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>> Android is Linux on the phone. It's Linux kernel with stuff on top. Android is just the Linux kernel on the phone -- that's the issue I have with it. It com

by maheart 10y ago

>> Android is Linux on the phone. It's Linux kernel with stuff on top. Android is just the Linux kernel on the phone -- that's the issue I have with it. It comes with none of the other stuff that makes GNU/Linux great: philosophically/socially it's different, but on a technical level it's missing rest of the GNU/Linux stack (e.g. package management, and the plethora of developer tools -- including languages and libraries). The GNU/Linux stack is developed by a diverse ecosystem of contractors, big and small business, and non-for-profits (e.g. Red Hat, Intel, Mozilla, Samsung, Canonical, Document Foundation, Fujitsu, Google, etc). Android is largely controlled by one company.

pjmlp 10y ago
And with Brillo and Fuchsia, Google is removing whatever is left of it.
- cpeterso 10y ago
  What is Brillo taking away? I thought it was more a standardization of the HAL and Linux kernel?
  - pjmlp 10y ago
    Imagine Android with the Java Frameworks replaced by a similar C++ Framework, using Android IPC (not UNIX), bionic libc and Android's own Linux kernel fork. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig9GKAFzDxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig9GKAFzDxQ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthvmTSlmIcMH93LIJNe-2w/search?query=brillo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthvmTSlmIcMH93LIJNe-2w/sea...
jsight 10y ago
Taking away those things doesn't make it not Linux. Adding those things wouldn't make it not Android. These guys could have had the best of both worlds.
- LukeShu 10y ago
  He didn't say anything about it not being Linux; he said it isn't GNU/Linux, which it isn't, the GNU parts are missing.
  - jsight 10y ago
    A lot of the things that he mentioned (package management, even development tools) don't necessarily require a GNU stack.
djsumdog 10y ago
The lack of package management and standard kernel/modules is a huge issue from Android. It keeps it from being truly open. I wrote a post about this a while ago: http://penguindreams.org/blog/android-fragmentation/ http://penguindreams.org/blog/android-fragmentation/ The TL;DR, Android needs to be fixed so ASOP can be installed on any phone, just like Linux/Windows. The current state is bizarre for what's essentially now a general purpose operating system.
- nix0n 10y ago
  I think you mean AOSP (Android Open Source Project) not ASOP (the linked article makes the same typo).
  - djsumdog 10y ago
    Wow...I even spelled it out at one point and still screwed it up while abbreviating it! Thanks man. I'll fix it. :)
    - adzm 10y ago
      I habitually think of it as 'aesop' of the fables fame in my head, even though I know it's inaccurate. Hard habit to break. Like eye-terator instead of it-erator.
ghostly_s 10y ago
Is Tizen any closer to this?
- maheart 10y ago
  I honestly don't know what's happening with Tizen these days -- Samsung has invested money into it, but it has (IMO) very little to show. Again, my bias is showing, but I think Jolla (SailfishOS) and Canonical (Ubuntu Touch) have achieved infinitely more with smaller teams and less capital.
- josteink 10y ago
  From what I've read, you want as little as possible to do with Tizen: https://what.thedailywtf.com/topic/15001/enlightened https://what.thedailywtf.com/topic/15001/enlightened

by maheart 10y ago

pjmlp 10y ago

And with Brillo and Fuchsia, Google is removing whatever is left of it.

cpeterso 10y ago
What is Brillo taking away? I thought it was more a standardization of the HAL and Linux kernel?
- pjmlp 10y ago
  Imagine Android with the Java Frameworks replaced by a similar C++ Framework, using Android IPC (not UNIX), bionic libc and Android's own Linux kernel fork. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig9GKAFzDxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig9GKAFzDxQ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthvmTSlmIcMH93LIJNe-2w/search?query=brillo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthvmTSlmIcMH93LIJNe-2w/sea...

jsight 10y ago

Taking away those things doesn't make it not Linux. Adding those things wouldn't make it not Android. These guys could have had the best of both worlds.

LukeShu 10y ago
He didn't say anything about it not being Linux; he said it isn't GNU/Linux, which it isn't, the GNU parts are missing.
- jsight 10y ago
  A lot of the things that he mentioned (package management, even development tools) don't necessarily require a GNU stack.

djsumdog 10y ago

The lack of package management and standard kernel/modules is a huge issue from Android. It keeps it from being truly open. I wrote a post about this a while ago: http://penguindreams.org/blog/android-fragmentation/ http://penguindreams.org/blog/android-fragmentation/ The TL;DR, Android needs to be fixed so ASOP can be installed on any phone, just like Linux/Windows. The current state is bizarre for what's essentially now a general purpose operating system.

nix0n 10y ago
I think you mean AOSP (Android Open Source Project) not ASOP (the linked article makes the same typo).
- djsumdog 10y ago
  Wow...I even spelled it out at one point and still screwed it up while abbreviating it! Thanks man. I'll fix it. :)
  - adzm 10y ago
    I habitually think of it as 'aesop' of the fables fame in my head, even though I know it's inaccurate. Hard habit to break. Like eye-terator instead of it-erator.

ghostly_s 10y ago

Is Tizen any closer to this?

maheart 10y ago
I honestly don't know what's happening with Tizen these days -- Samsung has invested money into it, but it has (IMO) very little to show. Again, my bias is showing, but I think Jolla (SailfishOS) and Canonical (Ubuntu Touch) have achieved infinitely more with smaller teams and less capital.
josteink 10y ago
From what I've read, you want as little as possible to do with Tizen: https://what.thedailywtf.com/topic/15001/enlightened https://what.thedailywtf.com/topic/15001/enlightened