Event Overview

The episode was broadcast live from the Lumiri Code Fest in the Netherlands, a hackathon organized by Open Source Science focused on developing Ubuntu Touch apps and Lumiri [01:29].

Major Announcements & Updates

  • OTA-4 (24.04-1.3) Released: A new maintenance and bug-fix update has officially rolled out for devices on the 24.04 base [06:12].
  • Snap Package Support: A highly anticipated feature has been merged into the OpenStore code. Users will soon be able to search for and install Snap packages directly on their devices without needing sudo access [06:55]. Snap app permissions, such as microphone access, will natively blend into the existing system settings [08:26].
  • Widevine DRM Support: The Morph browser is receiving an extension to easily download and manage the Widevine plugin. This will allow users to watch DRM-protected video content on commercial streaming platforms [26:38].
  • New & Updated Apps: Several new apps are hitting the OpenStore, including LX Keys (a password manager), Me Time, Plates (a weightlifting calculator), My Countdown, and Dart Counter [38:58].

Development Hurdles & Qt6 Migration

  • The “Morph Dilemma”: The team discussed current challenges with porting the Morph Browser and the underlying stack to Qt6 [29:20]. Upgrading to Qt6.9 caused crashing issues because it relies heavily on Vulkan rendering, which isn’t fully functional yet in their Mir 1 compositor setup [31:47]. As a temporary fix to ensure stability for the upcoming 2.x release, the team is reverting the Qt6 web engine back to version 6.8 [34:27].

Community Q&A Highlights

  • UI Ergonomics on Large Devices: A user asked if there were plans to implement bottom-based navigation to fix the ergonomic issues of having a top-left back button on large phones and tablets. The team stated there are no immediate plans for this, as it would require a massive overhaul of their human interface guidelines, though they are open to community design contributions [50:32].
  • File Sharing via Bluetooth: In response to a question about simplified Bluetooth file sharing [54:19], the developers mentioned that while Bluetooth sharing isn’t currently a priority, they are actively working on reviving the Lumiri storage framework. This aims to provide native cloud syncing and remote storage integrations (like Nextcloud) directly into the file manager [55:03].
  • Repository Blocks in Russia: Users in Russia reported difficulty accessing updates and the OpenStore due to Cloudflare IP blocks [01:00:01]. While the core team doesn’t have an immediate server-side fix, they suggested the community could implement system image mirrors. Alternatively, providing flashable system images via fastboot could help users bypass the block entirely [01:01:32].