Ubuntu touch on bq Aquarius

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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

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

  • multitasking deficiencies: Various apps (e.g. CuteSpotify) stop working when screen blanks
  • ActiveSync client missing (needed for sync with Exchange/zarafa)
  • CuteSpotify crashes in a very consistent manner

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

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

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:~$

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

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

Updating Ubuntu Touch

Because Dual Boot is a special set-up the standard update method for Ubuntu currently does not work (see Feature Roadmap).

To update Ubuntu to a newer version, On the android Ubuntu dual boot application, select "Uninstall Ubuntu" from the menu options. Next you will be asked if you want to keep the user data from Ubuntu. If you do not select "Delete user data", the next installation of Ubuntu will preserve your contacts, installed applications, pictures, background settings, ...

Once Ubuntu has been uninstalled, follow the same installation step to download a newer version of Ubuntu.

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