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Dual-Core phone? Meet Ubuntu!

I put Ubuntu on my 3D in August - I think this is pretty cool, and will make the installation accessible to many others.

I can launch Ubuntu, still have my Android up and using Android apps, and VNC into Ubuntu from my laptop. Pretty handy. Pics or it didn't happen:

http://androidforums.com/evo-3d-all-things-root/387978-ubuntu-linux-3vo.html

This installation is focused on docking and will make things easier for most. I'd first read of people running Linux on Android in 2010, but didn't take the plunge until I had a dual-core and others had plowed the ground a bit more to make the installation workable.
 
Yeah, I definitely think that this will be really cool. I would fully support this - and the idea for businesses is really cool. Especially for people who travel a lot, access on your mobile, on the laptop attachment, and on the desktop dock.

I'm wondering how similar it would be to what you are running, would ubuntu just be another process running on android, or would they be fully combined, into an Ubuntu/Android hybrid OS?

Either way it's cool. I'm pretty excited for this!
 
Very Interesting :) .It's a killer move by Canonical . Rather than focusing on integration of all devices ,they are integrating everything in one device .Awesome :) .
 
It will be interesting to see the choice of smartphones by corporates .

On one hand the devices may have locked bootloaders ,on the other they will need a faster upgrade cycle like the nexus.

I hope to see a "ubuntu ready" smartphone tag .
 
I guess Canonical is sponsoring it but I wish another distro would do this also, such as Debian, Slackware or Fedora.

Just my opinion.
 
I just put BackTrack on Kang25 this morning but this is a little different, this is solely using your phone as a PC in the docking station... Plus, did that say coming in 2014?
 
The current concept. Plug your Android phone into a dock link to a monitor, keyboard and mouse and you have a Linux desktop.

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Running Linux on one of these would be interesting:

2i0w4dy.jpg


Basically, it will bring the ability to install Ubuntu Linux on Android phones. When used as a phone, the Android OS will be used. When plugged into a dock with a monitor, keyboard and mouse, it uses your phone as a CPU for a Ubuntu desktop.

We now have a few more details. This effort is further along than we expected. Slashdot reports that in the demo, using a Motorola Atrix,when it's docked into a laptop or desktop setup, the full version of Ubuntu is used, "with files, apps and other functionality such as voice calls and texting (are) shared between the two — for example, if a text message is sent to the phone when it's docked, the SMS pops up in Ubuntu, while calls can be received or made from the desktop."

PCWorld reports "that Ubuntu for Android will come preloaded on smartphones." So you wont be able to download this from the Android Market. You will need a device which designed around this.

When will we see these devices?
“It really depends on (Android phone manufacturers),” she said. “We're ready to go.”
​
Phonearena writes:
What we couldn't have seen coming was that Canonical would not only bring Ubuntu as a player to the game, but give us a sneak peek into the future of computing. And, we mean all computing, not just desktop or mobile. This is the future.

​
We could not agree more.
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Source: Mobile Raptor: Ubuntu for Android: The future of all computing
 
As a 13 year Linux user this is like a dream come true - EXCEPT...
OEM manufacturers will have to get on board and pre-load it on devices for it to have a significant impact. This has always been the biggest obstacle to large-scale adoption of desktop Linux. As long as it requires geek-centric activity like unlocking bootloaders, rooting, OS installation etc. it will never be more than a niche product.
 
Crashdamage said:
As a 13 year Linux user this is like a dream come true - EXCEPT...
OEM manufacturers will have to get on board and pre-load it on devices for it to have a significant impact. This has always been the biggest obstacle to large-scale adoption of desktop Linux. As long as it requires geek-centric activity like unlocking bootloaders, rooting, OS installation etc. it will never be more than a niche product.
Click to expand...

+1 on this point!

I like the idea of a phone that can turn into a desktop as described, but I'm not sure that having 2 separate OSs is the way to do it. I mean, Android is based on Linux anyway so, to me anyway, a better way would be to have just the one OS but have a desktop "plug-in" (call it that, or an "extension", whatever) that was activated when you plugged into a "desktop dock", like the Motorola Atrix and it's 'lapdock' (or whatever they call it). The "plug-in would turn Android into a fully functional desktop Linux variant so you could run things like Libreoffice, but also have full access to all the phone functions, data and apps. you had available on the "phone only" Android.

The hardware is definitely there to run it (4+1 core Tegras, Qualcomm Kraits, etc etc), the trick, as always, would be the software. If they pulled it off you could do away with your laptop and just run this.

Dave
 
A coworker and I were discussing a rumor that Android 5 (JellyBean) will have a 'desktop' mode that is really Ubuntu and Ubuntu can interact with Android that is still running. Both are being ran from the phone. From the image shown in the OP, that looks like it may be what the article is talking about.

This would be a standard feature in Android, so it wouldn't just be a geek-niche. Imagine what this could do to the PC market.
 
jerofld said:
A coworker and I were discussing a rumor that Android 5 (JellyBean) will have a 'desktop' mode that is really Ubuntu and Ubuntu can interact with Android that is still running. Both are being ran from the phone. From the image shown in the OP, that looks like it may be what the article is talking about. ...
Click to expand...

This does sound like what is described, especially as it says that Ubuntu is sharing all the phone data, so I would guess Google and Canonical have been working together.

jerofld said:
... This would be a standard feature in Android, so it wouldn't just be a geek-niche. Imagine what this could do to the PC market.
Click to expand...

This could be the "game changer" that Google may have thought they had with the Chrome desktop which, to my mind, was always a non-starter because of the fact that it always needed to be "connected". I've been interested in the Transformer Prime and maybe the makers know about Googles plans - especially as the next version will have a much higher resolution. The only thing that would hold me back from that device (apart from justifying it to the other half! :D ) would be the lack of proper business apps - something that Android suffers from. But add Libreoffice, Thunderbird, etc into the equation and things could take off!

Dave
 
Crashdamage said:
As a 13 year Linux user this is like a dream come true - EXCEPT...
OEM manufacturers will have to get on board and pre-load it on devices for it to have a significant impact. This has always been the biggest obstacle to large-scale adoption of desktop Linux. As long as it requires geek-centric activity like unlocking bootloaders, rooting, OS installation etc. it will never be more than a niche product.
Click to expand...

Speaking as one who helped debug the Ubuntu installation for the Evo 3D, I could not agree more!

By the way, merged with similar discussion here in the Lounge.
 
dvhttn said:
This does sound like what is described, especially as it says that Ubuntu is sharing all the phone data, so I would guess Google and Canonical have been working together.



This could be the "game changer" that Google may have thought they had with the Chrome desktop which, to my mind, was always a non-starter because of the fact that it always needed to be "connected". I've been interested in the Transformer Prime and maybe the makers know about Googles plans - especially as the next version will have a much higher resolution. The only thing that would hold me back from that device (apart from justifying it to the other half! :D ) would be the lack of proper business apps - something that Android suffers from. But add Libreoffice, Thunderbird, etc into the equation and things could take off!

Dave
Click to expand...

I don't think Google every really put their soul into Chrome OS. I always thought it would be more like a 'hey, isn't this cool?' project. Where Android has exploded.

And I doubt Google is 'working with' Canonical. More likely seeing if Canonical is worthwhile to buy. Google seems to like to buy companies more than work with them (Motorola Mobility, YouTube, Picasa, Android, Blogger, etc etc etc).

But I do think that if this does end up in some version of Android, your fears about not having proper business apps would disappear. I suspect that development for both Android and Linux would expand rapidly if this were to happen. Because I could see many more people getting this instead of a phone + a computer. It would be much easier for you (I'd assume, anyways) to get your better half to allow you to buy such a thing because you are combining devices. Plus the phone will have internet on it, so no need for an ISP if you can stay in your bandwidth limitations. The Ubuntu desktop OS would be a part of the phone, so there's no need for unauthorized tether (I guess carriers should be careful what they wish for...). Plus you always have your computer with you where ever you go.
 
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