For the record, I just bought and flashed Ubuntu Touch on a Meizu Pro 5 - very possible, and not that hard to do. Cheers,
Hi Mitchell now thats good news. I scanned xda a while back and read there was still problems doing that. Could you point me to some details? On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 5:22 AM, Mitchell Reese <d...@curiouslegends.com.au> wrote: > For the record, I just bought and flashed Ubuntu Touch on a Meizu Pro 5 - > very possible, and not that hard to do. Cheers, > > M > > On 12/09/16 13:14, Mathijs Veen wrote: > >> Well I am not quite that pessimistic Bob, >> >> I am just saying if no oems are doing a new Ubuntu phone any time soon, >> you would need a relatively current reference device that is stable. Just >> to tide every one over till that time does come again. Say an N5 or N6. I >> congratulate you on getting your hands on an MX5. I was just a week too >> late on that one. Completely surprised at such a limited run. I would take >> it of your hands if you' re ditching it :) >> >> It wasn’t my intention to bash the project to death at all. I do actually >> believe in the possibility of breaking into the status quo. If the >> proposition is good enough. And I still believe UT can be that. I recently >> did a live head-to-head on comparison with a hp windows continuum phone. >> And Ubuntu won on some major points hands down. Convergence is pretty awsum >> already and the design is as good as any phone I have owned. >> >> But i think Canonical can't afford to lose the base of users it has now. >> So they need a reliable device coming from somewhere. >> >> >> On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 3:07 AM, Bob Summerwill <b...@summerwill.net >> <mailto:b...@summerwill.net>> wrote: >> >> Great summary, Mathijs, >> >> I have been using first a Meizu MX4 and then a Meizu MX5 Pro >> successfully here in Vancouver, Canada as my daily driver. >> >> But in the absence of real devices, there is little point in the >> project continuing. It would just be a drain of limited funding >> for Canonical, who have plenty of other important projects which >> need their focus. >> >> It is indeed a bitter pill to swallow, but unlike other open >> source projects which can continue indefinitely as long as there >> are people with itches to scratch, for Ubuntu Touch and other >> mobile OSes there is a real co-dependency between hardware and >> specific software. You aren't making software which can run on any >> x86 chip, as is the case for much of the desktop world. >> >> Without supported hardware, it is pointless. Well, you could >> support the emulators indefinitely, but that isn't producing any >> real value in itself. >> >> The same situation has already led to the demise of MeeGo, Firefox >> OS and a trial-by-fire for Sailfish OS. And the zombie state of >> Windows Phone, for that matter. Blackberry OS is on death's door >> as well. You need to achieve critical mass, or you die. >> >> Withdrawing to just tablets is another option, because it removes >> the whole wireless modem stack and carriers from the picture. >> >> On Sun, Sep 11, 2016 at 4:30 PM, Mathijs Veen >> <mathijsv...@gmail.com <mailto:mathijsv...@gmail.com>> wrote: >> >> Hi >> >> (Jo-Erlend, I think you are missing the point: There aren't >> any phones for new user to get. But worse: there are no phones >> for active users/developers to replace theirs if broken. There >> haven’t been for quite some time. That's bad because it is >> really hampering community involvement, let alone growing it). >> >> If I may boil the discussion down: >> >> The last Ubuntu phone that went to market (in very limited >> numbers and for a very short time) was in back in April. >> Today, virtually no one in this thread is expecting another >> official Ubuntu device any time soon. >> No one knows this for sure but quite a bitter pill if true. >> Question is: what do we do now? >> >> The thread provides a few options: >> >> 1) A Canonical phone. >> I would say the least likely, if not a daydream. Most of the >> reasons for that have been listed above. Canonical just isn't >> a hardware company. >> >> 2) Return to the Nexus line again as reference devices. >> This could work to keep the project -and especially community >> involvement- alive in the short term. But Canonical would have >> to pick some of the current Nexus models to enable and >> maintain again. Without that -ie having to muddle on with the >> N4- will soon have most ppl jump ship. As per a lot of >> previous comments and also my own experience: the N4 is just a >> little too underpowered for convergence over the wire and will >> never support wireless convergence anyway. The N4 is the only >> Nexus reference device left and it is hopelessly outdated. >> Also they are indeed ridiculously prone to breakage. >> >> 3) A community port >> I have been following the ubports project basically since it >> started and especially Marius has been doing a massive job. >> However: the number of different devices has, imho, been >> spread out too wide and funding has been far too thin. >> The only way I believe this could possibly work is this: >> Assuming we get indication that 1 and 2 are not going to >> happen, we have to organise some kind of community vote where >> we decide on one, or at most two, devices that are going to be >> ported for ut for the coming 1.5-2 years. We focus and rally >> for funding and community time and knowlegde on that phone and >> stick with it. We get people to see that spreading all that >> porting effort over all those devices (see >> https://devices.ubports.com/#/) isnt going to get us a stable >> UT phone for the short and mid term. Let us call it a >> community reference device. >> And I wont mind adding that I agree with some in this thread >> that the Fairphone2 should be a strong candidate for this. But >> that is for a separate discussion. >> >> Some final personal thoughts. >> I have tried to be as involved as my time and knowledge >> allowed me since very early on in the project. I first flashed >> a Galaxy Nexus (remember Maguro guys?) in October 2013. I have >> been using, discussing, promoting, testing, bug reporting and >> even doing a limited bit of programming for UT ever since. >> Most of you all have similar stories. And I still believe in >> the project. Actually, today more then ever. >> >> But this is the first time I am thoroughly worried for the >> future of the Ubuntu converged desktop/phone/tablet. >> >> Sure, Ubuntu core and Unity8 will continue but will obviously >> will take very different routes than if there were well >> maintained real-world devices around that developers and early >> adopters could use. For one thing: who's gonna build apps for >> a system that doesn't have any actual phones? >> >> One last reason I am worried: Because during this, and some >> other mail-threads and other channel discussions lately, there >> has been almost dead silence from the Ubuntu Community >> Management on this. >> >> I know they are in a difficult position in this because it is >> probably impossible for them to come out and say: yeah guys, >> regrettably there aren't going to be any new devices on the >> market any time soon. Nevertheless, If that is the case one >> would think that working with this community to bridge some >> bad times with either a new official reference device or a >> focused, mutual effort from Canonical and community developers >> on a port could be the best course to take to keep this thing >> alive. >> >> So (still operating on the sad assumption that no new device >> will appear on the market any time soon) : If none of the >> above scenarios get any traction, I will -with pain in my >> heart- be forced to say goodbye to Ubuntu touch as the phone I >> have been using for the past 3 years. Just because there isn't >> any. >> >> >> Cheers >> >> Mathijs >> >> On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 12:45 AM, Jo-Erlend Schinstad >> <joerlend.schins...@ubuntu.com >> <mailto:joerlend.schins...@ubuntu.com>> wrote: >> >> Why are you even asking if Meizu of Bq has lost interest? >> Do you know something I don't? The point was to produce a >> small number of phones for people who really want it and >> knows why. Developers and enthusiasts. This was announced >> as the strategy from the very beginning, long before there >> were any phones to be bought. Ubuntu for phones hasn't >> been announced as ready for mainstream and it isn't. Now >> we have quite a few people using Ubuntu on phones and >> providing feedback and software, building a community. >> That takes time. Hopefully, more developers and Ubuntu >> enthusiasts want the phone when they see feedback from >> existing users. Then it might be time for another small >> batch of phones, expanding the community and increasing >> the guerilla marketing. >> >> One of the worst things that could happen, was if curious >> people got the impression that it was ready for mainstream >> and got one, only to be disappointed and then running >> around on social media talking about how bad it is. People >> who really understand the project, however, knows it's a >> WIP and they're not so put off by its limitations. These >> are good ambassadors. >> >> There's lots of stuff that must be done. For instance, it >> would make sense to switch Ubuntu for phones to Snap >> rather than Click. And of course, the big USP for Ubuntu >> for phones, is it's ability to function as a desktop as >> well. But that doesn't really work yet. For now, Ubuntu >> for phones is better off being a geeky thing. >> >> What's the hurry? >> >> On 8 September 2016 at 05:58, mark <j.m.hol...@me.com >> <mailto:j.m.hol...@me.com>> wrote: >> >> If Meizu and bq have lost interest in the platform, >> and are really not planning to build new phones then, >> perhaps enthusiasts - of which there seem to be no >> shortage - should go down the Fairphone route, and >> crowd-source a small run of devices, designed for >> Ubuntu and produced by an OEM. I don't know what the >> run of the Meizu or bq phones amounted to, but surely >> say ~20,000 high-spec Ubuntu phones could be sold? >> >> >> m >> >> >> On 07/09/16 17:53, Mitchell Reese wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> On Thursday, 8 September 2016 4:47:42 AM AEST, Bob >>> Summerwill <b...@summerwill.net> >>> <mailto:b...@summerwill.net> wrote: >>> >>>> Are OEMs not queuing up to ship devices running >>>>>> Touch? >>>>>> >>>>> >>>> I suspect that the answer to that is "no". >>>> >>>> If, as seems likely, both BQ and Meizu have no >>>> immediate plans to ship >>>> further Ubuntu Touch devices then that likely means >>>> that it is not >>>> economically beneficial to them to do so. That >>>> certainly isn't an >>>> appealing market for other OEMs to join. >>>> Canonical would likely be >>>> pouring their money down the drain with such a device. >>>> >>>> Mozilla went through a very similar journey with >>>> Firefox OS, though with >>>> way more devices and way more traction. They ended >>>> up giving up on the >>>> device side, and focusing on just community ports, >>>> and on application of >>>> the OS to new (non-mobile) markets. >>>> >>>> Mobile is a tough, tough market to compete with. >>>> Commodity Android >>>> devices are very, very compelling to the mass >>>> market. Mobile Linux is a >>>> really niche. See the troubles Jolla have >>>> experienced too. Even >>>> Samsung are struggling to make any kind of impact >>>> with Tizen - though that >>>> likely has more to do with their own internal >>>> politics than any lack of >>>> resourcing or ability to sell large volumes. >>>> >>>> My personal feeling is that mobile is now "mature", >>>> and uninteresting, like >>>> the PC market. Who really cares if you have an >>>> ASUS or an Acer or a HP or >>>> whatever. They have razor-thin markets and little >>>> differentiation. I >>>> think that is where mobile is getting to be, with >>>> Android as the Windows, >>>> and iOS as the Mac. So iOS is premium and >>>> profitable, "because Apple", >>>> but Android is the de-facto standard, commodity and >>>> unprofitable. That >>>> is a really unappealing place to try to build a >>>> third platform. >>>> >>>> Android has utterly skewed manufacturing too, to my >>>> understanding, so that >>>> if you want to get a SoC now, you are going to get >>>> Android bootloaders and >>>> drivers on it. As blobs. And you're just going >>>> to have to suck that up. >>>> Want X11 drivers? No way. >>>> >>>> Tizen is the only mobile Linux which hasn't just >>>> made the pragmatic choice >>>> of avoiding the issue by using Hybris. For >>>> everybody else, Android has >>>> become the de-facto HAL :-) >>>> >>>> So yeah... I have an MX5 Pro as my daily driver and >>>> love it. MX4 before >>>> that. But I don't have much hope of any future >>>> Ubuntu Touch mobile >>>> devices. I think we're likely walking dead, but >>>> just haven't stopped >>>> walking yet. >>>> >>>> So maybe Jolla and Tizen are the "last men standing" >>>> in this space? For >>>> mobile profile, at least. Tablets are a different >>>> story. Ditto IoT and >>>> Ubuntu Snappy Core. >>>> >>>> On Wed, Sep 7, 2016 at 10:49 AM, mark >>>> <j.m.hol...@me.com> <mailto:j.m.hol...@me.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> +1 >>>>> >>>>> The same thought had crossed my mind. Touch seems >>>>> to be reaching the point >>>>> of maturity where something of the Edge's specs >>>>> might come to fruition. It >>>>> would be a winner, imho. >>>>> >>>>> Are OEMs not queuing up to ship devices running Touch? >>>>> >>>>> m >>>>> >>>>> On 07/09/16 14:32, Art wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Question....... >>>>> >>>>> I read all the comments, and I am now curious..... >>>>> >>>>> What is to stop Canonical from releasing their own >>>>> branded phones right >>>>> now?? Just because the current 'offering' isn't >>>>> Canonical branded, Is there >>>>> anything that prevents them from selling a >>>>> Canonical branded phone later >>>>> on?? >>>>> >>>>> After all, now we know that a linux based phone >>>>> actually works, what is to >>>>> stop Canonical (or even myself) from seeking out an >>>>> independent phone OEM, >>>>> buying them in bulk and rebranding them, complete >>>>> with the linux software >>>>> already installed? >>>>> >>>>> Great list all, I hope to see the linux phone >>>>> succeed! It's about time we >>>>> take back control of our own phones and block all >>>>> the 'features' that rob >>>>> us of our privacy!! >>>>> >>>>> Art >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On 09/05/2016 10:49 AM, Krzysztof Tataradziński wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Hi >>>>> >>>>> Did anyone from Canonical considered to 'simply' >>>>> develop phone themselves >>>>> alone, order it in factory and sell with Canonical >>>>> brand? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- Mailing list: >>>>> https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone >>>>> <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-phone> >>>>> Post to : ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net >>>>> <mailto:ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net> >>>>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone >>>>> <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-phone> >>>>> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >>>>> <https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> Hmmm. Disagree - thanfully. Otherwise, whats the >>> point? Similar arguments when Microsoft was still a >>> thing - why compete? >>> >>> The thing about Ubuntu is it's also a desktop system >>> - and has the potential to be much more. Will be >>> interesting to see where this goes, but I'm backing >>> Canonical. >>> M >>> >>> >>> >> >> -- >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone >> <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-phone> >> Post to : ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net >> <mailto:ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net> >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone >> <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-phone> >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> <https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp> >> >> >> >> -- >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone >> <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-phone> >> Post to : ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net >> <mailto:ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net> >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone >> <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-phone> >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> <https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp> >> >> >> >> -- >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone >> <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-phone> >> Post to : ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net >> <mailto:ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net> >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone >> <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-phone> >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> <https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp> >> >> >> >> >> -- b...@summerwill.net <mailto:b...@summerwill.net> >> >> >> >> >> > > -- > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone > Post to : ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >
-- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone Post to : ubuntu-phone@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp