I decided to install Anbox on the Ubuntu Touch phone I have (the Nexus 5 phone). Tricky. At one point, on my desktop computer, I was entering commands in the terminal in an adb session I was having with the phone, and it asked for my password. So, I kept entering my desktop computer's password, and the terminal kept saying it was incorrect. Drove me bonkers until I realized that I was supposed to be entering in the phone's password rather than the desktop computer's password. Anyway, I did succeed, and was able to install and run an Android app on the Ubuntu Touch phone. So, that gives it more options.

Yes, I did notice that some usable options were given (which I failed to notice at first glance).

A common problem with remote logins.
I use distinctly different shell prompts for each login - i.e. define a distinct shell prompt in the remote client's ~/.profile or ~/.bashrc or some such.

How are Android apps under Ubports? Which functionality/apps do you really need that are not available natively?

So far, the only two Android apps I've installed have been GTFSOffline and F-Droid.

Assuming F-Droid is where an Ubuntu Touch user gets their Android apps (which in my case will be true), then F-Droid is recommended to keep track of when these apps need to be updated. I'm uncertain whether F-Droid itself could do that, or whether it would simply serve as an alert to me that I'd need to reinstall via the "How to install new APKs" procedure (as described here), I don't know (I assume the latter).

Regarding GTFSOffline, this is something I use to find out when the next bus/streetcar/train is coming to a transit stop (without having to rely on having data, which I don't have since it's too expensive, and there's enough opportunities to use wifi). I have yet to test whether it actually works or not (it relies on a phone's location services), but I've yet to go out and try it. However, even after successfully installing it, I had some unexpected difficulties setting it up. The app requires creating a database from publicly available transit feeds, which come out monthly. And the database needs to be inserted where it can read it (which normally would be /sdcard/Android/data/com.wbrenna.gtfsoffline/files/). However, that was not accessible via the normal file manager. So, I had to use the command line to search for the folder and then, with sudo, insert the file into the folder. After doing this it worked.

Another glitch is that UBports doesn't have the back button option on the bottom, as does Android. So, applications need a back button to be built into it (IE, if you go to "preferences" or "settings", if the app doesn't have a back button built into it, which is the case with GTFSOffline, then you have to kill the app and restart it to get to the main window again.)

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Hmm. I went outside, and tried out GTFSOffline, and it did not work.

My phone needs to be able to do the following: have a map application that works offline (relying on downloaded maps/tiles from OSM or lacells or whatever), have an offline transit-feed reading service, wifi, a phone with texting that works, and a flash-light. Wifi works on the UBports phone, and presumably the phone stuff works (I haven't yet transferred the SIM card from my Galaxy Nexus -- running LineageOS -- to the Nexus 5 with Ubuntu Touch). Also preferably have a calendar and contacts information that makes it easy to have a copy on my desktop (I think this will be easier with Ubuntu Touch, using command-line Linux applications, than it has been with LineageOS).

The offline location and mapping stuff isn't going well with Ubuntu Touch. I'm gonna try to install it fresh, explore more thoroughly the native Ubuntu apps, and then see if I can get it to a point where it's acceptable. Otherwise, it becomes a LineageOS phone.

Hmm #2. Well, on my Ubuntu laptop, I tried using the package that supposedly makes installing a breeze. Not. That works like shit. So, I'm back to manually installing it (reinstalling it, to clear out all the crap I tried previously).

Hmm #3. Well, seems the manual installation isn't going well either, which, in retrospect, doesn't surprise me. The UBports recovery program is terrible. Last time, I needed to install the TWRP recovery program on it to properly wipe the thing. Well, guess I'll have to do the same this time. And then reinstall the LineageOS image. And then maybe I'll be able to reinstall Ubuntu Touch.... the fact that it's almost impossible to simply reinstall it is, well, kinda sad.

Okay, so I reinstalled Ubuntu Touch. I figure that my screwing around with it likely was messing it up. So, I'm now on the UBports forum asking how I can properly set stuff up. I'm hoping I can get it up to my minimum standard to declare it a "keeper".

GTFSOffline looks interesting.
Installed it now. My region offers a database, have to get it on the phone somehow (this just normal LOS).

I think I heard that Ubuntu Touch uses swipe gestures for this sort of things? Like, from the very edge inwards, sth like that?

Isn't OSMAnd available for you? FWIW, I don't think it uses tiles but draws the maps in real time from XML files.

Anyhow, I hope you get it going again. I really do. You're my guinea pig

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This makes me sad.
I had hoped that Linux users may be a group of people who don't just want a slab of greecy glass.
Are there no users left who prefer things like physical keyboards and useful ports (audio etc.) Rather than a new slab of shiny?

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^ oh. now it's the form factor, not the software, not the firmware?
FWIW, I'd truly like something that has usability & size comparable to a (large) smartphone, but with real Linux.
For my mobile computing needs. Removing the physical keyboard also reduces size, and frankly, I'm not planning to do any coding or essays on it.
At home nothing will ever replace the keyboard, even though it also gets greasy.

I refer more to the lack of choice. I have no specific gripe with a slab of dirty glass but there are more form facctors and more OSs out there and all but Android and Apple are ignored.
Yes, I'm equating things which are not specifically realated (OS freedom and physical keyboards) butthe attitude killing them both is the same.

This is exactly what I am looking for providing that it's reasonably priced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V711Iordo4 More on the Pinephone. https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/

I find non-constructive complainy comments worse.
What would those other choices be for mobile computing, in your opinion? Whether they exist or not, share your vision.
And let's just assume we could run a full GNU/Linux on them (so not UBPorts).
______________________________

Is anybody else seeing a large-breasted lady visiting an otter cafe here?

Have you seriously never seen a device thatKs not a slab of glass?
I'm typing this on one of the last true Blackberry devices -- it's as thin as most other phones, has a 2560 by 1440 display and a hardware qwerty keyboard. It's not perfect but it's as decent device and was a choice.
Then there's the Planet Gemini and forthcoming Cosmno. Tiny "laptop" like devices which, thankfully, are being manufactured, are a choice and do run desktop style Lunux as a choice.
Remember the HTC devices with things like the ability to use in Lapopt or tablet style?

People today seem obsessed by the idea a mobile communications device is a slab of glass. If I sound negative and moany it's because I am and it only takes a quick look at the state of things to see why.