[ubuntu-uk] Im buying a new phone!! How compatible are android and Ubuntu?

[Ian Betteridge]

After a bit of fiddling, I managed to get Ubuntu talking to my iPhone
3G's music library last night - including getting it to show up as a
device in Amarok 1.4 (it doesn't work in Amarok 2 - known bug in
Amarok, apparently).

It's four-step process:

1. Jailbreak the phone.
2. Edit one of the XML files on the iPhone to change the DBVersion from 4 to 2.
3. Connect it to your USB port, and mount it using SSH. (This bit can
be automated).
4. Set it up in Amarok as a device (choose iPod).

The bit on syncing devices to iPhone 2.2 at
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PortableDevices/iPhone contains all
the info, but needs editing - basically, once you've changed the XML
file, you follow the instructions for iPhone's running the old 1.x
firmware, rather than the further instructions for iPhone 2.2. Once
I've played around a bit more and double-checked it all works, I'll
give it a bit of a rewrite.

But having done all that, I don't think I'll be getting another
iPhone. Why doesn't the iPhone just mount as a removable drive for
music as well as photos? Because Apple doesn't want you using any
software other than iTunes to transfer music.

I'm no zealot about using open source, but I get annoyed when
companies try and tie one product to another - I don't like it when
Microsoft does it, and I don't see why I should be any more forgiving
of Apple.

On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 12:03 AM, Simon Wears <munkyjunky at googlemail.com> wrote:
> The iPhone is great, but has it's drawbacks.
>
> It syncs easy with googlemail and google contacts. Calendars are a
> little harder, I use neuvasync as a middle man for sync.
>
> Iphones have Bluetooth, yet I think you need an app to use it. Same
> with mms. After jailbreaking I couldn't get the iPhone to sync with
> amarok 1.4, and it seemed to slow down, so I put it back in jail.
>
> No cut and paste native, I hear you can get an app for it though.
> Don't know if it's a jailbreak app though.
>
> Battery runs down quick with everything on, so I leave mine with wifi
> off. iPod feature chews battery too if you have it on loud for a while.
>
> Overall, I'm happy with my iPhone though. It's very easy to use, and I
> only have ubuntu-uk podcast on it for audio anyway, for during
> lectures. I use iTunes on windows to sync. I use it mostly for SMS,
> phone, facebook at uni, twitter, blogging on-the-go, and podcasts.
>
> On another note, you know your a geek when you send emails from your
> iPhone while at a rock club. In the middle of the dance floor.
>
>
> On 26 Jan 2009, at 23:17, LeeGroups <mailgroups at varga.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> Its that time of the year again where i get a new phone. Im thinking
>>>> of going with the andorid. How compatible are the two systems, since
>>>> they are both open source?
>>>>
>>>
>>> If you get a T-Mobile gphone, be prepared to be disappointed. The
>>> Bluetooth API doesn't work which makes things more difficult than
>>> they
>>> should be; the phone can be mounted via usb, but integrating the data
>>> isn't the simplest thing.
>>>
>>> Frankly, if I was getting a new phone, I'd go the apple route.
>>> Android/
>>> t-mobile has been a real letdown.
>> On the other hand,  people talk about how wonderful the iPhone is, but
>> it's pretty damn expensive, and how well does it sync to Ubuntu?
>> I understand that it only works with iTunes and not with any open
>> source
>> music managers. Is this correct?
>> And it doesn't do cut 'n' paste? Come on Apple it's been around
>> since th
>> 80's...
>>
>> As to the G1, I've had one for a month and think it's bloomin'
>> marverlous, it's a breath of fresh air after a couple of WinMobile
>> phones (which weren't too bad with hindsight) and a few top end
>> Nokias,
>> which have been a real disappointment in many areas. Symbian has gone
>> way down in my opinion...
>>
>> The G1 has tonnes of great apps easily downloadable via Android Market
>> (I mean really - a digital spirit level... how cool is that?),
>> over-the-air syncing to google contacts, google calender, google mail.
>> The K9 email app is great for non-google email accounts, and a really
>> nice REAL keyboard, none of this touch screen typing cr at p.
>>
>> As for syncing the contacts, it should be pretty simple to write a
>> script that logs into your google account, exports the contacts and
>> then
>> imports it to Thunderbird/Evolution.
>>
>> Yes, it's true Bluetooth is a disappointment, it was cut to make the
>> launch date, and my biggest annoyance bluetooth tethering to my laptop
>> doesn't work (though there is USB based http-proxy availble), but both
>> are being worked on. The battery life has also been critised, but
>> really
>> if you have wi-fi, bluetooth, GPS, cell location, and 3G connectivity
>> all turned on, and for the first week or two you're constantly playing
>> with the thing, it's a wonder the battery lasts the time it does.
>> There
>> is very usefull Battery Manager app, that extends battery life no end.
>> With things turned down/off, you can get 4-5 days out of a full
>> charge,
>> but as it charges from a mini USB plug, it's pretty easy to keep it
>> charged.
>>
>> The "Cupcake" release mentioned in another email is a new version of
>> the
>> Android OS, due out very soon, which should have these things and a
>> whole host of new functionality.
>>
>> Lee
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> ubuntu-uk at lists.ubuntu.com
>> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk
>> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
>
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