UBports' Ubuntu Touch 20.04-Based Build Offered In New Beta/RC Channel

As a long awaited gift for those using UBports' Ubuntu Touch, for Christmas the open-source, community-driven crew published a beta/RC build of Ubuntu Touch re-based atop Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

With the small development team and limited resources, UBports' Ubuntu Touch has long been stuck on the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS base where Canonical left working on this smartphone/tablet platform. But after years of work and a lot of headaches around the Mir changes and other low-level alterations over the course of four years worth of Ubuntu Linux upgrades, they are onto now providing a beta release candidate of their new mobile Linux OS base.

On Christmas Eve the UBports crew announced the new beta release candidate update channel available from within the UBports Installer.

Phoronix testing back during the early days of Ubuntu Touch.

Yes, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is the current Long Term Support series but at least with the migration to 20.04 it's newer, still-maintained, and should turn out to be an easier transition once ultimately moving forward to 22.04 LTS.

For information on devices currently supported by Ubuntu Touch and deployment details can be found via devices.ubuntu-touch.io. Hopefully this beta RC testing goes well and it won't be too much longer before promoting the "Focal Fossa" based build to stable.