Maru OS Exits Private Beta, Lets You Use an Android Phone As a Linux Desktop (liliputing.com)

Maru OS has exited beta, and is now available to anyone who wants to give it a try. For those unaware, Maru OS offers a platform that runs Android as well as Debian Linux on a smartphone. When you connect a Maru OS-powered smartphone to an external display, you get "full-fledged Linux desktop environment." Maru OS was unveiled in February, and currently supports only one smartphone: Nexus 5. The developers behind it have also started to work on making the project open source. They hope that doing this will help them support other devices as well. Brad Linger, writes for Liliputing: Work has also begun on making Maru OS an open source project, which could allow additional developers to contribute to the project or port it to run on other phones, although the current version of the Maru OS does require phones that support HDMI via MHL or SlimPort, which means not all phones will be able to run the software unless wireless display support is added in the future.

Comments

That's nice.

[Anonymous Coward]

I was running desktop Debian Linux on my Compaq iPaq PDA around 1999.

What is a valid use case for this?

[mea2214]

Does a single use case exist where this would be useful?

Re:What is a valid use case for this?

[nnull]

I don't know what this pipe dream you're speaking of. I run a manufacturing business and everyone uses a linux desktop here at my decree. I've had very little issues with people transitioning to the linux desktop. Thunderbird (With Calendar with Caldav) and Libreoffice works just fine for daily tasks. There is a decent enough interface for everyday tasks. There's decent enough distribution that makes transitioning to the linux desktop very easy. Yes, PLC software all run on Windows, but I find a lot of it runs fine in Wine, if it doesn't, there's VMWARE. A lot of people dump all this PLC software into VMWARE anyways because of the ridiculous licensing and difficultly transferring that license to other computers whether it's running Windows or linux, or Apple. Autocad runs fine in VMWARE as well.

The forced Windows 10 upgrade was the last straw. In fact, I even had a machine that has an HMI on top of WIndows 7 get a forced Windows 10 upgrade (Operator touched the Windows 10 upgrade popup and that was it), to the point that the machine is now useless. The manufacturer has agreed to redo the software to run in linux to my demands. When your equipment costs over a million dollars, well, they listen. Hell, even my Frick Air handler is running on top of linux.

But yeah, keep believing it's a pipe dream. I'm not the first moving everyone to the linux desktop world and I certainly won't be the last since the Windows 10 fiasco. Sure there's a cost associated into moving from Windows to the linux Desktop, but so does everything else. It was worth it for me. In the meantime, keep thinking we're "Linux zealots", because the chances of you getting hired in a business running linux is getting bigger. So start learning.

Interview with developer

[Maow]

Linux Luddites had an interview with the developer (note the singular, not plural "developer") in Episode 76.

Well worth listening to.

The podcast hosts are quite charming and always enjoyable - and they have really good sound quality, editing, & production.

The developer, working alone, has apparently done a very impressive job.

The Linux Luddites' slogan is, "Trying all the new open source software and deciding we like the old stuff better." Yet they (at least Joe) were quite impressed with Maru OS.

This project might have some legs to gain traction in the enthusiast community.

I wish the project a lot of luck.

Re:Er, What? How about ALL OF THEM?

[Anne Thwacks]

However, now we have more than 7 apps on our phones, PLEASE, PLEASE can we get rid of those *&^% stupid icons and have drop down text menus instead - EVEN WHEN ITS IN PHONE MODE.

If I wanted to learn the meaning of hundreds of icons, I would leant Kanji - its been tested as a UI for over 4,000 years, is used by several billion people, and is far more useful than some idiot phone UI that will be replaced in about 18 months.

Re:Er, What? How about ALL OF THEM?

[narcc]

I would leant Kanji - its been tested as a UI for over 4,000 years

Yeah, but the goal was to keep the bulk of the population illiterate.

Things have only recently improved. "In the 1990 Population Census, the literacy rate of the population aged 60 and over was 50.4% for males and 10.7% for females" (From: The World Bank Gender Gaps in China: Facts and Figures October 2006) To give you some idea about how far they've come in recent years. It's not a writing system known for it's ease-of-use.

Japan has a word for kanji illiteracy (kanji yomenai). I remember reading something years ago about an "illiterate" government official (prime minister?) but can't seem to find anything online. Unsurprisingly, kanji use seems to be dropping in the digital age. There's even some speculation about "character amnesia" resulting from its waning use.

As a "UI" it's intentionally antagonistic. It's not something to preserve, it's something to purge.