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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.
I was running desktop Debian Linux on my Compaq iPaq PDA around 1999.
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.
This is the year of my unused Android phone sitting on my desktop.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Linux finally made it to my desk top. Until someone called and I had to pick my phone up.