One of the more well-known names in the world of Linux, at least among consumers, is Ubuntu. But what everyone may have forgotten is that alongside the desktop version of Ubuntu Linux, developer Canonical also launched a mobile operating system called Ubuntu Touch.
The mobile project started in 2011 and has since gone on to feature on a handful of tablets and smartphones, with BQ and Meizu being the two most prominent companies offering Ubuntu Touch devices. However, Canonical decided earlier this month that Ubuntu Touch as a project was ending, but no dates were given.
Now, responding to a request for further information from NetworkWorld, Canonical shared its timetable.
All remaining updates to Ubuntu Touch will be focused on critical fixes and security patches only, and those updates will cease to be released in June this year. All devices running Ubuntu Touch will continue to function as normal after that, but no further updates will be available.
Ubuntu Touch also includes access to an app store. That will continue to be available to both users and developers of the apps until the end of December this year. So developers can continue updating their apps and users can continue to download and install updates. But as we enter 2018, the app store will be shutdown completely.
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Allowing just a two month window between an end of support announcement and critical updates ending suggests the amount of active Ubuntu Touch devices out there is tiny. However, it's still a shame this alternative to Android and iOS didn't really take off.
If you are one of the few remaining Ubuntu Touch users and want to continue to use it, ensure you get the last few updates from Canonical before June. Then you'll have a few more months to decide which apps to install before the ecosystem disappears completely.
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