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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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 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.
  
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Finally! by scottbomb · 2012-10-26 11:46 · Score: 5, Funny

A good platform for Unity.
1. 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.
  
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  Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
2. 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.
3. 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!
Re:USB OTG by tian2992 · 2012-10-26 11:52 · Score: 2

OTG is supported, just drive automountig is not enabled.
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.

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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 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.
  
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3. 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 ...]
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
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.

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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.

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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.
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) ".

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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

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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.
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.
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.

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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.
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
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/

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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: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!)
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/

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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.

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Good-bye
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

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