8 ms·

So you can install and run nginx, redis, Atom.io, postgres etc. on this?

by mtw 11y ago

edent 11y ago
Yes. It's a full Linux machine. Well, that's what I've been told - we'll see once they ship.
- mtw 11y ago
  Nice. Tempted. I wish they'd offer a nice keyboard that goes with it and clips (magnets?) to the tablet.
- balamaci 11y ago
  I wonder how hard it's to program running a remote desktop connection to a desktop computer at home. I run Intellij Idea for java dev, so no way I can run on the tablet considering the battery drain. It would be nice to program in the park by just bringing the tablet and a keyboard. On the other hand the latency alone might distract me enough to just give up.
  - darpa_escapee 11y ago
    I run JetBrains IDEs in a persistent Xpra session on a Exynos board. It is pretty usable on subpar connections, much more so than VNC. It has options to use NX behind the scenes as well.
    - balamaci 11y ago
      Thanks, I'll definitely give it a try this summer with xpra. Did not know about it.
jstanley 11y ago
Or an SSH client, and run all that stuff at DigitalOcean.
- mtw 11y ago
  But you can also do that do that on any iPad or Android tablet? Plus imagine the cases where you don't have wifi (train commute, metro, lousy coffee shop etc.)
  - CaptSpify 11y ago
    You can, but IME, it's all terrible. I've tried so many android ssh-clients, and they are all either closed source, or don't work smoothly.
    - bcook 11y ago
      You could use Terminal Emulator and run the CLI ssh client. I know CyanogenMod includes "ssh". It's probably closed-source, but I use JuiceSSH and it is great. The Pro version has a cloud backup that makes SSH migration a breeze.
      - CaptSpify 11y ago
        I've used TE, and it does the job, just not well. Same with CM's ssh. I've heard juicessh is great, but I'm not going to use a closed-source app, especially to manage my ssh-keys. I have my own migration method (svn repo), that works great on laptops, it just sucks on android's shells.
      - spurgu 11y ago
        +1 for JuiceSSH, I also have the pro version and I'm very happy with it.
    - oddlydrawn 11y ago
      If you're rooted on Android, you could put a full Linux distro on it with chroot.[1] You could even set up a vnc server and use that to get into Xorg. I'd recommend using a physical keyboard for any long term use or may quickly learn how strange RSI feels at the shoulder. You may also need a busybox installer app to get things working. [1] - https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Change_root https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Change_root
reddotX 11y ago
http://i.imgur.com/mSTNYMN.png http://i.imgur.com/mSTNYMN.png
rlpb 11y ago
Not in a "supported" way. If it's anything like Ubuntu on phones, it will be a read-only filesystem with image-based updates. apt is available, but only if you remount the system read-write (you do have root via sudo). If you do that, then you can't use image-based updates any more, since that'll stomp over your changes. I'm in favour of this arrangement, since I think it's the only way to get updates to work reliably, and I think that's essential. Android and iOS also do it this way, for example. But don't expect a traditional Linux-based desktop but on a tablet, since that's not what you'll get. On the other hand, if you package up nginx, redis, Atom.io, postgres etc. via Ubuntu's app store, then sure.
- logicrook 11y ago
  Thank you for this informative comment (where do you learn more about the interesting stuff?). Isn't there a nice way to have it both ways, i.e. automate all changes in a script, and roll it after each image update? Assuming most things that may need to be hacked away don't see breaking changes after each update?
  - rlpb 11y ago
    Sure, you could do that. Ubuntu is Free Software, and you have root and the source code on the phone, and presumably will have the same on the tablet. So you can customise it at your will, including automation, if you're prepared to put in that effort.
- mchahn 11y ago
  > I'm in favour of this arrangement, since I think it's the only way to get updates to work reliably, Then how is it Google can update my chromebook while I keep running ubuntu with 100% of linux features? I've done this for a year with no hiccup and no linux upgrades.
  - rlpb 11y ago
    Assuming you're using Crouton or something similar on your Chromebook, your Ubuntu installation is inside a chroot. Chrome OS can be updated and just leave that directory alone. The important part of this is that Ubuntu itself is not being updated. You could do this on an Ubuntu phone or tablet I suppose, by for example running a secondary "traditional" Ubuntu system inside a container in a read-write directory on the read-only system. I don't know if this will be possible from day one, but it's certainly possible technically if someone implements it (like how someone has implemented Crouton). I doubt you'll see the same level of integration (for example with the tablet UI seamlessly moving over to your desktop) if you do it this way, however.

So you can install and run nginx, redis, Atom.io, postgres etc. on this?

by mtw 11y ago

So you can install and run nginx, redis, Atom.io, postgres etc. on this?

edent 11y ago

Yes. It's a full Linux machine. Well, that's what I've been told - we'll see once they ship.

mtw 11y ago
Nice. Tempted. I wish they'd offer a nice keyboard that goes with it and clips (magnets?) to the tablet.
balamaci 11y ago
I wonder how hard it's to program running a remote desktop connection to a desktop computer at home. I run Intellij Idea for java dev, so no way I can run on the tablet considering the battery drain. It would be nice to program in the park by just bringing the tablet and a keyboard. On the other hand the latency alone might distract me enough to just give up.
- darpa_escapee 11y ago
  I run JetBrains IDEs in a persistent Xpra session on a Exynos board. It is pretty usable on subpar connections, much more so than VNC. It has options to use NX behind the scenes as well.
  - balamaci 11y ago
    Thanks, I'll definitely give it a try this summer with xpra. Did not know about it.

jstanley 11y ago

Or an SSH client, and run all that stuff at DigitalOcean.

mtw 11y ago
But you can also do that do that on any iPad or Android tablet? Plus imagine the cases where you don't have wifi (train commute, metro, lousy coffee shop etc.)
- CaptSpify 11y ago
  You can, but IME, it's all terrible. I've tried so many android ssh-clients, and they are all either closed source, or don't work smoothly.
  - bcook 11y ago
    You could use Terminal Emulator and run the CLI ssh client. I know CyanogenMod includes "ssh". It's probably closed-source, but I use JuiceSSH and it is great. The Pro version has a cloud backup that makes SSH migration a breeze.
    - CaptSpify 11y ago
      I've used TE, and it does the job, just not well. Same with CM's ssh. I've heard juicessh is great, but I'm not going to use a closed-source app, especially to manage my ssh-keys. I have my own migration method (svn repo), that works great on laptops, it just sucks on android's shells.
    - spurgu 11y ago
      +1 for JuiceSSH, I also have the pro version and I'm very happy with it.
  - oddlydrawn 11y ago
    If you're rooted on Android, you could put a full Linux distro on it with chroot.[1] You could even set up a vnc server and use that to get into Xorg. I'd recommend using a physical keyboard for any long term use or may quickly learn how strange RSI feels at the shoulder. You may also need a busybox installer app to get things working. [1] - https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Change_root https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Change_root

reddotX 11y ago

http://i.imgur.com/mSTNYMN.png http://i.imgur.com/mSTNYMN.png

rlpb 11y ago

Not in a "supported" way. If it's anything like Ubuntu on phones, it will be a read-only filesystem with image-based updates. apt is available, but only if you remount the system read-write (you do have root via sudo). If you do that, then you can't use image-based updates any more, since that'll stomp over your changes. I'm in favour of this arrangement, since I think it's the only way to get updates to work reliably, and I think that's essential. Android and iOS also do it this way, for example. But don't expect a traditional Linux-based desktop but on a tablet, since that's not what you'll get. On the other hand, if you package up nginx, redis, Atom.io, postgres etc. via Ubuntu's app store, then sure.

logicrook 11y ago
Thank you for this informative comment (where do you learn more about the interesting stuff?). Isn't there a nice way to have it both ways, i.e. automate all changes in a script, and roll it after each image update? Assuming most things that may need to be hacked away don't see breaking changes after each update?
- rlpb 11y ago
  Sure, you could do that. Ubuntu is Free Software, and you have root and the source code on the phone, and presumably will have the same on the tablet. So you can customise it at your will, including automation, if you're prepared to put in that effort.
mchahn 11y ago
> I'm in favour of this arrangement, since I think it's the only way to get updates to work reliably, Then how is it Google can update my chromebook while I keep running ubuntu with 100% of linux features? I've done this for a year with no hiccup and no linux upgrades.
- rlpb 11y ago
  Assuming you're using Crouton or something similar on your Chromebook, your Ubuntu installation is inside a chroot. Chrome OS can be updated and just leave that directory alone. The important part of this is that Ubuntu itself is not being updated. You could do this on an Ubuntu phone or tablet I suppose, by for example running a secondary "traditional" Ubuntu system inside a container in a read-write directory on the read-only system. I don't know if this will be possible from day one, but it's certainly possible technically if someone implements it (like how someone has implemented Crouton). I doubt you'll see the same level of integration (for example with the tablet UI seamlessly moving over to your desktop) if you do it this way, however.