ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Nathan Haines <nhaines@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 11/04/2013 11:40 AM, Cláudio Sampaio wrote:
> The "Magic" of open-source is that I can use the device as I can see
> fit. And I want to use it as regular Ubuntu, installing and deinstalling
> as I see fit and with root access. Via ssh if needed. Do I have to
> abdicate from it? Ubuntu Touch is of no value to me if I cannot use it
> as a real system - to me it seems a locked-down system with read-only
> root partition is not a real system.

It is a real system, though, and the way most embedded devices work.

You can do exactly what you mentioned if you want, but you can't expect 
other people to go out of their way to support it.  In order to have a 
working stable system on a cell phone with limited developer manpower, 
the system is designed to be locked so that updates are fast and 
dependable.  This means that updates can be very carefully tested under 
controlled conditions.  This is important because the average user just 
wants a phone, and can't recover a non-bootable system with command line 
tools.  Remember, the goal is to sell phones with Ubuntu running on them 
in the store, not to make users flash their existing phones.

If you are an advanced user who wants to modify the OS as you see fit, 
then run 'touch /userdata/.writable_image' on the system, reboot, and do 
anything you like.  But don't complain that there's an "advanced" switch 
on the phone and you have to flick it.  It's better to be happy that you 
will be able to recommend the system to your friends and know that they 
won't be able to break it, and meanwhile anyone who wants to change 
things can do so easily.

Regards,
Nathan

--
Nathan Haines
Ubuntu - http://www.ubuntu.com/