The world of Linux distributions had its first contacts on mobile with Ubuntu Touch, a distribution developed by the same Canonical as the other operating systems of the time, failed miserably. However, the project is not dead because, as is the case with other free software, the community saved him. And from there, UBports was born.
The community has pampered him all these years, and right now is updated with good news which will allow you to go further. This new version of Ubuntu Touch is based on Ubuntu 20.04 and is called OTA-1 Focal.
Ubuntu Touch updates its base, and welcomes the “Lomiri” interface
Ubuntu Touch was based on its namesake for Ubuntu 16.04 computers, the LTS release that has supported this mobile operating system to date. NOW, will benefit from Ubuntu 20.04 changes
In addition to this basic change, the existing interface was previously called Unity 8, but now it is called Lomiri. Specific, Lomiri is more personalized, so reduces your reliance on Ubuntu components. This user interface is free, so it will not be exclusive to this system, but others may adopt it.
If you thought it was little, expect that something very important is still missing. With a very established app ecosystem, Android has an edge, which is why there are methods like anbox to run Google system apps on Ubuntu Touch. This virtual machine is obsolete, so is willing to host Waydroid.
The pity of this type of projects is that they have few tools to bring the system to Android devices. There lack of controllers a very heavy load is carried out, closing the park of compatible devices. With this Focal OTA-1, the list of mobiles is reduced to Fairphone 4, Pixel 3A and models from the Vollaphone manufacturer.
This Ubuntu Touch is familiar to us
Ubuntu Touch has a principle that does not break any part of the system: a side menu always available
On the other hand, with Waydroid you get the Android app compatibility. And although it does not reach the level of Google’s operating system, they offer good performance. Especially if they don’t depend on Google services.
With the new update, an effect is added fall out or blurry, as happens in some Android customization layers. In addition, they managed to make the fingerprint sensors work perfectly for unlock mobile.
Another familiar feature is the double tap to unlock. With the screen off and the device locked, we can wake it up by double tapping the screen. It’s not the only gesture that works, in fact, it’s an operating system that is controlled through them.
A swipe from the left side will open the recent apps drop-down list, while touching the Ubuntu icon will have app drawer access, a section that many Android users love. Swiping from the right side we will minimize the application on the screen, seeing a carousel with the open applications.
Another similarity with the green robot system is the notification curtain. just one slide up and down to show notifications and quick commands to activate functions such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
For many users, this is a valid option. For others who are used to Android, it’s not that different.
As we have seen, this update of Ubuntu Touch improves its possibilities, getting closer to what Android offers, especially in the interface behavior. Of course, this will allow us to avoid the follow-up of the big technology companies in a simple way, providing us with a stable system that the lack of applications does not affect so much with its compatibility through Waydroid.
More information | ports
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