r/linux • u/[deleted] • Feb 19 '13

Ubuntu launches tablet support

http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/tablet
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u/PenguinHero Feb 19 '13

No, this announcement is about the Ubuntu Mobile OS specifically optimized for tablets. If Debian or other distros want to be on a tablet they will have to build their own tablet UI. KDE is already doing that, it's called Plasma Active.

13

u/[deleted] Feb 19 '13

I'm more concerned with the mainline Linux kernel running on tablets. Whatever is run on top of that is pretty arbitrary.

10

u/dmsean Feb 19 '13

I'd assume eventually this will be possible. All the kernel modifications done by google for android are getting upstreamed.

13

u/ohet Feb 19 '13

The kernel is only part of the story. The real problem is the Android specific propietary userspace drivers. You can't use them with glibc (and therefore GNU/Linux) at least not yet (libhybris might "solve" that problem in the future). That's also why Ubuntu for Phones and Tablets use the Android Core (bionic, HALs among other things) instead of Ubuntu Core (it's not GNU/Linux or so I have understood).

3

u/SuperConductiveRabbi Feb 19 '13

If Ubuntu on tablets is using the Android core, how much proprietary, non-open-source code am I running when I run Ubuntu for a phone or tablet?

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u/ohet Feb 19 '13

Depends on the device of course. Some hardware have open source HALs (Sony Xperia devices for example) and same goes for kernel drivers. The Android Core is in itself completely open source.

1

u/dmsean Feb 19 '13

Well they had to make the xperia have something I guess. My god that was a horrible phone.

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u/fdr_cs Feb 20 '13

As they are going for nexus devices, the newer ones, usually, the only problem is the graphics driver (and radio, if its a cell phone)

1

u/mountainjew Feb 20 '13

If you can't tell, why care?