New Design For Ubuntu Touch Devices Webpage
The Ubuntu Touch devices page will soon have a nice new design, and we want to let you all know about the changes, and explain what they will mean for users, porters and maintainers.
So why the change? To start with, the arrival of 20.04 Focal and the end of life for 16.04 Xenial gave rise to the need to tidy up the devices list and devices status . Secondly, we wish to make clearer what the UBports Core Developers control and explain the amount and scope of work which is and will be done by them. Thirdly, we wish to make clear what is required from porters and maintainers to provide for their devices to deliver the user experience we want to offer as a community.
We strive to make choosing a device as easy and straight forward as possible, for you the users. To achieve this, users need to know what to expect from an Ubuntu Touch by UBports device, and what not to expect.
The devices will now be split into four levels or groups to make it easier for users to know which Ubuntu Touch device will best fit their needs and requirements.
Full Community or Manufacturer Support
These devices are and will remain the core of Ubuntu Touch development. They have three fully working update channels (stable, release candidate (RC), devel), all current features available and working with Ubuntu Touch OS and they will be available in the installer. They are actively maintained by more than one person. They are regularly updated and daily driver ready.
You can expect a high level of support and help to be available from the porters/maintainers and the UBports Community.
Advanced Support
These devices will have small issues that still need to be resolved. They will be mostly as reliable and stable as Full Community or Manufacturer Support devices but may only have two update channels (Devel and RC). All main features work and the devices are available in the installer. They are actively maintained by community members, updated and mostly daily driver ready, but with some smaller limitations.
If the porter(s)/maintainer(s) of these devices cannot continue and no-one steps up to take over the work, they will be moved down to Basic Support after six months.
You can expect a reasonable level of support and help to be available from the porter(s)/maintainer(s) and the UBports Community.
Basic Support
Devices on this level will be under heavy development most likely by only one community member. Many features including basic functionality may not work and perhaps there is only a devel channel available. They will not be available in the installer and quite frankly, it will be up to the the porter/maintainer to get these devices ready to move up to Support Level 2.
UBports will not be involved in development of these devices at all. It will be the task of the porter/maintainer to commit to the work needed to make the device reach the standards to become listed in one of the two other support levels.
These devices will really only be for anyone prepared to take the risk of using them. There will always be the usual help and assistance from the UBports Community on the Forum and TELEport groups and through our documentation. But due to the status of these devices, the porter/maintainer is expected to deal with questions regarding the port. Hopefully they can bring the devices up to a higher standard but if that does not happen they will be removed entirely after six months of inactivity.
Abandoned
This group is for devices with no active porter or maintainer and that have been moved down from Basic Support. This section will be hidden by default but will be the landing site for a link from a none supported devices.
Time frame and schedule
We are planning for the new devices page to go live in the first half of 2024. There will be plenty of announcements on our news channels of the exact date when we get closer to going live. There will also be a thread on Forum for discussions. This will be at least two months from this blog being published.
For most of you, the users, there will be no change at all except that nice new website which we really hope you will enjoy using, and which will answer your questions or at least point you to where to find help.
The changes really only affect porters and maintainers and then only those with devices in Basic Support who will have to take on the heavy lifting at that stage of development.