5 ms·

Android is Linux but it has nowhere close to the fully open source freedom of a traditional Linux workstation. This is why I carry a tiny linux laptop.

• CharlesW 4y ago
  Phones are not PCs/general-purpose computers. Do you want your TV to be a general purpose computer as well? (Having put my family through a Media Center PC and TV remotes with keyboards/trackpads for several years, I don't recommend it.)
  • fsflover 4y ago
    My Pinephone is a general-purpose computer, which runs a desktop OS and can be connected to a keyboard and screen. Same for Librem 5, which I preordered.
  • cma 4y ago
    I run termux on mine and wish termux wasn't so restricted by google/android.
    • pjmlp 4y ago
      Maybe Termux can learn to code against Java APIs instead of forcing themselves through the Linux layer that is considered a private API on Android.
      • cma 4y ago
        Typically the Java APIs are restricted to the bare minimum Chrome Android needs to do sandboxing and native code-gen for V8. Shared memory only works in a more limited way with many less options. They'd really like to restrict these APIs way more and not allow apps any way of loading dynamic native code with the exec bit set, but can't because of Chrome and antitrust worries about just making Chrome system software with access to the APIs it needs that a competitor couldn't replicate in an APK. I think you can see some of their thinking with the removal of exec; they just want to undercut termux because that isn't needed for V8, but as long as loadable generated native code is still needed for Chrome, termux could potentially create their own ELF loader to replace exec).
        • pjmlp 4y ago
          Thing is, exec() was never a public API anyway.
        • zozbot234 4y ago
          Exec should just be behind a separate permission anyway. A flashlight app has no legitimate reason for exec()ing random code that was not in the APK bundle, but the permission should be there so that JIT's and stuff like Termux can make use of it.
  • realusername 4y ago
    > Phones are not PCs/general-purpose computers. That's just the opinion of the manufacturer, we don't have to agree. Phones have banking and government apps, they are general purpose computers from their usage alread
    • bitwize 4y ago
      Bankers and governments don't want your phone to be a general purpose computer. That's why you can't run your banking app on a rooted phone. From a security standpoint, "general purpose computing" is really just "arbitrary code execution" -- generally a bad thing. We are approaching the sunset of general purpose computing in the consumer space. There's nothing you can do. Accept it and move on.
      • kube-system 4y ago
        “General purpose computing” does not imply any particular security model, it refers to a device with a variety of end user purposes. It is in contrast to a special purpose computer, which smartphones clearly are not.
      • GekkePrutser 4y ago
        > We are approaching the sunset of general purpose computing in the consumer space. There's nothing you can do. Accept it and move on I agree that governments and big business (not just banks, think about media services with DRM) don't want us to have full control of our computers for many reasons. I disagree we just have to accept it though. I will keep fighting that forever.
    • nine_k 4y ago
      If something currently serves as a general-purpose computer for most people, it's an (Android) phone. It's affordable, it has integrated graphics, video, audio, trackpad, and keyboard, it has excellent networking, it's easily programmable and has a plethora of apps for all cases. It does not have a built-in Basic-like language for immediate fiddling; this is sad, of course.
  • megous 4y ago
    You missed quite a lot of history then. Smartphones are general purpose computers for the last 12 years or so.
  • lrvick 4y ago
    Actually yes. All my TVs have attached PCs and run kodi, steam, etc on Ubuntu so I can do whatever I want on them. All my remotes have an airmouse and small keyboard. We love it. When we want to look up something we see in a video we just open a browser. We also use them to order food etc. No proprietary software required.
• jcynix 4y ago
  I'm quite happy with Termux on Android. Allows me to rsync my data for backup or imports, I can ssh into real Linux machines, process images with ImageMagick, etc. Sharing documents from inside other apps works too (you can set up scripts in Termux as receivers). Sure, full control of a device would be great, but I'm better off with Android after I migrated from IOS.
  • cma 4y ago
    Bad news: Android blocks exec in newer API versions. Termux isn't going to be able to use newer API features as they release, unless they rewrite their own ELF loader. exec is now only allowed on executables within the apk, nothing fetched from termux's repositories.
• nivenkos 4y ago
  What do you use a small laptop? Seems there's nothing ultralight and small like the Asus Eee and Acer Aspire One these days (even though you'd think it'd be easier with ARM now).
  • nfriedly 4y ago
    Not the OP, but you should take a look at https://www.gpd.hk/ https://www.gpd.hk/ they have a handful of small devices targeted at different niches.
  • zozbot234 4y ago
    > What do you use a small laptop? Seems there's nothing ultralight and small like the Asus Eee and Acer Aspire One these days They're called "Ultrabooks" now. Buy an older one on the used market if you don't care about top performance.
  • lrvick 4y ago
    The GPD Pocket is what I carry in a leg bag.
• lifeisstillgood 4y ago
  which tiny linux laptop? I am in the market, especially if it can survive jogging in backpack!
  • lrvick 4y ago
    I carry a GPD Pocket in a leg bag. Fantastic for conferences etc. No need for a backpack.