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Consider looking into iSH, it let's you access a Linux like environment where you can download and use common packages like vim and python in a terminal. It has

Consider looking into iSH, it let's you access a Linux like environment where you can download and use common packages like vim and python in a terminal. It has to emulate x86 calls, but for my use case of writing notes in vim and compiling and running simple c++ programs, it works. You can see some more information here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ish/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ish/ But I completely agree that it's practically a moral crime that the OS is so locked down. Just a sandboxed native terminal would make this device my main coding environment. The cheap wireless keyboard and mouse I use with it makes the lack of a native terminal where I'd have complete control the one thing holding it back for me.

dividedbyzero 7y ago
This can't be installed like a regular app, can it? Also, I wonder why they emulate x86 – isn't the iPad CPU ARM64? Couldn't this simply use binaries for that architecture?
- mkskm 7y ago
  > This can't be installed like a regular app, can it? Surprisingly yes, it can, though it remains to be seen if it will be accepted to the App Store. > Also, I wonder why they emulate x86 – isn't the iPad CPU ARM64? Couldn't this simply use binaries for that architecture? This is explained on the FAQ: https://github.com/tbodt/ish/wiki/FAQ#q-is-ish-32-bit-or-64-bit https://github.com/tbodt/ish/wiki/FAQ#q-is-ish-32-bit-or-64-...
- simonh 7y ago
  Then you’d be running unsigned, unreviewed binaries bypassing iOS controls directly on the CPU, which would be a security nightmare for iOS. This way it’s a completely emulated environment that’s isolated from the underlying system.
  - derefr 7y ago
    Running x86 binaries under software emulation, and forking off arbirary ARM binaries, aren’t the only two alternatives. You can do what Wine or gVisor does: run native-architecture code, but virtualize system calls as calls into the host binary.
    - GranPC 7y ago
      You can't run arbitrary unsigned machine code on iOS. Interpreting it is the only solution.
      - hsitz 7y ago
        Unfortunately, that slows things down with iSH a lot. iSH gives surprisingly complete Linux environment, complete with ability to install most of the packages you'd want. There's even an iSH folder in the Files app that gives easy ability to interchange files between iSH and the regular iPad environment. However, the emulation layer slows the Linux applications down quite a lot. Depending on your needs, though, might still be good solution for some things.
  - int_19h 7y ago
    Millions of people use Android devices that allow sideloading, and it does not end up a "security nightmare".
    - simonh 7y ago
      Oh come on, security and privacy on Android barely exist at all except at the most general level. We're past the days when Samsung disabled all OS security controls on their flagship phone just to get the camera working for launch day, but Play Store apps are so infested with spyware and trackers the security of sideloaded apps is barely relevant.
rcarmo 7y ago
It doesn’t support MMX emulation, which means I can’t get a Go compiler to run on it at the moment.

dividedbyzero 7y ago

This can't be installed like a regular app, can it? Also, I wonder why they emulate x86 – isn't the iPad CPU ARM64? Couldn't this simply use binaries for that architecture?

mkskm 7y ago
> This can't be installed like a regular app, can it? Surprisingly yes, it can, though it remains to be seen if it will be accepted to the App Store. > Also, I wonder why they emulate x86 – isn't the iPad CPU ARM64? Couldn't this simply use binaries for that architecture? This is explained on the FAQ: https://github.com/tbodt/ish/wiki/FAQ#q-is-ish-32-bit-or-64-bit https://github.com/tbodt/ish/wiki/FAQ#q-is-ish-32-bit-or-64-...
simonh 7y ago
Then you’d be running unsigned, unreviewed binaries bypassing iOS controls directly on the CPU, which would be a security nightmare for iOS. This way it’s a completely emulated environment that’s isolated from the underlying system.
- derefr 7y ago
  Running x86 binaries under software emulation, and forking off arbirary ARM binaries, aren’t the only two alternatives. You can do what Wine or gVisor does: run native-architecture code, but virtualize system calls as calls into the host binary.
  - GranPC 7y ago
    You can't run arbitrary unsigned machine code on iOS. Interpreting it is the only solution.
    - hsitz 7y ago
      Unfortunately, that slows things down with iSH a lot. iSH gives surprisingly complete Linux environment, complete with ability to install most of the packages you'd want. There's even an iSH folder in the Files app that gives easy ability to interchange files between iSH and the regular iPad environment. However, the emulation layer slows the Linux applications down quite a lot. Depending on your needs, though, might still be good solution for some things.
- int_19h 7y ago
  Millions of people use Android devices that allow sideloading, and it does not end up a "security nightmare".
  - simonh 7y ago
    Oh come on, security and privacy on Android barely exist at all except at the most general level. We're past the days when Samsung disabled all OS security controls on their flagship phone just to get the camera working for launch day, but Play Store apps are so infested with spyware and trackers the security of sideloaded apps is barely relevant.

rcarmo 7y ago

It doesn’t support MMX emulation, which means I can’t get a Go compiler to run on it at the moment.