[release notes] Kvarken 4.1.0

jovirkku · 20 April 2021 07:04

Many thanks to you our active contributors for your feedback and proposals.

Table of content

Table of content

Update version history

2021-05-12: 4.1.0.23 was released to Early Access subscribers.
2021-05-24: 4.1.0.24 was released to Early Access subscribers. Some issues on Xperia 10 II fixed, including:
- front camera in WhatsApp video call
- mobile data after two restarts of Android support
- opening office documents
2021-05-27: 4.1.0.24 was released to all users of Jolla C, Jolla Tablet, Xperia and Gemini devices.

Size of update

The download size of the update depends on the device type and on the OS version currently in the device. Some typical values below:

Jolla C from 4.0.1 to 4.1.0: about 460 MB
Xperia X from 4.0.1 to 4.1.0: about 420 MB
Xperia XA2 from 4.0.1 to 4.1.0: about 730 MB
Xperia 10 from 4.0.1 to 4.1.0: about 770 MB

Stop release

Yes, 4.1.0 is a stop release.

Device models supported by Sailfish X

Jolla Phone is not supported anymore. OS release 3.4.0 was the last one for this device launched 7 years ago. The lowest supported kernel version of Sailfish 4 in the remaining Sailfish OS devices is 3.10. It is in Jolla C, Jolla Tablet and Xperia X

The instructions for installing Sailfish OS to Sony Xperia X, Xperia XA2, Xperia 10, and Xperia 10 II (mark 2) devices are here - covering Windows, Linux, and macOS computers.

The free trial version of Sailfish OS is available for Xperia 10 II devices now in the early access phase. The commercial licences will be launched when OS release 4.1.0 rolls out to all users.

Read this, please, to learn about the Sailfish X licence.

The supported Sony Xperia 10 II models are:

10 II (mark 2) single-SIM: XQ-AU51
10 II (mark 2) dual-SIM: XQ-AU52

The supported Sony Xperia 10 models are:

10 single-SIM: I3113 and I3123
10 dual-SIM: I4113 and I4193
10 Plus single-SIM: I3213 and I3223
10 Plus dual-SIM: I4213 and I4293

The supported Sony Xperia XA2 models are:

XA2 single SIM H3113 (also H3123, H3133)
XA2 dual SIM H4113 (also H4133)
XA2 Ultra single SIM H3213 (also H3223)
XA2 Ultra dual SIM H4213 (also H4233)
XA2 Plus single SIM H3413
XA2 Plus dual SIM H4413 (also H4493)

The supported Sony Xperia X models are X single SIM F5121 and X dual SIM F5122

The supported Gemini PDA models are x25 and x27.

Contributions

Several of the key improvements in this release were developed in collaboration with Open Mobile Platform for Aurora OS. Jolla appreciates the collaborative efforts of its partners and community to make Sailfish OS even better.

Release Highlights

The list below contains examples of new features (and some bug fixes) added to Sailfish OS, compared to the previous public release 4.0.1. The release notes of 4.0.1 can be found here.

3rd party API and apps

Basic support for app deep linking and custom URL handling: an app can register service-specific hostnames (e.g. twitter.com) to the app – then clicks on URLs will offer the app for opening the link
Signal messaging app gets the contacts from Sailfish now
Aptoide Store (Android apps store) updated to the latest version in Jolla Store

Accounts

Google Contacts API will be deprecated in June 2021 - Sailfish OS adapted to use the Google People API, instead
Fixed the syncing of the favourite status of Google contacts
People and Email apps can now open the dialogue for signing in to a Google account. This eliminates the problem of importing contacts.
Allow skipping authentication when creating CalDAV/CardDAV account
Fallback URL introduced for CalDAV/CardDAV account authentication if the default root path is not supported

Ambiences

Added the option to reset a platform ambience to default values
Removed explicit ringtone level by default from ambiences. The ambience switch should not then override the volume levels. On old devices, ambience resets are needed to get the new defaults.

Android App Support (Xperia XA2, 10 and 10 II)

Android App Support of Xperia XA2, Xperia 10, and Xperia 10 II is now on the level of Android 10 (API level 29)
Support for 64-bit Android apps added for Xperia 10 II
Signal messaging apps can get the contacts from Sailfish now
Rotation of Android apps fixed (it follows the option chosen at Settings > Display > Orientation)
Notification banners from Android App Support, showing the success or failure of installing sideloaded APK files, is fixed (which solves the issue of installing 64bit APKs from APKpure by mistake)
Installing APKs at Settings > System > Transfers fixed
NOTE: An increasing number of Android apps are implemented in the 64-bit architecture which is only supported by Xperia 10 II. Please make sure that you download 32-bit variants of the APKs for other devices.

Audio recorder

This new app belongs to the default apps of Sailfish now. You can get it from Jolla Store. A brief manual is included in the app intro in the Store.

Backup & Restore

Uploading backups to OneDrive fixed

Browser

CAPTCHA fixed in sailfish-components-webview
Translated the sentence where the Browser asks for confirmation on whether to remember the login details for a website
It is possible now to install new search engines from Browser settings using OpenSearch support
Browser data migration (bookmarks etc.) improved

Calculator

Scientific mode added to portrait orientation. Swipe up over calculations to open the panel with scientific operations.

Calendar

Fix for event sync failures. Allows calendar sync to continue after an error (thanks to Damien Caliste)
With Google calendar, down-synced exceptions to all-day recurring events are handled better now
Fix for showing down-synced Google events in Calendar
Elimination of duplicate Google events from Calendar
Birthdays appear in the Calendar again
Upsyncing locally-created dissociations for recurring calendar events to Google account fixed
Indicate to the user if a Microsoft Exchange calendar event email contains a cancellation

Camera

Make long URLs from a QR code wrap

Clock

Snooze notifications are removed from the Events view if the alarm is cancelled or otherwise edited

Connectivity

Addblocking fixed by bringing hostname resolution files back to Internet permissions
Support for creating L2TP and PPTP VPN connection from file added. The supported formats are now (x)l2tpd .conf file (and accompanying pppd config file, if present), and windows dial-up .pbk files
Support for NFC-DEP added
Switching users while having an MTP connection is handled correctly now
Support for Fortinet VPNs. Requires installation of package jolla-settings-networking-plugin-vpn-openfortivpn. Will also be available from the Store.

Developer mode

Fingerterm got translations
Fingerterm does not forget the commands used in the previous sessions
Fingerterm got the option for the keyboard to be fixed open
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS is now set in the SSH terminal

Email

Sending email messages in IPv6 network fixed

Flashing (installing Sailfish X)

Flashing scripts of Linux and Mac improved. They work now with recent fastboot versions, too.

Home screen

Image preview shown on screenshot notifications now
Fix Lock Screen Events not following orientation changes (issue on tablets)
Fix app wallpaper pattern flicker during peeking

Gallery

Showing image details from all local sources supported (e.g. images opened from Gallery grid, Mime handler and cloud services)
Allow zoomed content dimensions to become smaller than flickable in image cropping
Fix rotating images without file name suffix

Localisation

Slovak keyboard and text input improved

Location service (GNSS)

Support for MLS offline data is available as installable apps in Jolla Store (see below). Install the data of your area to make the phone get the location coordinates faster.
- Positioning - Australia
- Positioning - Eastern Europe
- Positioning - India
- Positioning - Northern Europe
- Positioning - Southern Europe
- Positioning - Western Europe
Recommended location settings:
- Settings > System > Location > Custom settings: ON
- Settings > System > Location > Select custom settings:
  - GPS positioning: ON
  - Offline position lock: ON
  - Online position lock: OFF

Messages

Improvements to Message conversation page opening performance

Notifications

The outcome from installing APK files is shown with notifications, again

People

Google Contacts API will be deprecated in June 2021 - Sailfish OS modified to use the Google People API, instead
Signal messaging app gets the contacts from the People app now
Signing in to a Google account for importing contacts was fixed
Adding contacts at the People tab of the Phone app fixed. The keyboard comes up now.
Several small fixes for the functionality of the People app

Phone

Fix for the issue of the SIM selection menu disappearing when trying to call a contact/number from the History tab
Recording of phone calls fixed
Reboot button for “Calling is not available” fixed

Sailfish core and middleware

Tens of packages were upgraded

Sandboxing (app isolation)

Continued to eliminate side-effects caused by isolation
Security glitches fixed

Security

Vulnerabilities fixed:
gnu-grep 3.6+git1 : CVE-2012-5667
libidn discarded to fix: CVE-2015-2059
openconnect 8.10+git1: CVE-2020-12823
qemu-usermode 5.1.0+git1: CVE-2020-10717, CVE-2020-10761, CVE-2020-13253, CVE-2020-13361, CVE-2020-13362, CVE-2020-13659, CVE-2020-13754, CVE-2020-13791, CVE-2020-13800, CVE-2020-14364
systemd 238+git4: CVE-2020-1712
vim 8.2: CVE-2019-12735

Settings

Changing device language does not affect the chosen tones anymore
Adding a new user via Top Menu fixed

Storage

Showing application-specific disk use of Android apps in Settings > Apps > {app-name} improved

Store

Aptoide icon appears now in the App grid after installing it from the Jolla store
Platform app descriptions and screenshots in Store will receive an update (published in sync with the release)
Show screenshots without cropping in app page

Text input

You can now long-press the period “.” character to type exclamation “!” and question marks “?”
Slovak keyboard and text input improved
Keyboard layout mixup after orientation change fixed

Updating the OS

Update warning on potentially conflicting packages was rephrased to less alarming

VPN

Support for creating L2TP and PPTP VPN connection from file added. The supported formats are now (x)l2tpd .conf file (and accompanying pppd config file, if present), and windows dial-up .pbk files
Fortinet VPN can be installed from Jolla Store as a separate app. During the installation, it will be integrated into the list of “Settings > VPN > Add new VPN” eventually
Opening Fortinet dialogue in VPN settings fixed

Device specific improvements

Xperia 10

Random reboots on Xperia 10 got a fix
Compass improved

Sailfish OS Forum and T.J.C: Issues reported by the community and fixed in this update

Technical changes

Changelog

The detailed changelog is here.

Updating your device

Your device must be connected to the Internet and signed into your Jolla account. If your Jolla account is registered for Early Access releases you should receive an OS update notification when an update is available. If you have decided not to take the Early Access registration then you will get the OS update typically one week later.

We warmly recommend making some 3-4 GB of free space to the internal storage of your device ( /home ) before starting the update. Processing an OS update of almost 1 GB requires a good amount of work area. Move your pictures and videos to the SD card (or to your PC or cloud service).

This is the usual drill before attempting to update your devices:

Take a backup of your data before attempting to update your device and save the backup to an SD card or to some other off-device location (PC, your cloud service). Note that videos and images are not included in cloud-based backups. Do not reboot the device while the update is in progress. Do keep the phone connected to a battery charger during the whole process. The device screen may blank out during the update process; you may waken the display by a short press on the power key to monitor the progress.

For detailed instructions on updating software, read our help article in Zendesk.

NOTE 1:

Sailfish OS does not support downgrading. Never try to downgrade the OS as this would break your device.

NOTE 2:

After downloading an update and selecting “Install” in the pulley menu, the device runs a restart first. In the case of a device with the user-space encrypted, you will need to type the security code before the actual installation can start.

NOTE 3:

Because the previous Sailfish OS release 4.0.1.48 was a so-called Stop Release, you can update your phone only from that release to 4.1.0.xx. In other words, if your phone happens to have one of the earlier releases in it, you must first install 4.0.1.48 and only then 4.1.0.xx. This is guided by the UI in “Settings > System > Sailfish OS updates” but you will need to take care of it yourself if you install the update at the command line.

Notification concerning apps from Open Repos

The apps below have been reported to cause problems when installing the previous OS updates. We recommend that you uninstall them before proceeding to the OS update.

The Dynamic calendar and clock icons by fravaccaro have been reported to prevent the Calendar and Clock apps from starting. This issue can be eliminated by devel-su; pkcon remove harbour-dyncal harbour-dynclock
If you use Privoxy, be sure to disable it before downloading the update, especially if you have configured https-inspection
If you use Aliendalvik Control update it to the latest version 9.3.x first or else you will not be able to use your phone. See the author’s instructions.
If you use Storeman update it to the latest version first
If you use Phonehook or Callrecorder uninstall it before upgrading
If you use OKBoard, please remove it.

About SD cards

Encrypted cards must be unlocked by the user to make them available for Sailfish applications.
Non-encrypted cards are mounted automatically when the device is turned on.
Encrypted cards can be formatted only when they are locked. Formatting removes the encryption in this case (the card becomes unencrypted and unmounted). You can then format it again with the option to encrypt if needed.

Known issues - generic

Sailfish can connect Bluetooth Low Energy devices. However, Android apps cannot use peripheral devices via Bluetooth - other than for playback of the sound. Therefore smartwatches, for instance, cannot be controlled from Android apps, unfortunately.
Signing into Dropbox works via Google only. So, after triggering the sign-in at “Settings > Accounts > Dropbox” and the browser page dropbox.com appears, tap “Sign in with Google” (if you have a Google account).
An invalid warning and request to uninstall all system packages will appear if the previous OS version 4.0.1 is flashed to a device without installing the default Sailfish apps, followed by the download of the current OS version 4.1.0. This warning looks scary but it is just a warning. It should be okay to continue downloading and installing the OS update in the normal manner, i.e., you can ignore the warning. To avoid the warning, enabling the developer mode and running devel-su; pkcon refresh before downloading 4.1.0 may prevent the warning from appearing.
QR code reader can recognise only the 2-dimensional code that has squares in 3 corners (for positioning).
[ developers only ] connman-test package is broken (does not install) for devices freshly flashed with 4.1.0, because dbus-python is no longer available (requires python2). All still works if updating from 3.4.0 as in this case the old dbus-python (if it exists in rootfs) will be used.

Known issues to Android App Support 10 - Xperia 10 II, Xperia 10, and Xperia XA2

Android apps cannot use peripheral devices via Bluetooth - other than for playback of the sound. Therefore smartwatches, for instance, cannot be controlled byk Android apps.
The ‘old’ version of the Aptoide Store app cannot install anything anymore on Android 10. Please update the Aptoide app on your phone by downloading and installing the new version from Jolla Store - it will show a notification about Aptoide update if you have installed it from the Jolla Store in the past
Update your APKpure app to its latest version, to 3.17.19 or later.
After installing Android App Support, please restart your phone to make mobile data available for your Android apps.

Known issues specific to Xperia 10 II

Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with the Predictive text input on this phone yet. We are working on this, though. Expected in one of the next OS updates.
The Sailfish Camera app does not support the three rear cameras of this product, yet. Only one camera is supported. However, every camera is available at the middleware level for other apps to use, e.g., Advanced Camera. Android “Open Camera” can use the 3 cameras, too.
White balance & light sensitivity selectors do not work on Sailfish Camera
Mobile data over 3G and 2G connections might not work. LTE/4G does work.
Top edge swipes in landscape orientation may not work so well
5 GHz WLAN signal reception is weaker than should be
While restarting the phone for the 1st time after completing the startup wizard, Xperia 10 II tends to lose the saved WiFi network(s). This does not happen on the following restarts, though . Also, the first restart may harm your sign-in to your accounts. To avoid problems, please restart your phone after completing the startup wizard. Then, sign in to your WLAN and accounts.
Wired headsets currently work as headphones during voice calls so one needs to talk into the phone’s microphone during voice calls if a headset is in use
Sidetone feature is not perfectly calibrated, and sidetone volume can be a bit high in wired accessories during voice calls
There is no partition for the factory-reset image on Xperia 10 II. Therefore there is no option for the factory reset in the Settings. Instead of resetting the phone, it can be reflashed. [This is not actually an issue but can be perceived as such.]
NOTE: Those who have installed 4.1.0 to their Xperia 10 II, used the phone with the free trial licence and installed some Android apps from Jolla Store (Aptoide, Here WeGo) already when there is no Android App Support on the phone: after buying the licence, you must uninstall the Android apps first. Only then can you install Android App Support.

Known issues specific to Xperia 10 [ no changes here ]

Features not yet implemented: FM radio, double-tap wakeup, support for dual camera, RTC Alarms.
Rarely, audio playback and sensors (display rotation) may stop working. If this happens, please restart the device
In some cases, the acceptance of the PIN code of a SIM card may take up to 5…20 seconds
White balance and HDR (of the camera) do not work.
The phone may not turn off by applying the Power key or the Top Menu. A forced power down goes like this: press both the Volume Up and Power keys down. Keep them down for 20-30 sec until the vibrator plays 3 times - now release the keys.
Transitions related to network switching 4G > 3G (call begins) and 3G > 4G (call ends) may take time on some networks. Getting the data connection via 4G back might require extra actions in the worst cases. Normally, in most networks, these transitions take few seconds on Xperia 10.

Known issues specific to Xperia XA2

Not implemented features: FM radio, double-tap wakeup, RTC Alarms
Bluetooth: there are problems in connecting to some peripheral devices
XA2 does not power up when alarm time has elapsed
Flashing Sailfish X to XA2 might still fail (so far seen to happen on Ubuntu 18.04 when using USB3 port). Please read this article.
With v17B Sony vendor image we observed a decrease in the perceived signal strength of the 5 GHz WLAN access points (investigations ongoing). Version v16 may work better in this respect. Therefore we would not recommend flashing v17B for the time being if you use WLAN networks in the 5 GHz band. You can reflash the vendor image of your choice by following the instructions in here.
Some XA2 devices suffer from the loss of audio during voice calls. Reported here.

Known issues specific to Xperia X [ no changes here ]

Not implemented features: FM radio, double-tap wakeup, step counter, RTC Alarms
Issues with mobile data persist on some SIM cards. Turn the Flight mode on and off to reset the network setup. Reverting the device to Android and re-installing Sailfish X has often helped. See our support article.
[camera] Force autofocus mode for photos, and continuous for video. After this, camera focus is still not ideal - as the camera stays out of focus when it starts until you either tap or try to take a shot - but the pictures seem to be better focused now
Bluetooth: problems with some car equipment, some audio devices and computers may appear
The loudspeaker volume level cannot be adjusted very high
Not all SD cards are recognized and mounted.

Known issues specific to Jolla Tablet [ no changes here ]

There is no progress bar during the installation phase of OS upgrades. This makes it difficult to follow if it makes progress or not. However, if there are no problems the device will restart itself in the end - please wait patiently. If you feel that you have waited enough, wait for yet another 20 minutes before you turn off the device to allow some more time for it to complete the job. Interrupting too early may break the tablet.
Taking screenshots is broken. Pressing the VOL keys together seems to create an image but it cannot be viewed in Gallery.

Known issues specific to Gemini PDA

OS update to 4.1.0 seems to break the audio functions on Gemini
Features not yet implemented: double-tap wakeup, RTC Alarms
Gemini Screenshot Button Fn + X does not work
Not possible to answer calls when Gemini is closed with side button
Some 3rd party apps have issues in Landscape mode.

santhoshmanikandan · 12 May 2021 11:23

Thanks for the release. So does that mean older devices(XA2, X10) will remain with 32-bit and only newer devices will be 64-bit.

adekker · 12 May 2021 11:59

There no longer is a conflict with SystemMonitor (confirmed after installing this update). As with most other apps mentioned, issues where resolved soon after the first 4.x release. So please check first before posting a list of malfunction apps.

rinigus · 12 May 2021 12:33

Predictive text is available for aarch64 via open-source solution at https://openrepos.net/user/12231/programs . Add the repository in OpenRepos, select the language you are interested in, and the rest will be installed.

If you miss a language, see https://github.com/sailfish-keyboard/presage for how to generate the corresponding database.

PS: @adekker - thanks for pointing it out. Same goes for SystemDataScope and collectd. Looks like they just keep copy-and-paste between instructions and never look for rechecking it.

martijntje · 12 May 2021 12:37

After installing the update my XA2 Plus rebooted and then it was stuck on the white SONY logo. After 15 minutes it was still stuck there. No idea why, and force-rebooting (volume-up + power) made it work again. Now it seems fine.

dragonchaser · 12 May 2021 13:15

Had almost the same issue on my 10+, but I got stuck on the security pin entry (black screen ,the first one to decrypt ~.

amaretzek · 12 May 2021 14:00

Top menu, “Favorite ambiences”: My understanding is that only the fav ambiences show up in the “Top menu”. On my XA2 (test device) all of them show up… ???

Fuzzillogic · 12 May 2021 14:05

And if XA2/10 remain 32-bit only, what’s the reason?

adekker · 12 May 2021 15:07

libicui18n.so.66 got updated to libicui18n.so.68. Several apps like osmscout-server will downgrade because of this. Guess it is waiting for the new sdk for a recompile.

jollajo · 12 May 2021 15:09

Once again the update is huge and the available memory on the rootfs is tiny. I wish Jolla would give us some tool or at least a hint what to do to cleanup rootfs.
Instead I collect and move plenty of files and directories, such as locale, i18n, etc and risk that the system will end up in a unusable state.

Cmdr_Zod · 12 May 2021 15:20

So no big version bump of the browser engine with this update?

amaretzek · 12 May 2021 15:21

I did:

ln -s /usr/lib/libicui18n.so.68 /usr/lib/libicui18n.so.66
ln -s /usr/lib/libicudata.so.68 /usr/lib/libicudata.so.66
ln -s /usr/lib/libicuuc.so.68 /usr/lib/libicuuc.so.66
rpm -i --nodeps Downloads/harbour-osmscout-server-2.0.0-1.137.1.jolla_.armv7hl.rpm

mettska · 12 May 2021 15:26

I flashed two Xperia 10 ii without any problem with the free version of SFX. Thanks, the image is really apreciate, my XA2 and the X of my gf are dying.

orangecat · 12 May 2021 15:43

No issues updating Gemini PDA

Though, my issues with Nextcloud still exist

jprostko · 12 May 2021 15:56

Anybody having an issue with the screen going black when replying (and sometimes opening) an SMS message after the upgrade to 4.1.0? If so, any workaround or resolution for that issue?

EDIT: For anybody else experiencing a black screen upon text input (all Sailfish and Android apps), I found a resolution to the problem. While I had uninstalled OKBoard before starting the upgrade via rpm -e --noscripts okboard-full, this apparently left something behind that caused issues. To fix, I reinstalled okboard via pkcon install okboard-full, followed by pkcon remove okboard-full to remove it once more. After this procedure was done, text input worked as it should.

jollajo · 12 May 2021 16:30

My phone is stuck in the black screen showing the Sailfish OS logo and text and the progress bar that went to max. It is there now for 15 minutes. Should I enforce a reboot by pressing the power button?

orangecat · 12 May 2021 16:33

On X10ii, I had the screen going black (not 100%, can still see what’s on the screen), after playing with the camera and going to the home screen.
Phone stuck, and I had to reboot with volume up + power.

jovirkku · 12 May 2021 16:33

Wait for another 15 minutes, just to be on the safe side. Then use the Power key.
If this is Jolla C then that kind of slowness is familiar. Xperias should complete the update faster.

jovirkku · 12 May 2021 16:39

@adekker: Thanks for reporting. I have removed the mention of System Monitor from the release notes now. Apolologies for the incorrect claim in the notes. The are indeed copy-pasted from the release notes of the previous release. We do not have resources for testing 3rd party apps and their different versions and combinations. What we can do is to remove (or add) the apps that do not cause or do cause problems - based on your reports. If this is done in the early access phase then most of the users will not see the incorrect disclaimers.

jollajo · 12 May 2021 16:51

Power key didn’t do anything even pressing for 10+ secs.
So I pressed Vol+ and Power for several seconds and after a reboot everything seems to be fine.

Thanks for the support!

Btw it’s a XA2+