Ubuntu Touch, GPRS, HotSpot
===========================

As I don't have the regular internet connection now (and this situation
seems to remain  unchanged for some time)  a wanted to try  a setup for
situations when  some sort of  such connections will be  necessary. You
know, sometimes it is needed to send an e-mail or two and so on.

I still have the BQ Aquaris E4.5 phone (the Ubuntu Edition one). The BQ
is no  more and the Ubuntu  Touch is no  better. So I runt  the UBports
[1]]  here (it's  a continuation  of  the original  Ubuntu Touch).  The
UBPorts people have been planning to obsolete this phone and to cut off
its support but it is still  supported (it will happen when they rebase
their system  from the Ubuntu 16.04  to the Ubuntu 20.04  - fortunately
for me they are still unable to finish this task due to some problems).
The phone itself is not in the best condition - it is obviously 7 years
old,  with adequate  number  of  scratches and  dents  and  with a  bad
battery. Anyway, it works enough to serve as an WiFi hotspot.

Setting up the  WiFi hotspot is very easy in  the Ubuntu Touch/UBPorts.
One just need to  enable the GSM data (I use the GPRS  thing as the 2nd
generation  network still  work but  the 3rd  generation one  is mostly
phased out) and to start the WiFi Hotspot function (it only asked for a
network name and the password and that is all).


I have been using an another  Ubuntu Touch device as the "desktop": the
BQ Aquaris M10  FHD tablet. A nice 10" tablet  with 1920x1080 screen. I
have had connected a  keyboards (something from the HP -  it is not bad
and has  an acceptable number  of keys) and  the Lenovo laser  mouse (I
have no other  Bluetooth mouse, I think). They have  been connected via
the Bluetooth. Using  Bluetooth peripherals with the Ubuntu  Touch is a
fun -  if they are not  read AND ACTIVE  (one should move the  mice and
press keyboard  keys from time  to time)  during Ubuntu boot  then they
most likely will not be accepted at run time. Don't ask me why but both
of my Ubuntu Touch devices behave in this way.

But when everything  starts then I can connect to  my hotspot and enjoy
the internet.

I consumed about 9 MB in two  days, by the way (some text-only e-mails,
some downloads  of weather  forecast and  some Gopher  browsing).I even
opened one or two static WWW sites and downloaded some RSS feeds. And I
felt that is enough...

Written on the PSION MC600 in the Vim 5.


References:

[1] http://ubports.com