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

Posted by msmash on from the rekindling-your-old-device dept.

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.

39 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. is 2016 the year? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    of android phones running linux on the desktop?

    1. Re:is 2016 the year? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      This is the year of my unused Android phone sitting on my desktop.

    2. Re:is 2016 the year? by Alumoi · · Score: 1

      of Nexus 5 phones running linux on the desktop?

    3. Re: is 2016 the year? by backslashdot · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Linux finally made it to my desk top. Until someone called and I had to pick my phone up.

    4. Re: is 2016 the year? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      I mean, WTF? It's 2016 and you're not answering calls via your $600 smartwatch connected to your bluetooth headset? :)

  2. Continuum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Suck it, Continuum.

    1. Re:Continuum by The-Ixian · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      This doesn't even sound similar to Continuum.

      Continuum is about universal apps and making a seamless Windows (10) experience.

      This sounds more like what Motorola did with the Atrix where there are 2 completely different operating systems on the same device.

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    2. Re:Continuum by inode_buddha · · Score: 1

      Continuum sounds like one of those newly-discovered elements

      --
      C|N>K
    3. Re:Continuum by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      And I was going what does Continuum have to do with Windows 10?

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
  3. That's nice. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

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

    1. Re:That's nice. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So was I. And I've been trying to replicate the experience since the discontinuation of the Nokia N910. I came extremely close with the HP Touchpad with it's X server app, but it hasn't been QUITE the same since.

    2. Re:That's nice. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The whole mobile industry is locked down; this has been a lost decade.

    3. Re: That's nice. by silentcoder · · Score: 1

      Hah. At that stage I was running netBSD on an old dead MCSE's brain in a peanut butter jar.

      --
      Unicode killed the ASCII-art *
  4. Motorola Atrix Webtop by Neon+Spiral+Injector · · Score: 3, Informative

    This seems familiar. I had the original Motorola Atrix 4G, and when it was placed in a dock with an HDMI output (or the laptop dock that included a screen) it booted a Linux environment that was also based on Debian. It was very limited in what applications could be run.

  5. What is a valid use case for this? by mea2214 · · Score: 2, Interesting

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

    1. Re:What is a valid use case for this? by opentunings · · Score: 2

      People probably asked Steven Sasson the same thing back in 1975. He ignored them, and his work resulted in changes to the world. For one thing, he opened up the doors for small projects that would go on to become Facebook, Twitter...I'm sure Sasson didn't picture them when he was working on his invention, but others took it and ran with it very successfully. The same could happen here.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_photography

      Just because you don't see this as useful to you, right now, doesn't mean that it doesn't have huge implications for the future.

    2. Re:What is a valid use case for this? by nnull · · Score: 5, Interesting

      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.

    3. Re:What is a valid use case for this? by JoeMerchant · · Score: 1

      I dropped my Nexus 5 and shattered the glass, as a portable phone it's shot - replaced with a 5x, but the old shattered screen 5 can drive a monitor in our bedroom and play Netflix...

    4. Re:What is a valid use case for this? by nnull · · Score: 1

      I already have plenty of cookies in my office and you're free to come by and have one. Also, I haven't lowered my standards. No, it hasn't been a cluster fuck and things are much easier to manage actually.

    5. Re:What is a valid use case for this? by nine-times · · Score: 2

      I don't know about this particular setup, but I've thought for a while that as computing gets faster and smaller, it might make a lot of sense to have something like this.

      The eventual/possible use case would be that for a lot of people, your phone could be your computer. Take it everywhere with you. When you want a full monitor/keyboard/mouse, you drop it into a dock and suddenly you have a fully functioning desktop computer. Or maybe you have a "dock" that's basically shaped like a laptop, but you snap your phone into it (through whatever mechanism) and you have a laptop.

      So why would you want to do this? Well, you're already carrying a computer around with you all the time, so why just have that be your primary computer? Phone are getting to the point (or have gotten to the point) of having enough CPU, graphics processing power, and storage to serve as a primary computer for a lot of users. By doing everything on a single computer, you don't have to worry about syncing your documents, applications, and settings all over the place. Each person would have one computer.

      The OS would need to be able to present a UI appropriate for the display size and input device present at the time, but iOS is already largely the same OS as MacOS. Google is working on unifying Android and ChromeOS. Apparently Ubuntu has made a version of their Linux distro for phones. Having these operating systems switch to an appropriate UI shouldn't be very hard.

      And even if the phone device is a little underpowered, if you used Thunderbolt (or something like it) for the docking connection, you could basically have a dock that not only provided a connection to a larger screen, keyboard, and mouse, but the dock could also include a faster video card, or other devices that basically connect as though their internal devices.

    6. Re:What is a valid use case for this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I took my Nokia N800 around the world from Jan 2008 to Dec 2009
      I could run Linux on it and was able to edit photos and burn DVD's with it. I had bought the USB DVD burner to use in internet cafe's but the few times I needed to use the N800 to do it overnight proved invaluable.
      It's even more realistic to do this with today's high powered phones.. which are more computers than phones as it is.
      Just think... the new DayDream phones - use as a VR display to emulate a desktop and only carry a keyboard and mouse ;)

    7. Re:What is a valid use case for this? by JThundley · · Score: 1

      That's awesome, great job man! It's always been a dream of mine to see a company run Linux without fear of mostly leaving behind the Windows world. So.... are you hiring?

  6. Interview with developer by Maow · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  7. 'Maru' by kheldan · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does it have a predilection for jumping into boxes too small to contain it? xD

    --
    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    1. Re:'Maru' by guppysap13 · · Score: 1

      For anyone confused, a cat named 'Maru' is popular on Youtube for trying to squeeze into boxes, including some that are way too small for him.

    2. Re:'Maru' by Dragonslicer · · Score: 1

      No, but it does occasionally roll itself into a ball and start dropping bombs.

  8. You heard it here first by sootman · · Score: 2

    2016 will be the year of Linux on the desktop on the phone. :-)

    In all seriousness, I like this idea. Ages ago (wow, 10 years, actually -- this was before I got an iPhone) I got a 624 MHz Dell Axim X50v PDA and I realized that it was comparable to the 150 MHz desktop I still had which ran Windows 95, Photoshop 3, and Netscape 3. Those were dated at the time but still totally usable. For light usage, I could see something like this working. Unfortunately, the #1 use for computers anymore is web browsing, and web pages have gotten REALLY fat in the last 5 years.

    --
    Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
    1. Re:You heard it here first by Dusthead+Jr. · · Score: 1

      I had that PDA, hell i still have it and it works. I found it funny that the display on it had twice the resolution than my iPhone 1. You probably could have used it like a desktop machine as it had an optional VGA adaptor. Speaking of Photoshop there was a paint program for it called Pocket Artist which was more like Photoshop than Adobe's own Photoshop Touch for tablets.

  9. Er, What? How about ALL OF THEM? by brunes69 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Is there a single use case where this ISN'T useful?

    Talk to any sales person or executive who is on the road 4 days a week 52 days a year. Talk to any average person with a phone who has to work on a big spreadsheet once a year (tax time). Talk to anyone who has ever tried to do detailed photo manipulation on an iPad or phone.

    This is the future. The idea that you are going to have BOTH a phone AND a PC is a dated concept... your phone IS A PC, it just has a tiny screen and no good input device. The ability to take a phone, dock it and get a full desktop experience will all of your files still available, is the nirvana pretty much anyone who is not a hardcore developer or gamer is waiting for.

    1. Re:Er, What? How about ALL OF THEM? by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 3, Interesting
      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.

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    2. Re:Er, What? How about ALL OF THEM? by narcc · · Score: 3, Interesting

      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.

      --
      Required reading for internet skeptics
    3. Re:Er, What? How about ALL OF THEM? by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 1

      Talk to anyone who has ever tried to do detailed photo manipulation on an iPad or phone.

      And then have that person talk to anyone who has tried to use Gimp on Debian.

    4. Re: Er, What? How about ALL OF THEM? by brunes69 · · Score: 1

      Krita is a great photo editor that is much more usable than gimp.

  10. Almost an N900 replacement! by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

    If you could use the Linux desktop on the phone somehow (Xephyr or VNC application maybe?) this could make an Android phone as capable as one of Nokia's Maemo/MeeGo devices.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  11. BQ Ubuntu by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Have a look at the tablet produced by BQ with ubuntu.

    Not latest specs, but prove the point

  12. Not really a big deal. by Qbertino · · Score: 1

    Ubuntu is further.

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
    1. Re:Not really a big deal. by JoeMerchant · · Score: 1

      You carry your phone with you all day
      You work on your phone
      You plug your phone into a monitor and switch it to desktop mode
      You work at your desk with your phone
      You unplug your phone, switch it to phone mode
      You go home
      You plug your phone into your monitor at home and switch it to desktop mode
      You play on your phone at home
      Wash, rinse, repeat

      He forgot:

      You drop your phone in a puddle and lose everything that you haven't sync'ed to "the cloud." He also left out backup of any sort as part of the daily routine.

  13. Re:Google should do this... by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 2

    Google doesn't do desktop Linux. ChromeOS and Android show a NIH disdain for anything not locked into their ecosystems. (Although Android 7 is supposedly offering windowed mode on tablets?)

    Canonical (Convergence) and Microsoft (Continuum) are the ones developing dockable UIs but their share of the phone market is, what, 1% ?

    Tim Cook will save us... After several years of stagnant sales of macBooks and iPads as a result of MS Surface clones, Apple in 2019 will release a hybrid universal iOS/X that runs on all of their machines - journalists will fawn over it as exhilarating, revolutionary and breath-taking.

  14. Re:Displaylink USB graphics adaptor? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

    Slimport (LG devices) and MHL (everyone else) are built into the phone's electronics.

    I have a displaylink usb-to-dvi-to-dsub dongle and it's baulky. There's no reason not to add support for it but except that whoever wrote the implementation had a Nexus 5 and it was good enough over Slimport as TVs and monitors these days have HDMI-in.

    Multiple monitors via an OTG hub would be a reason.