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Open Source Project Aims To Make Ubuntu Usable on Arm-Powered Windows Laptops (techrepublic.com)
A group of programmers and device hackers are working to bring proper support for Ubuntu to Arm-powered Windows laptops, starting with first-generation Snapdragon 835 systems, like the HP Envy x2 and Asus NovaGo. From a report: The aarch64-laptops project provides prebuilt images for the aforementioned notebook PCs, as well as the Lenovo Miix 630. Although Ubuntu and other Linux distributions support aarch64 (ARMv8) by default, various obstacles including the design and configuration of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors make these default images not practically usable. The aarch64-laptops project developers are aiming to address these difficulties, though work is still ongoing. Presently, the TouchPad does not work properly on the Asus, with all three lacking proper support for on-board storage and Wi-Fi, which rely on UFS support. According to their documentation, this is being worked on upstream.
ARM laptops should really have been offered with linux from the get-go, the only benefit of windows is compatibility with the existing masses of x86 software and drivers for arbitrary peripherals - a benefit which is lost when running windows/arm. A linux/arm laptop would have the same software as linux/x86 as virtually everything has already been compiled for arm.
Having windows/arm will only result in user disappointment, either because expected things don't work or perform poorly under emulation.
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AC, the way you write makes it unclear whether you're for or against what they're doing here.
If the 'Linux community' wants greater adoption of Linux (of any flavor) on any platform, then it has to be accessible to the average, non-techie computer user; your grandmother should be able to use it with equal utility to a superuser who is hacking the kernel sourcecode. It must, somehow, be all things to all people as much as possible. Otherwise the Microsoft hegemony becomes an indellible fact, and that's not good for anyone.
Linux in any form is extremely powerful simply because it's open, in contract to how totally closed Windows is.
Damn you, camel case!
>your grandmother should be able to use it with equal utility to a superuser who is hacking the kernel sourcecode.
That depends very much on what you mean by "utility" - most of the people I know get very little utility from a computer beyond internet access and maybe some word processing. The ability to run a secure web server or hypervisored virtual machine is completely irrelevant to them.
Ubuntu though does offer an excellent, simple, user interface quite sufficient to most people's needs, one that's arguably both more powerful and easier to use than Windows or MacOS. And certainly far more customizable - even as a power user it's not a bad place to start, you're going to want to replace half the interface for pretty much any distribution anyway.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
Please... we desperately need a FOSS alternative to the "spyware as an operating system" that is Windows 10.
By 'utility' I mean exactly what you said, more or less: easy-to-use for generic things like web browsing, email, watching movies/listening to music, maybe editing/viewing photos, and so on. Ubuntu and other distros accomplish that fairly well, I think. But at the same time you can take Ubuntu (or whatever distro) and get right down to the nuts-and-bolts level of it, edit sourcecode, create new code, completely change the way the machine works, the tools are all right there already, nothing is hidden from you, you're not denied access to anything, unlike Windows.
Go back to your containment website (4chan) and stay there.
Ubuntu ... one that's arguably both more powerful and easier to use than Windows or MacOS. ... every time I want to do something beyond the basics, I have to google. Perhaps it works like windows and you don't have to google, no idea. ... the remote desktop clients are the worst ... 5cm margin at the top for a 5mm menu.
That is not arguable for Macs
While it is nice, it is not on the same usability level, probably never will be, unless Macs decline even more.
And: the UI is ugly and space consuming for no apparent reason. Gosh
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How long have you been using Macs versus Ubuntu? For example - The vast majority of advanced Mac hot keys are completely undiscoverable without Google - as in, literally not documented *anywhere* within the OS - and many of them are for still-fairly-basic functionality that has no mouse-driven equivalent. And good luck finding the advanced configuration options (most of which would be included in the "normal" options on any other OS)
As for your RDC criticisms - I'll let those be, other than to point out that poorly designed applications should not be considered a reflection on the OS.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
Excellent simple interface? Where by default the screen has sticky edges? Where you can't use the on-screen keyboard to type on the "start menu"?
Linux hasn't had an excellent simple interface since the thin client days and early X.
It's OK Bender, there's no such thing as 2.