View source for Ubuntu touch on bq Aquarius

Ubuntu touch revisited - on BQ Aquarius 5

Even though development now is completed (Feb 2016) still do not expect this to be a fully functional operating system comparable in functionality, stability and availability of apps to current builds of IOS or Android.

=== References ===
* https://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Ubuntu_Touch/
* old
** Main source: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/DualBootInstallation
** General information: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/ReleaseNotes

=== State overview ===

==== Working features ====
* WiFi
* Phone
* SMS
* Browser
* Camera (still photography as well as video)
* Contacts
* Calendar
* Music app
* Bluetooth works (but not completely reliable - e.g. not working with a car system - Ford 2009)
* remote access via ssh (after enabling ssh server and copying pub key across)
* Dekko mail client (imaps/smtps)
* flight mode

==== Existing problems  - still deciding whether to use Ubuntu Touch on bq Aquarius 5 as primary phone ====
* ActiveSync client missing (needed for sync with Exchange/zarafa)
* CuteSpotify 
** crashes in a very consistent manner ;-)
** stops working when screen locks or switching to other app

==== Not tested yet ====
* owncloud syncronisation
* How to import contacts, events (calendar)
* How to sync contacts, events (calendar)
* Backup/restore data

=== Installing Ubuntu Touch ===

This step is obviously not needed since the phone comes with Ubuntu pre-installed. Just needs an update from 14.10 to 15.04 (just give it some time after the update to come up again).

Status from 2016-02-13 with Ubuntu Touch 15.04:
 phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ uname -a
 Linux ubuntu-phablet 3.4.67 #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Jan 8 11:59:19 UTC 2016 efc96d8 armv7l armv7l armv7l GNU/Linux
 phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ cat /etc/ubuntu-build 
 9
 phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$

=== Using Ubuntu touch ===

==== The big question: to write or not to write ====

Still have to figure out if remounting the root partition in rw mode is a good idea.
This enables you to use apt-get update/upgrade/install but seems to disable standard upgrade mechanisms completely.
To get back to the standard build you supposedly need to install from scratch!?

==== connecting to phone via ssh ====
This is good news - no need for usb connections - just a simple network ssh/sftp/scp session will do (taken from http://askubuntu.com/questions/348714/how-can-i-access-my-ubuntu-phone-over-ssh/601972#601972)
* install the Terminal app on the phone from the App Store.
* Open a Terminal and type (this is easier with the phone in a landscape orientation, the last command will hang; this is expected):
 sudo setprop persist.service.ssh true
 mkdir -pm700 ~/.ssh
 ip addr
 nc -l 1234 > ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
* Look for your phone's IP address in the Terminal as returned by the ip addr command above.
* On your computer, type (replacing 192.0.2.1 with your phone's IP address from above):
 nc 192.0.2.1 1234 < ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
* If successful, the last command on your phone's Terminal will now succeed.
* On your computer, type (again replacing 192.0.2.1 with your phone's IP address from above):
 ssh phablet@192.0.2.1


==== Copying files to device ====
 scp localfile touch:path-on-device
Sample script to copy media across to external card:
 scp -r $1 phablet@ubu:/media/phablet/FD71-883A/$2

=== Command line tools ===

==== Checking installed version ====
 phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ system-image-cli --info
 current build number: 9
 device name: vegetahd
 channel: ubuntu-touch/stable/bq-aquaris.en
 last update: 2016-01-21 16:15:55
 version version: 9
 version ubuntu: 20160123.1
 version tag: OTA-9
 version device: 20160108-efc96d8
 version custom: 20160111-926-36--vivid
 phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ 

==== Using sudo ====

You may run priviledged commands using sudo, use your login pin as your sudo password.

==== Various useful commands on Ubuntu touch ====
 dpkg -l     - lists all installed packages
 click list  - lists installed click packages
 pkcon install xxx   - installs click package
 pkcon search name xxx - searches for package containing xxx

==== sending sms ====
choose ril_0 for SIM 1, ril_1 for SIM 2:
 phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ /usr/share/ofono/scripts/send-sms /ril_1 +49xxxxxxx "test 123" 0
 Send message using modem /ril_1 ...
 /ril_1/message_70C69448335BD170B04F1096E1DD04DE46C83176
 phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$

==== customizing gui ====
===== changing left hand side app menu =====
* get installed apps
 ls /home/phablet/.local/share/applications /usr/share/applications/
<pre>
phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ ls /home/phablet/.local/share/applications /usr/share/applications/
/home/phablet/.local/share/applications:
clickscope.desktop                                              com.canonical.scopes.wikinear_wikinear.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.bbc_bbc.desktop                            com.canonical.scopes.yelp_yelp.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.bbc-sport_bbc-sport.desktop                com.mikeasoft.cutespotify_cutespotify_1.4.3.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.calls_calls.desktop                        com.nokia.heremaps_here_1.0.7.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.clickstore.desktop                         com.ubuntu.calculator_calculator_2.0.233.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.cnet_cnet.desktop                          com.ubuntu.camera_camera_3.0.0.616.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.contacts_contacts.desktop                  com.ubuntu.clock_clock_3.6.412.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.dashboard_dashboard.desktop                com.ubuntu.developer.ken-vandine.pathwind_pathwind_0.2.10.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.day_day.desktop                            com.ubuntu.developer.majster-pl.utorch_uTorch_2.7.5.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.engadget_engadget.desktop                  com.ubuntu.developer.mzanetti.tagger_tagger_0.14.0.0.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.etsy_etsy.desktop                          com.ubuntu.developer.webapps.webapp-amazon-int_webapp-amazon_1.0.10.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.euronews_euronews.desktop                  com.ubuntu.developer.webapps.webapp-ebay_webapp-ebay_1.0.14.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.events_events.desktop                      com.ubuntu.developer.webapps.webapp-gmail_webapp-gmail_1.1.1.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.fbphotos_fbphotos.desktop                  com.ubuntu.gallery_gallery_2.9.1.1260.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.fitbit_fitbit.desktop                      com.ubuntu.music_music_2.3.964.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.flickr_flickr.desktop                      com.ubuntu.reminders_reminders_0.5.472.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.flickr_nearby.desktop                      com.ubuntu.scopes.soundcloud_soundcloud.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.food_food.desktop                          com.ubuntu.scopes.vimeo_vimeo.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.hints_hints.desktop                        com.ubuntu.scopes.youtube_youtube.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.holidays_holidays.desktop                  com.ubuntu.telegram_sctelegram.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.inrix_inrix.desktop                        com.ubuntu.telegram_telegram_2.0.4.0.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.instagram_instagram.desktop                com.ubuntu.terminal_terminal_0.7.170.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.movies_aggregator.desktop                  com.ubuntu.weather_weather_3.1.182.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.news_unity-scope-headlines.desktop         com.zeptolab.cuttherope.free_cuttherope_0.5.6.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.news_unity-scope-news.desktop              dekko.dekkoproject_dekko_0.6.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.nominatim_nominatim.desktop                mediascanner-music.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.photos-local_photos-local.desktop          mediascanner-video.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.photos_photos.desktop                      musicaggregator.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.poi_poi.desktop                            net-info.rene-so36_net-info_0.1.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.songkick_songkick.desktop                  netscan.mzanetti_app_0.2.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.tasks_sctasks.desktop                      scopes.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.tasks_tasks_1.5.desktop                    stackedit.sofocles_StackEdit_0.1.1.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.texts_texts.desktop                        twitter.canonicalpartners_twitter.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.timeout_timeout.desktop                    unity-scope-nearby.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.transport-alerts_transport-alerts.desktop  unity-scope-shopping.desktop
com.canonical.scopes.twittertrending_twittertrending.desktop    videoaggregator.desktop

/usr/share/applications/:
account-polld.desktop     dialer-app.desktop       online-accounts-ui.desktop     telephony-service-call.desktop  unity8.desktop
address-book-app.desktop  history-daemon.desktop   python3.4.desktop              telephony-service-sms.desktop   unitywebappsqmllauncher.desktop
ciborium.desktop          mediaplayer-app.desktop  sync-monitor-calendar.desktop  ubuntu-system-settings.desktop  vim.desktop
content-hub-send.desktop  messaging-app.desktop    syncmonitorhelper.desktop      unity8-dash.desktop             webbrowser-app.desktop
phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$
</pre>
* setting apps
 gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.ClickScope core-apps '["messaging-app", "webbrowser-app", "dekko.dekkoproject", "com.ubuntu.filemanager" ]' 
* reset to default
 gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.ClickScope core-apps  '[]' 
* empty list
 gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.ClickScope core-apps  '[""]'