UBPorts community has released an update claiming to support Ubuntu Touch running on a Raspberry Pi 3 with an official 7-inch Raspberry Pi touchscreen. The Raspberry Pi is growing as the Ubuntu Touch programming platform, says UBports founder Marius Gripsgård in the attached video below. However, there was no demo. In this film, UBports creator Florian Leeber added that the Raspberry Pi platform can also serve as the home touch interface for the Internet of Things and other applications.
The key to Pi support is the recent merger of the libhybris project and ARM64 at the “edge” that points to the repository used by the project. This should also facilitate portability to other Arm-based platforms.
A new feature of Ubuntu Touch is the ability to run a Mir display server in Wayland using the Wayland protocol. It is said to enable user session suspension, save battery life, and improve security and privacy. This work has improved the handling of Bluetooth headsets with the upgrade to the BlueZ Bluetooth daemon and PulseAudio patch.
Ubuntu Touch’s way to 64-bit IoT applications
Ubuntu Touch is a special version of Ubuntu, which was designed for mobile devices with touch screens, and more specifically for smartphones and tablets. Unfortunately, Ubuntu was abandoned before conquering the market. However, as is the case in the Open Source world, someone has taken over and developed this project. Ubuntu Touch has just been released in the 64-bit version.
Just two years ago, Canonical was working hard on the Unity8 graphics environment and the Mir display server. Work on these projects was already in a fairly deep stage, and the British giant was tempted to add Unity8 to one of the Ubuntu versions. Unfortunately, at this point the environment was – to put it mildly – infinite and did not work very well (at least in my case). How does it connect with Ubuntu Touch? Well, Ubuntu Touch also used Unity8 and Mir, and both platforms – Desktop PC and mobile – were to be unified. Unfortunately, to the surprise of project enthusiasts, Canonical decided to abandon their work and after a few years of separation return to GNOME and leave the mobile world completely.
It is true that Canonical abandoned their projects, but there was another team that wanted to take them in. We are talking about the UBports group, which is gradually updating Ubuntu Touch and spending them on new models.
After months of announcements, the Ubuntu Touch project finally got a 64-bit compilation. Earlier, even operating on a suitable processor, this system operated only in 32-bit mode. This is a big step forward, although the compatibility list typically fails.
The change in the UI range will only be introduced by the OTA-12 update, anticipated for an undefined future. But with Ubuntu Touch 64-bit debuts Telegram client – TELEports 0.6.0.
The creators admit that they delayed 64-bit binaries, considering them unnecessary, especially for equipment with less than 4 GB RAM. Now, however, according to new observations, they have changed their minds. Of course, the system itself is not everything. You still need to recompile the apps. But this is to take place successively, based on the base in the form of an already operating system.
Ubuntu Touch for Raspberry Pi Compute Module?
Will Raspberry Pi Compute Module powered solutions get a support for Ubuntu Touch? Maybe the transition to 3rd party devices will be seamless, because of Ubuntu Touch already working on official Raspberry Pi 7-inch display. Similiar soliutions, such as TECHBASE’s TECHPANEL P500 with Compute Module 3/3+ support might be the first device with fully working Ubuntu Touch.
