Ubuntu Now Available On the Nexus 7

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Ubuntu Now Available On the Nexus 7

Posted by timothy on Friday October 26, 2012 @11:38AM from the categorical-blurring dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Ubuntu for the Nexus 7 was released today and Ubuntu Member Benjamin Kerensa has provided photos and video of it in action." I wish the Nexus 7 had what most Android tablets lack: a full-size USB port (or SD card slot) to make such OS experimenting easier.

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Great by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 11:42 · Score: 0

I have been waiting for this
1. Re:Great by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 13:41 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  I couldn't get through the video due to the gay music.
2. Re:Great by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 15:26 · Score: 0
  
  This is the FOSS equivalent of Windows RT.
USB OTG by Watcher07 · 2012-10-26 11:43 · Score: 1

Just use a usb OTG adapter.
1. Re:USB OTG by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 11:46 · Score: 0
  
  OTG isn't supported.
2. Re:USB OTG by tian2992 · 2012-10-26 11:52 · Score: 2
  
  OTG is supported, just drive automountig is not enabled.
3. Re:USB OTG by petermgreen · 2012-10-26 11:54 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  While for some fucking reason they used a micro B connector instead of a micro AB the port DOES support host mode with the right adapter (which was easy enough to find on amazon).
  The biggest annoyances are
  1: AFAICT there is no easy way to charge the device and put the port in host mode at the same time. The USB battery charging spec lays out a way to do it but it's tricky to acheive physically (you need to find a cable to cut up that allows you access to the ID line) and I don't know if the nexus will actually support it when you try.
  2: You need to root to mount USB drives (though if you are running ubuntu you are presumablly at that point already)
  Interestingly with the adaptor I tried Ethernet over USB worked out of the box with no need to root.
  
  --
  note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
4. Re:USB OTG by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 12:15 · Score: 0
  
  Not to troll...just honestly curious: why would you want ethernet over USB? That would screw up the tablet's convenience vs. using it over wireless. Did you just not have a wireless router handy, or is there some reason you needed to do this that isn't obvious?
5. Re:USB OTG by spire3661 · 2012-10-26 12:42 · Score: 0
  
  Wireless is not a REPLACEMENT for wired, it is an alternative. They function similarly, but not identically. If you have to ask why, you are seriously asking the wrong question.
  
  --
  Good-bye
6. Re:USB OTG by Kelson · 2012-10-26 12:48 · Score: 1
  
  There's at least one app out there that give you read access to USB drives without rooting. It's called Nexus Media Importer and runs $3. Obviously it doesn't apply to anyone installing Ubuntu, but for those who want to stick with Android & don't want to root their device, it can take care of simple use cases like loading photos from a camera, pulling audio files from a thumb drive, etc.
7. Re:USB OTG by jedidiah · 2012-10-26 12:54 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  > why would you want ethernet over USB?
  It's much faster.
  Wireless sucks. Poor performance is just one of the many reasons.
  
  --
  A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
8. Re:USB OTG by Lumpy · 2012-10-26 13:13 · Score: 1
  
  802.11N is faster than ANY USB ethernet adapter.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
9. Re:USB OTG by Blaskowicz · 2012-10-26 13:29 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Only if you don't have spectrum congestion and are willing to deal with the security hassle.
10. Re:USB OTG by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 13:31 · Score: 0
  
  Yes it is.
11. Re:USB OTG by ajlitt · 2012-10-26 14:20 · Score: 2
  
  Ask the Raspberry Pi Foundation. USB is the only high speed interface on or off of that chip.
12. Re:USB OTG by Artifex · 2012-10-26 14:57 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  why would you want ethernet over USB?
  The more options you have, the more options you have.
  Don't think of the tablet as only a consumer device, and only for media consumption. Think of the tablet as a laptop replacement for network troubleshooting purposes. Reconfiguring wireless routers that puke their configs, etc. A tablet would be much lighter to walk around with in a PoP/IEP/data center, especially since you could hold it with one hand and type with the other. And when you're done, (at least if you're a big guy like me) just drop it back in your coat pocket, no need to repack a laptop bag.
  Also, I know an internet cafe that sometimes has problems with both of its wireless networks such that nobody can log on... but most of their tables upstairs are also wired, and those ports are always open.
  
  --
  Get off my launchpad!
13. Re:USB OTG by ChunderDownunder · 2012-10-26 16:02 · Score: 1
  
  I could be wrong but shouldn't USB Super Speed (5 Gbit/s) theoretically support gigabit ethernet?
14. Re:USB OTG by MichaelSmith · 2012-10-26 17:06 · Score: 1
  
  It enables you to use netbooting to install software.
  
  --
  http://michaelsmith.id.au
15. Re:USB OTG by redmid17 · 2012-10-26 19:28 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  For a tablet, yes it is a replacement. Tablets are tablets for a reason
16. Re:USB OTG by Lumpy · 2012-10-27 00:57 · Score: 1
  
  No tablet made has USB super speed, Hell you are lucky to get USB 2.0 on one.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
17. Re:USB OTG by spire3661 · 2012-10-27 07:08 · Score: 2
  
  Choice is good. The fact that you cant think of a use for a wired ethernet connection on a tablet is sad, especially when it is trivial to have the capability.
  
  --
  Good-bye
18. Re:USB OTG by redmid17 · 2012-10-27 10:19 · Score: 1
  
  I can think of a use case, but it's very narrow and would be better serviced by a netbook or something else. That's not really up for debate
19. Re:USB OTG by CdBee · 2012-10-27 12:22 · Score: 2
  
  Then I'll give you a real one: When visiting locations with wired internet but no wifi (yes they do exist), a USB Ethernet adapter is a lot smaller a thing to carry than a spare access point
  
  --
  I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
20. Re:USB OTG by petermgreen · 2012-10-29 04:09 · Score: 1
  
  Disclaimer, I don't have a nexus 7 myself, the one I set up belongs to my mum.
  My parents have been worried about the security implications of wireless (and I don't blame them, it seems the wireless guys have finally got it mostly right but it took more than a few attempts) so don't have wireless in their home network. To initially set the device up (it won't let you get past the initial power on screen without setting up a wifi network :( ) we resorted to using a cellphone with wifi tethering but that is not ideal if you want to make big downloads. So we tried plugging in a cheap "USB hub with ethernet" we had hanging arround and it worked.
  
  --
  note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
21. Re:USB OTG by petermgreen · 2012-10-29 04:12 · Score: 1
  
  Though for network troubleshooting you probablly would want to root as the provided settings app didn't seem to have any idea what ethernet was. So while the OS was happy to grab and IP over DHCP and use the connection there didn't seem to be any way to configure it to a static IP (which you are likely to want to do on a network troubleshooting device).
  
  --
  note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
22. Re:USB OTG by redmid17 · 2012-10-29 11:47 · Score: 1
  
  Which would be better served by a netbook. We can go round in circles if you want, but I still fail to see a use case where a tablet is better than a netbook
23. Re:USB OTG by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-07 06:54 · Score: 0
  
  But not 100% reliable or secure or is it?
Useless by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 11:44 · Score: 5, Insightful

I won't by a tablet unless it has a USB host and an SD slot. My $100 android phone has OTG and microSD, why can't they put those features in all tablets? It's not a cost issue, most ARM SoC have built in usb host and sd slots are as cheap as a 0.10 connector and a few PCB traces.
Those designers should feel shame
1. Re:Useless by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 12:12 · Score: 0
  
  Yes, the tablet makers should run to your doorstep for you use case that covers about .001% of prospective customers.
2. Re:Useless by jedidiah · 2012-10-26 12:56 · Score: 1
  
  Nonsense. If this were cameras we were talking about, the upgradeable storage would not even be an issue. It would be considered a bare necessity standard feature for anything short of some Disney themed toy marketed for small children.
  
  --
  A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
3. Re:Useless by rwa2 · 2012-10-26 13:07 · Score: 1
  
  My Viewsonic G-Tablet is still a pretty nice piece of hardware.
  Unfortunately, my Vegan-TAB ROM doesn't have the loopback device module, so I can't run "Complete Linux Installer" on it to chroot to Debian like I can on my myTouch 3G Slide runing CM7.1
  Also pissed off that my new myTouch 4G Slide running CM9.1 also doesn't have a loopback device :/
  Almost pissed enough to compile my own? Someday...
4. Re:Useless by Lumpy · 2012-10-26 13:14 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  They do, you are just too much of a cheap bastard to buy one that does. ASUS and Fujitsu both make an X86 tablet that will run linux for you right now with no hacks that has USB host and SD card slots.
  They are $600-$900 and have been available for a long time now.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
5. Re:Useless by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 16:16 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, because I absolutely love having devices that I have to plug into my PC every hour of every day to shuffle shit around because there isn't a microSD slot.
6. Re:Useless by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-27 06:18 · Score: 0
  
  The Nexus 7 has a USB host. It doesn't have a SD slot.
  I have the Nexus 7 and after a few months of use still have no need for either. They've covered 99.999% of most users out there.
  Instead of bitching about it, you can pony up the $500 - $900 to get a tablet that has both. Don't be a cheapass.
Finally! by scottbomb · 2012-10-26 11:46 · Score: 5, Funny

A good platform for Unity.
1. Re:Finally! by alostpacket · 2012-10-26 11:55 · Score: 1
  
  I was just thinking it would be nice to see something other than Ubuntu ported to various Android and other devices for a change. Like Mint or Debian. But your post gave me a chuckle, Unity really does make some sense on an N7. It was funny to see the author surprised at the Amazon home page in Firefox though.
  
  --
  PocketPermissions Android Permission Guide
2. Re:Finally! by AvitarX · 2012-10-26 12:17 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Does it work without mouseover now?
  I can't imagine using the menus at all on a tablet.
  contrary to popular opinion, unity is not a tablet interface, and requires a mouse. It didn't even allow access to the launcher without a mouse for a little bit.
  
  --
  Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
3. Re:Finally! by Microlith · 2012-10-26 12:22 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  If Ubuntu works then virtually anything else will. All that matters at the lowest level is the kernel.
  The hard part is getting video to not suck as most of the GPUs have userspace blobs that only work with Android's libc. There's a means of making them work with X.org and glibc (libhybris) but I doubt many people will work on packaging them together.
4. Re:Finally! by emblemparade · 2012-10-26 12:23 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  A desktop shell is a very small part of the experience. Try sending an email using Thunderbird via a tablet, and you'll quickly see the problems... What Ubuntu needs in order to be a good tablet OS is an application ecosystem, at the very least the basic stuff.
  Thing is, having a relatively cheap reference platform (mature distro on an ARM tablet) will allow a lot of devs an opportunity to make touch-friendly version of their apps. And, a few years from now, we might have a smoother experience between desktops/tablets/phones.
  The advantages of having a single platform for all are mostly for the devs; but when devs are happy, the benefits trickle down to users, too, who have a much more vibrant ecosystem. This is exactly what MS is doing with Win 8/RT.
  Would also be great to see Ubuntu support running Android apps! Lets have the best of both worlds!
5. Re:Finally! by aztracker1 · 2012-10-26 15:29 · Score: 1
  
  That isn't nearly so true... If you've used many ARM devices, there are a lot of projects that take a little, to a lot of tweaking for a non x86 environment.
  
  --
  Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
6. Re:Finally! by ndogg · 2012-10-26 16:09 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, yes it is. In 12.10, the default is for the panel to stay open.
  
  --
  // file: mice.h
  #include "frickin_lasers.h"
7. Re:Finally! by AvitarX · 2012-10-26 18:10 · Score: 1
  
  So, you're saying, that because 1.5 years (3 releases) after becoming the default desktop, it defaults to being tablet usable for the launcher it is a tablet interface?
  that wasn't even an option in the early (default) unity desktop (as in you couldn't have the launcher/switcher behave for a tablet even if you wanted it too.
  unity may be a terrible interface (i actually thing It's as good as any excepting windows 7, or maybe a highly configured kde as long as you only have 1 monitor), but is NOT designed for a tablet.
  It was, IMO (and I think history agrees) started as a net top interface, and remains decent there.
  there are obvious stupid design decisions in it (close window adjacent to start button, start button no longer in a corner, window buttons moved to make space for windicators, that no longer will work as they in principal conflict with the way it maximizes windows), but that doesn't make it a tablet interface. The fact that you can't get to menus without a mouse does make it not a tablet interface though IMO.
  actually, looking at my list of obvious mistakes, Wtf, but I Think all the interfaces have terrible decisions in design (both apple and ms designed task swirchers/docks/launchers, whatever we want to call them, That work equally as efficiently vertically, but take up pixels in the narrow direction of a monitor for example, but that's history blah. Why would someone design from scratch and put close my window in the corner next too the harder to hit start my app? If I didn't use the keyboard (also not on a tablet) I'd hit it way too often by accident.
  When the state button was in the corner, I'd hit it instead of close my window and curse, and windicators will not work in the same row as the other indicators (as a quick clue as to what's going on with said window at a glance) so the difficulty was pointless.
  another gripe (though arguably not a design flaw, just not playing nice with others) uiis that you can't left-click the system tray icons, both mouse buttons right click.
  anyway, I don't want to defend unity too much, but it is obviously not a tablet interface and I'm ranting.
  
  --
  Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
8. Re:Finally! by Knuckles · 2012-10-26 20:09 · Score: 1
  
  "A core goal for Ubuntu 13.04 is to get Ubuntu running on a Nexus 7 tablet. To be clear, this is not going to be a tablet Unity interface running on the 8/16GB Nexus 7, but instead will focus on getting the current Ubuntu Desktop running on the Nexus so that we can ensure pieces such as the kernel, power management and other related areas are working effectively on a tablet device.
  Topics such as battery life, memory footprint, and support for sensors are all areas in which needs and expectations vary widely between a PC and a mobile devices. The 13.04 cycle will very much be focused on this exploration and learning and this is why we want to focus our efforts on getting the existing Ubuntu Desktop running on the Nexus 7. This will mean that some user-facing parts of the experience won’t make a lot of sense on the tablet, but we want to get the foundations optimized before we focus on these higher level challenges."
  http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/10/26/ubuntu-core-on-the-nexus-7/
  
  --
  "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
9. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 21:29 · Score: 0
  
  Actually what I want is android in my small laptop and o more unity anymore
10. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-27 01:00 · Score: 0
  
  Unity doesn't (and never has) required a mouse. That's one of the things I like about it, all the features are nicely available through the keyboard so I can keep both hands on the keys and not have to switch to the mouse. The Super/Windows key brings up the Dash in 12.04. I think in the 12.10 release Super + Tab brings up the Dash.
11. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-27 01:39 · Score: 0
  
  It was no surprise that Canonical wants to move in this direction, but I wonder why they jettisoned Unity 2D for 3D. Unity 2D was in QT and QT Quick has a nice touch-friendly system already developed while still supporting 3D effects. It seemed a no-brainer to me, but Ubuntu went right when I was sure they were going left. QT would have given them the developer tools they lack, as well.
  Sigh.
12. Re:Finally! by eric_herm · 2012-10-27 03:59 · Score: 1
  
  So they finally took that part from Gnome-shell ( who does it since the start ).
13. Re:Finally! by eric_herm · 2012-10-27 04:02 · Score: 1
  
  Because keeping 2 code bases was too expensive for them, I guess ( less expensive than using Red Hat sponsored work on llvmpipe ). Now, the question is if they dropped the good version or not. Using Qt for everything would not have been bad, since QT is IMHO more often used for embedded. But in the end, this is purely a resource issue, ie they may not had the time to redo everything in QT and to hire enough QT developers ( especially in the light of the kubuntu sponsorship having ended ).
14. Re:Finally! by AvitarX · 2012-10-28 03:21 · Score: 1
  
  Is the menu keyboard accessible?
  Are keyboard shortcuts (with modifier keys) tablet friendly?
  I think It's a decent ish single monitor interface (could be great with a couple stupid decisions fixed), but it is not any good at all for tablets. Which is fine, they never said it was.
  
  --
  Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
USB OTG by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 11:46 · Score: 0

It may not have a full-size USB port, but it still has USB OTG through the micro-USB port. The preloaded Android installation is missing mass storage support, though...
I can't say for certain if the firmware supports booting from that port. I haven't experimented with it yet myself.
Thrive by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 11:57 · Score: 0

Get a Toshiba Thrive. I have one and it's amazing. Full sized SD card slot, USB port, Mini-USB port, HDMI port...
1. Re:Thrive by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 15:41 · Score: 0
  
  lol, toshiba
Uhm, ok. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 11:57 · Score: 0

Sure, let's hack a desktop distro in to a device that's already got a perfectly suitable and current operating system actually designed to be used as a tablet. I love bashing away at a terminal without a physical keyboard!
I guess it's pretty cool if you need a full linux in a tiny portable device (Probably better than those weird chrooted distros you can install on android devices too), but there's these things called netbooks..
1. Re:Uhm, ok. by occasional_dabbler · 2012-10-26 14:06 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  My brother did a bit of hacking to put Debian on a Psion. I was pretty proud of him at the time!
  Debian on Psion
  
  --
  "Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs," I said. "we have a protractor"
2. Re:Uhm, ok. by collet · 2012-10-26 18:16 · Score: 1
  
  It's not actually meant to be used as a proper tablet OS, it's mainly just for testing.
3. Re:Uhm, ok. by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · 2012-10-27 04:51 · Score: 2
  
  I'm not an ubuntu user, but Its pretty close to what I want. Android is also a Linux distro. I like the idea of having the choice of different WM/GUI configurations which will allow for more experimentation and innovation than the closed development model of android allows.
  I'd love to get Plasma Active on it. http://plasma-active.org/
  
  --
  Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
You can do SD & USB by Omegium · 2012-10-26 11:58 · Score: 5, Informative

Just use this (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micro-USB-OTG-Host-Cable-Adapter-for-Galaxy-S2-SII-i9100-/330752145575?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:NL:3160) or any of the hundreds of equivalent OTG adapters.

Pick up a usb SD reader (I bought one a couple of years ago for under 10 euro)

Root your device, and you have anything you want on your Nexus 7. I have tried USB stick, SD card, USB keyboard and mouse, and charging my phone. It al works.

The most difficult part is keeping your nerve while rooting. The process itself is easy, but still, your glad when you're finished and you have not bricked your device.
1. Re:You can do SD & USB by ChunderDownunder · 2012-10-26 12:34 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  do these $3 OTG cables enable charging at the same time as acting as a host?
  i.e. the single micro usb port typically plugs into a mains outlet to charge. Is it possible to plug your mains adapter into a 'powered' usb hub, then plug your phone via an OTG cable into that hub? Both drawing power and accessing usb devices such as keyboards, mice, sd cards?
  phone [hub powering 3 or so usb devices]----------------- mains power
  i.e. I wouldn't want to run an Ubuntu system that only ran for 90 minutes because one had to connect one's charger!
2. Re:You can do SD & USB by Lincolnshire+Poacher · 2012-10-26 19:12 · Score: 1
  
  Root your device, and you have anything you want on your Nexus 7.
  Why should I have to?
  All this talk of Android being "open" and giving the user "freedom" and then you admit in the next sentence that rooting is a risk to the device.
  No-one has ever clearly stated why these devices are so locked-down out of the factory. Why is it? Why?
3. Re:You can do SD & USB by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 21:10 · Score: 1
  
  No-one has ever clearly stated why these devices are so locked-down out of the factory. Why is it? Why?
  1: Brand protection. Especially true for telephony devices which are typically re-branded by an operator who wants some guarantees that the end user cannot easily undo the operator's tweaking. Also true if you buy an Android device straight from the manufacturer since they invest in their own extra features to differentiate and build brand.
  2: Predictable support requirements. It is just not feasible to build support centers that can help users with any kind of technical request. If the user has to explicitly void the device's warranty to create the widest and worst range of support issues, then funding of support centers is much more manageable. It is of course a bit ironic that the manufacturers lock down their devices because they want to guarantee a high level of end user satisfaction.
  Then again, they could take a cue from Sony who also offers explicit rooting of telephony devices to users who bought it without an operator lock. They also engage in cooperative projects with e.g. XDA developers and other external communities. This requires a completely different support organization, including dedicated developer personnel. In my mind this is exactly the right thing to do as it keeps support for regular users in a fully separate bracket.
  Of course, it would be even better if ARM devices generally had the same level of openness as X86 compatibles but this requires stable standards of a kind that are hard to achieve when the target customers are explicitly not expected to tinker too much. This might change with ARM's inroads into the server space but for now there is just no market for bulk shipments of pure hardware products that the customers are expected to install themselves.
  Disclosure: I am a contractor and currently work for Sony's cell phone division.
4. Re:You can do SD & USB by marcello_dl · 2012-10-26 21:17 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Because control over a device means it is you, and not the manufacturer or the carrier or the os maker, that decides when it's getting obsolete.
  This is the first reason for google, apple, microsoft, to do the same "mistakes" at the same time, forfeiting an established base of pc users.
  The subtle reason is that under the labels "mobile" and "cloud" there is a movement to end the personal computing era, and return to a client/server model. I don't think the reasons for that are exclusively commercial. Think about 1984, with the added bonus that even the proles buy portable telescreens for themselves and are proud to show off the more capable models.
  
  --
  ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
5. Re:You can do SD & USB by shellbeach · 2012-10-27 01:17 · Score: 2
  
  No-one has ever clearly stated why these devices are so locked-down out of the factory. Why is it? Why?
  Well, the Nexus 7 (which is what TFA is about) isn't locked down at all, and neither is any other Nexus-banded hardware. Unlocking is simply a matter of attaching the device to the computer and typing "fastboot oem unlock", at which point the device will prompt you with a screen asking you to confirm. It really is as simple and as easy as that.
  It's 100% safe as it's functionality that's intentionally built into the device -- being able to unlock and root is one of the selling points of the Nexus line, and Google makes a big deal of it. (It's also one of several reasons why I only buy Nexus devices.)
  [The only thing to remember with the above is that all data will be wiped during the unlock process -- that's to preserve the security of your data on a locked device should it be stolen, as unlocking the boot loader without wiping would give unfettered access to all your data otherwise. You can actually unlock, root, and then re-lock the bootloader should you wish in order to make it secure once more. You'll be warned about this on the unlock confirmation screen, of course, but always remember to backup any user data externally before unlocking ...]
6. Re:You can do SD & USB by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-27 01:43 · Score: 1
  
  You actually don't need to root the Nexus to do this. The Nexus bootloader is easily unlocked by connecting via USB and typing "fastboot oem unlock". Hope that helped.
OTG is magic! by fm6 · 2012-10-26 12:08 · Score: 0

Any time people talk about a problem with USB, somebody says "Just use USB OTG!" as if it were a magic fix for everything. In this case, the complaint is that the tablet has a tiny usb port. How on earth does that relate to OTG?
1. Re:OTG is magic! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 12:12 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Because it's as easy as having the right cable
  Now you have a full-sized USB port. :-p
2. Re:OTG is magic! by JanneM · 2012-10-26 13:44 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  "How on earth does that relate to OTG?"
  Because you can connect an SD card reader, an USB memory or an USB hard drive for that matter, neatly resolving the original complaint which was about access to external storage: " (or SD card slot) ".
  
  --
  Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
3. Re:OTG is magic! by fm6 · 2012-10-26 14:37 · Score: 1
  
  And exactly how does that give the tablet "a full-size USB port"? But I guess that's Sloppy Editor for "USB A port", OTG is indeed a good substitute for. Dumb of me not to see that.
4. Re:OTG is magic! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 15:22 · Score: 0
  
  Incredibly dumb of you.
Touch input by Microlith · 2012-10-26 12:14 · Score: 1

Does this special version of Ubuntu have non-crap touch input?
I've loaded 12.04 and 12.10 on my Iconia W500 and it's never worked right. From the launcher breaking and never appearing again once the screen is touched to the Onscreen keyboard not actually supporting multitouch, as much as people claim that Unity is for tablets it doesn't work very well.
1. Re:Touch input by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 15:08 · Score: 0
  
  Do you just pick random comments and reply with this?
2. Re:Touch input by Knuckles · 2012-10-26 20:13 · Score: 2
  
  They are not caring for Unity right now, it's not a touch UI. They ported it to work on fundamentals first, like power consumption. Touch interface is a topic for later. http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/10/26/ubuntu-core-on-the-nexus-7/
  
  --
  "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
The Bizarre Submitter Comment Award goes to... by jareth-0205 · 2012-10-26 12:25 · Score: 1, Insightful

> I wish the Nexus 7 had what most Android tablets lack: a full-size USB port (or SD card slot) to make such OS experimenting easier.
*Sigh*. Really? *Really?* You want to ruin the design by putting an oversized USB socket just because it would save 1 person in hundreds of thousands from having to buy an adapter? Which you probably own anyway?
1. Re:The Bizarre Submitter Comment Award goes to... by game+kid · 2012-10-26 13:27 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  That was added by timothy, not the anonymous submitter.
  
  --
  You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
2. Re:The Bizarre Submitter Comment Award goes to... by shellbeach · 2012-10-27 01:20 · Score: 2
  
  Personally, I don't care about the USB port, but I do care about the SD card slot. I bought one anyway, and I don't really need the storage right now ... but still, I suspect that I will eventually need it and it wouldn't have been a problem with an SD card slot. Google clearly realises that storage is important to people, too, since they're about to double the storage on the Nexus 7 this Monday (unfortunately, I bought mine a month too early!)
Wish Android was on desktop not Ubuntu on mobile. by goruka · 2012-10-26 13:40 · Score: 0

Jelly Bean just works so damn well on the Nexus 7 that I'm finding myself wishing I could run it on a desktop. Lack of desktop apps? Just porting GTK and Qt should ensure plenty of them. If only Google would give up Chrome OS..
At last! by Denogh · 2012-10-26 14:32 · Score: 5, Funny

And Unity finally makes the natural leap from unusable PC desktop environment to laggy, buggy tablet interface.
1. Re:At last! by Anne+Thwacks · 2012-10-26 20:54 · Score: 1
  
  Whoever modded this +1:funny obviously has not tried it. Otherwise it would be -1:not funny at all, or +5:Informative
  
  --
  Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
2. Re:At last! by slickepott · 2012-10-26 22:30 · Score: 1
  
  I often miss the option to mod something "Sad but true".
  Funny I guess is the closest option. ;)
3. Re:At last! by epSos-de · 2012-10-27 11:10 · Score: 1
  
  Actually and sadly, you are correct. Ubunty Unity has tricked me to believe that it will be good for the touchy-screen with touch, but in the real world it ended up being less ready for the world than Android. My dreams of buying a flexible tablet with Ubuntu or Xubuntu for surfing and reading are crushed.
  
  --
  ~ Best man at your service.
This year.. by deltaromeo · 2012-10-26 15:08 · Score: 2

Surely this will be the year of Linux on the tablet.
Re:Wish Android was on desktop not Ubuntu on mobil by ChunderDownunder · 2012-10-26 15:56 · Score: 3, Interesting

Efforts to port Qt and Wayland to Android are progressing.
As I understand, this is hampered by Google creating its own libc implementation to provide just enough support to run dalvik on top of it for an under-resourced phone platform in 2007.
Asus Transformer Pad Infinity 700T by unixhero · 2012-10-26 21:24 · Score: 2

This Android device has full size USB and MicroSD slot. It's perfect in every way. http://www.asus.com/Tablet/Transformer_Pad/ASUS_Transformer_Pad_Infinity_TF700T/#specifications I would love to have Ubuntu running on it.
Re:Wish Android was on desktop not Ubuntu on mobil by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-26 21:29 · Score: 1

Exactly right. Bionic is the single worst technical decision in Android, from a free/open source interoperability perspective. It should be a priority to replace it with glibc so that the full ecosystem of desktop and server applications can be brought over.
I think it would be pretty cool to have a .deb or .rpm based tablet that runs Android apps in their own windows on a regular X11 desktop, has a WCDMA or LTE modem built in and supports Bluetooth headsets, mouses and keyboards.
Re:Wish Android was on desktop not Ubuntu on mobil by ami.one · 2012-10-27 03:11 · Score: 1

So true.. No high end phone even comes close to N7 with JB. Just some desktop apps & 3G and it would be perfect.