The promised “Ubuntu for Smartphones” images and open source code for the “Touch Developer Preview of Ubuntu” will be published and made available on Thursday, February 21, for the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 smartphones.
The aim of the release of the images according to Canonical, the company founded by South African Mark Shuttleworth responsible for the development of the Ubuntu operating system, is to encourage “enthusiasts and developers, to familiarise themselves with Ubuntu’s smartphone experience and develop applications on spare handsets”.
Pat McGowan, of Ubuntu, said: “Our platform supports a wide range of screen sizes and resolutions. Developers who have experience bringing up phone environments will find it relatively easy to port Ubuntu to current handsets.
“We look forward to adding support for additional devices for everyday testing and experimentation.”
Ubuntu 13.10, due to launch in October 2013, “will include a complete entry-level smartphone experience” seeing the company offer an operating system that can run on an entry level smartphone, advanced smartphone, tablet, TV, computer and server.
Shuttleworth said: “This release marks the threshold of wider engagement – both with industry and community.
“For developers, contributors and partners, there is now a coherent experience that warrants attention. The cleanest, most stylish mobile interface around.”
Ubuntu advises enthusiasts and developers to visit wiki.ubuntu.com/TouchInstallProcess where the installation process and a list of supported devices will be maintained at and updated as new devices are added.
