportunity to embed a philosophical and practical commitment to using, supporting, developing and championing open source technologies. With the devolution of education, we also have the opportunity of developing this theme through formal education in schools, colleges and universities; and through informal routes such as Code Clubs.

    I’ve previously written about the dangers to democracy from untrammelled use of ‘corporate surveillance’ platforms. The other side of that coin is the growth of the open source social media world – the ‘Fediverse’ – which points to a more responsible, respectful and kinder online world.

    It’s not beyond imagination that Wales becomes a standard-bearer for open source solutions, playing a significant role in global contributions to software and hardware. The outcomes for us – and for the world – could be huge. Look what happened when Estonia developed a strong Governmental interest in digital and cybersecurity!

    I look forward to seeing future blog posts from Welsh Government, and I hope that open source starts becoming a more visible component of future updates!