Ubuntu on multi-core Android phones

[-Tj-]

http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android


Ubuntu running on a docked multi-core Android phone? Yes!


I'd been looking for something like this for my phone late last year, but I couldn't find anything that fit what I was looking for. There's a lot to read on that link, but the gist is Ubuntu will run a full desktop on the connected screen. I was hoping this would work on my SGS2, but from the sound of it it's targeting newer late-2012 phones.

 

[milkshake]

wow this is amazing!

 

[Caine]

Sounds pretty cool and useful. Hopefully the Android/Ubuntu mix they describe will yield some results which can be reused for the Pandora 2.

 

[Weevil]

During the netbook era, every manufacturer created their own Linux, but customers rebelled. Today, they ship Ubuntu.

 

[SNESFAN]

the folks at xda have been doing something very similar to this already the only difference instead of running each environment parallel they dual boot.


But having both running at the same time and being a desktop replacement yet still functioning as a phone is perfect idea. This is what the Pandora needs


Sent from my Nexus S 4g using Tapatalk

 

[Trip]

I thought running Ubuntu on something like a phone would be pointless but I really like the direction this is heading in. They seem to have done a bang up job at integrating everything into the desktop; I just hope that the phone interface itself doesn't suck.


This would actually get me buying a decent phone for once and I might even start trying to use Unity on my main comp again.


p.s This is the kind of integration that Pandora could do with to make it a more polished system. It's the little things that can make a big difference

 

[SNESFAN]

They are purposing the interface only works on the HDMI output while docked.


The idea is similar to the Motorola atrix. The phone interface is uneffected but it wouldn't be too much work switching between the two if you wanted to on something like the Pandora that could be used with both interfaces. On a touch screen phone I agree a full desktop would be kinda pointless without a dock.


Sent from my Nexus S 4g using Tapatalk

 

[-Tj-]

I may have seen that topic on the XDA forums about getting Linux on a phone. Not sure if it was the same one as the one I saw (if I'm remembering right) booted into it via an app but it basically took over the phone.


I really like this solution that Ubuntu has, tho. Being able to keep the phone usable while still having desktop functionality is exactly what I've been wanting for my phone. When I bought my SGS2, I was debating whether to get the Atrix or not since it had the docking ability, but I didn't think I could afford the 'lapdock', and it wasn't a full desktop at that; just browser, and file organization and apps in a window if I'm not mistaken.


Hopefully the brains at the XDA forums will be able to move this to other phones once it begins appearing on the market. I don't really want to buy a new phone till at least the Galaxy S4 or Galaxy Note 3 is out (if they happen).


Edit: Thanks whoever moved this here. After I posted it I realized it was probably in the wrong section.

 

[milkshake]

not being funny but we NEED this on P2 for sure!! best of both worlds for craig? full linux desktop and android for the android peeps.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BWiUvOkK1HM?feature=oembed

 

[Caine]

not being funny but we NEED this on P2 for sure!! best of both worlds for craig? full linux desktop and android for the android peeps.

I agree, but I also want to be able to run the linux desktop on the Pandora 2 itself.


The Ubuntu TV integration is also pretty nice, though I stil prefer XBMC.

 

[Exophase]

Seems to add a new dimension to the ongoing argument of whether or not to use Android, Linux, or both. In Pandora's case you'd also want the ability to run Linux using the native interfaces, of course.


Ubuntu is pretty smart to put this work into syncing with Android data and running concurrently. If you can't beat em, join em, huh?


I do have one question.. does this work by dedicating each core to the respective OSes? And if so, are they incapable of accessing the other core? Because that'd be kind of a downer. Sort of a seller for quad core SoCs, though.

 

[-Tj-]

Good question. I hadn't thought about that till you mentioned it. I would hope all cores are available to each OS at the same time.


Also, what phone was that he was using, an Atrix?


Required hardware specs are shown at the bottom of the specs and features page: http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android/features-and-specs

• Dual-core 1GHz CPU
  
• Video acceleration: shared kernel driver with associated X driver; Open GL, ES/EGL
  
• Storage: 2GB for OS disk image
  
• HDMI: video out with secondary frame buffer device
  
• USB host mode
  
• 512 MB RAM
  

I've no idea about the "shared kernel driver with associated X driver" but the SGS2 certainly has the rest of the requirements, as do several other phones on the market now. I really, really hope this is something that can be put onto current phones because this is exactly what I've been wanting for my phone.

 

[Fzero]

So this will work on my LG O3D, that's dual core with hdmi and openGL.


so is this saying i could hdmi my phone to my telly and boot up Ubuntu and run Gimp etc?


Sounds very good if so.


Have to watch that vid later see what its. saying.

 

[-Tj-]

There wasn't any mention of Gimp or the like in the vid above, rather it outlined a lot of the Android interfacing that Ubuntu does, like text messages, contacts, apps, and such. Seems in theory it should work on any Android phone with the specs shown above.

 

[SNESFAN]

here's some more information about what is actually taking place


http://www.androidce...otorolas-webtop


some interesting things to take from this,


it will be a parallel process and will basically put the android system idle so Ubuntu can take full advantage of the hardware. The dual core requirement appears to be just a baseline for a useful experience. Standard arm-Ubuntu tools and files can be compiled and used.


I take from this that both cores can be used in either environment. There may be more behind it than that like dedicating a core for each process. Native android processes being ran in the Ubuntu environment like messaging and email and whatnot seems to be deep so I can see one core per OS in ubuntu being required, but the other way around since Ubuntu portion isn't actively running at all time only when the process is awake that android portion can take advantage of both cores. It would seem to be strangely inefficient dedicating the core to the process though, instead of the other way around and not let anything else use it while not actively being used, much like CPU time.


I can see the want for quad core at that point... quad core running on basic android would almost seem useless, who's running 4 major processes at once? Dual core yea... main process in foreground all system processes running on the second core. With a quad core and 2 os's you could have 2 spare cores either os's could take advantage of at any given time. I'm not an expert on stuff like that. But I know with hardware virtualization no single machine can take exclusive ownership of a core like on servers with 8 cores you can run many more than 8 virtual machines at once. This seems to be effectively doing the same thing.


Does this make sense?


EDIT: reworded to make my ideas seem less confusing.

 

[Fzero]

Thanks guys, the text info on AndroidCentral will likely make it all clear to me, ill have a full read of that.


also... just peeped that advert on that site to http://www.imwatch.it/uk-en/


whaaaaa.... i think i want one of those dont i?


Anyway, back to the topic at hand...

 

[SNESFAN]

also... just peeped that advert on that site to http://www.imwatch.it/uk-en/


whaaaaa.... i think i want one of those dont i?

cheaper / IMO better

 

[-Tj-]

Does this make sense?

What you say? Kidding. Made sense to me.


As I had expected/feared this has to be baked into the ROM, which means I'll have to finally find the time to root my phone if someone makes a custom ROM with Ubuntu on it. That's not a huge hoop, but just gotta find the time. One thing that worries me is battery life. While doing certain things on my SGS2 when it's hooked up to the MHL adapter, I noticed it uses more power than the power adapter can supply, so at some point the phone shuts down and that's it--no more session! And it'll likely use even more power since Bluetooth and WiFi will be on.

 

[SNESFAN]

I don't think the same power save features are in ubuntu that are in android. The dalvik vm and how android works promotes and is designed around removing uneeded cpu time. cpu time = battery consumption. I don't think most desktop envroinments spend too much effort or at least not the same amount of effort being efficent at that level. More focus is spent on improving the user experience by pre-cacheing and stuff of that nature. Give the user as much responceiveness and fluid experience as possible.Not to bash a desktop os but throwing resources at the problem seems to be the norm.


Anyway, I think the idea here is using a dock and monitor type setup. if you have those accessories and cables connected, attaching power I think would be available too. My hdmi dock has usb power. Having all those radios and connections going pus the increased data going through I think something like a powered dock would be manitory really.


EDIT: you can ignore all that lol misunderstood your comments


USB power from a computer may not supply your device with all the juice it needs, most of the time the wall outlet adapter give it the juice it needs to be used and charge. I noticed this on my car adapter on my phone when I was doing gps.... even though it idicated the phone was charging by the end of my trip the phone was dead. I bought a different power adapter and problem was solved. I'm not an a electrial expert but it was something like it produced the volts to tell the phone it was charging, but the watts were too low for the amount that was being consumed. I think the charger was for a different phone even though the connection was the same

 

[-Tj-]

It's possible the adapter I'm using wasn't supplying enough amps when it was losing power. I have adapters ranging from 750mA to 1.0A, but the one that I lost power on I don't know the specs of. Says 1.6A on the website, but I'm not certain. I had heard of people charging their iPads on car adapters that had a 1A port and running out of juice or taking long to charge. Apparently the iPad prefers something like 2A. I'm hoping that one time was just a fluke... I've been trying all different setups for a while now and it was just that one time I had problems with.