I have used Ubuntu on my PC desktop since the Warty Warthog release in 2004. At the time, there was a joke that “Ubuntu” meant “Can’t install Debian”. In my case, it was true. I had been using a mix of Windows, SuSE and Mandrake Linux for a couple of years but had always been intimidated by Debian. Within a few days of installing Warty, I realised that Ubuntu and Debian were a perfect fit for me. Using apt-get to install packages was a revelation after wrestling with Windows and RPM-hell. Ubuntu has continued to evolve since then. Despite some mis-steps, I haven’t looked back.
With that in mind, I have been following the progress of the Ubuntu Phone with great interest. Android has been a disappointment, with poor performance and an ever-greater reliance on proprietary components. As for iOS, I find it hateful in every way. Ubuntu has the potential to bring all the freedom of a Linux desktop with a slick user interface.
A few months ago, then, I found myself repeatedly clicking the “Refresh” button on my browser as I endured the disaster of bq’s flash sales of the E4.5 device: the first commercially-available Ubuntu phone. A further period of frustration lay ahead due to the somewhat mercurial and elusive shipping date. When the device arrived, I greeted it with a mixture of relief and excitement. Continue reading “My first few weeks with the Ubuntu Phone”
Adopting Ubuntu 