Plasma Mobile (PM)

PM is a whole different beast compared to UT.
Night and day comparison.
There is a lot of ability to delve into the OS ,
from slider bars in settings to resize icons, running apps ...etc...
akin to a "zoom" slider ...so to speak..
this is a great idea ..

it needs preset "levels" though...it would a lot easier for the nexus 5 to handle the strain ...if PM had these in the resizing department...
such as 640x480, 800x480, 1024x720, desktop presets...
whatever works best in relation to standard desktop apps that run at their more native size in relation...
(ie: maemo manages ok with x11 progs at 800x480 ....though some apps could display a little bigger ...on our handhelds...
Of course the option to use x11 apps at 1400 res on your nexus 5 with mouse keyboard slimport and a nice huge 50" flat screen is a nice option.... with a display that much larger...)
anyway ...such would be an addition which would help..not just the user but the running OS understand and accommodate a memory of said levels and be able to flex better when used than currently the taxing and straining method on the system.

There is a lot to mess with PM, and it is easy to overtax it by playing with the functions and maxing them out.

Some few reviews have complained of the icons or how the presentation of the "bars" are..
such reviews.. I find not relevant ..icons can be changed.
Most reviews had complaints not from issues on device...but running the mobile os in a sandbox on their pc...which has been stated is NOT relate-able at all to the experience on device...
It wasn't really meant for the pc at all...
So such reviews and their findings are simply not relevant ..

it is elegantly clean and simple interface.
the time from start up to allow the wifi to start searching for a new connection takes time.
But once connected is solid.
The same goes for connection / response times for any of the drop down options..they take time due to running processes after start up.

PM managed (and I am surprised) to deliver their greedily consuming OS onto a device that has only 2gb of ram and 4gb of root, and (now) a modest cpu.
I dare hazard that given 3,gb of ram , or 4gb, or 6gb, or 8gb, and a bigger cpu ...that it wouldn't utilize whatever thrown at it too.
It is not what I would consider a modest or lean OS with accompanying low resource de and wm..
That has it at a disadvantage, since I have heard more than once that lag, stalling, freezing and crashes have occurred to people when using some progs on PM on Nexus 5.

-The list of stuff that can be installed is truly staggering.

ever just longed to be able to install desktop x11 apps from the repos ...on your phone... and just fire them up?
I mean really?
without the nightmare of dealing with god knows what issue first , during or after?
PM does it better so far... than anybody in this race.

- yet again the issue challenge confronting the team is the "res to x11 app disparity"
and finding a way to either make a program that either automatically resizes the resolution to accommodate the app or resizes the app to accommodate the resolution.
-POSSIBLY there is some x11 app tucked away somewhere in the bowels of the the desktop repos that is an excellent temporary or permanent fix that either manually or automatically can adjust settings....that is a perfect fit for the need...
-just gotta find it, (modify it if necessary for the handheld platform), install, run, and lastly utilize it.
God only knows what can be achieved now..

-Term update upgrading ran like a dream with no issues.

-The wifi works fine once connected, camera works fine, video has same issues as it's competitors at this time, BT works fine.

-Telephony would not recog my sim.
That may be due to a number of factors..
(I know that sounds cryptic left like that....but...)
Due to the most important issue that PM faces
((and that impacts the ability at this time to state (what with certainty does and does not work))
IS:
-a serious walkthrough that is current ,
-with proper installation instruction that is current.
-with proper installation components that are current.

Since the fact which affirmed my suspicions was seconded by fw190
TWRP is indeed old (the one that handles everything automatically for official installation)
and I am certain now that many of the problems encountered during and after install by many in the PM forum,
-from not installing at all,
-to not installing properly,
-to all kinds of problems experienced afterwards..

is due in some greater or lesser part to the antiquated version of TWRP.

I know that now.

I tried a few other methods of install,
one being with the most recent TWRP and it installed like a dream.
I remember that .

I have reinstalled it many times now,.. seeing effect of installation methods.
and now believe that depending on how ugly the install went (by what methods used) determines just how bad the problems will be that one will face afterwards..

Now I just have to remember where I put the sheet with the instructions with that particular method that worked so well

Once a proper install is done.
and you have wifi connected.
and you have gotten root on the device..
and you have set up ssh
then resize the root from 4 to 6gb
you'll need it.
then promptly update and upgrade in term
and have fun
-transferring files is not drag-n-drop friendly, one has to follow some simple instruction instead.

it's odd really..
The installation packages (ie: TWRP for example) are outdated.
however.. the team has been very thorough in keeping the OS updated.

Until I do a proper reinstall again with the method that seemed to install properly...(still looking for the sheet around here in the papers... )
I cannot fully trust that whatever lag or issues of non-functionality issues others have experienced or my own experiences... are not in fact ...
the product of flawed installations.

Once I do a proper install again and test function instead of testing install methods or playing and exploring ....(it is hard to resist )....
I will be able to say yea or nay to some issues.



Even so, it won't change the impact on my final thoughts on PM here. Nor the conclusion I have come to...
All that is left is the 3 OS's to write up.
And those will be far more brief than the UT or PM posts here.


Here is the official install instructions for PM :
https://www.plasma-mobile.org/neon-a...erence-rootfs/
I DO NOT SUGGEST YOU USE IT THE WAY IT IS.
since it will automatically use the outdated TWRP in it.
Rather everyone post all at once in their forum to update their install procedure and I sure they will get right on it.
In the mean time I would suggest stripping away the outdated TWRP and using the latest TWRP instead (I did) and install it and then the other needed bits...(I have no idea where that sheet on what I did right went to...).

You can use the outdated TWRP ...your device won't explode or start singing Madonna songs to you...just expect weird and unexpected results...anytime you wipe and do it again.

And believe me I have wiped and reinstalled PM more times than any other OS on any other device...
Why go through all that if PM seems so unstable?
I don't believe it is actually unstable...
In part it is due to the mad monkeying I have done..
and in part...I can't help it...I REALLY want to get in there and tear the engine apart and see what stuff does
So ...once I screw with it ....I just wipe and start fresh...
and if it gets loopy or begins acting far to weird due to what I KNOW I have done ( ) ...
I just follow the basic instruction on the bottom of the 1st post....
and in a heartbeat you have your old android os fully flashed and on it again..at factory state...
to wait for you to get itchy for going back into PM again



here is the step by step walk through for the concerned ..for PM by addictive tips:
https://www.addictivetips.com/androi...exus-5-and-5x/

be aware that there is a typo with the command "fastboot format userdat" ...put an "a" on the end of it...its supposed to be "userdata"

Also....be aware that you can choose at the end to simply use "./pm-flash" or "./pm-flash -p neon" or "./pm-flash -p arch"

Be aware lastly that this procedure STILL uses that bloody antiquated TWRP



and this is a link to ...well...really the only tips there are for post installation:
https://community.kde.org/Plasma/Mobile

and once I either find that damn sheet ..(have so many here with varying tested instructions..) ...with the method I got that did perfect installs...
I will post it...
or worst case...have to try to remember how I did it and write it down again




next up......