: What follows is purely personal opinion as a geek, technophile, and free and open source software (FOSS) and Linux user. It does not, in any way, reflect the opinions of my employer.

As a geek writing about gadgets and technology, I often find myself drooling over the latest innovations and insanity in the industry. But as an open source and Linux user, I lament over how majority, if not all of those are pretty but caged gardens. There are, of course, existing “open” systems, but each one represents a compromise for me. Android is basically an open source code dump, with development happening behind closed doors. And it is so far removed from the Linux that we’ve grown to know and love that it’s barely recognizable as Linux. Sailfish OS has technology closer to my heart (like Qt) and is indeed closer to a traditional Linux system, but its availability on actual commercial devices with modern, decent specs leave much to be desired. Mer/Nemo is far from being something usable even if you install it on, say, a Nexus device.

So when Ubuntu and Canonical revealed they were partnering with actual, big manufacturers for Ubuntu mobile devices, a spark of hope was rekindled in my heart. Let it be clear, I am by no means an Ubuntu user, not even a fan. I left the fold nearly a decade ago, after having spent quite some time using and contributing to Kubuntu (to the point of becoming a certified “member” even, though I never ascended to the Council). In terms of loyalties and usage, I am a KDE user (and “helper”) foremost. I use Fedora because it just works for me, for now. So, yes, an Ubuntu Touch device would be another compromise for me, but it would be the smallest one. Or so I hoped.

Source: jucato.logbert.org