Ubuntu for Android

Ubuntu for Android

Ubuntu running on an Android device, docked to a desktop monitor
Company / developer	Canonical Ltd.
OS family	Unix-like
Working state	In development
Source model	Open source
Update method	APT (front-ends available)
Package manager	dpkg (front-ends like Synaptic available)
Supported platforms	x86, ARM
Kernel type	Monolithic (Linux kernel)
Default user interface	Unity shell
License	GPLv3 and LGPLv3
Official website	www.ubuntu.com/phone/ubuntu-for-android

Ubuntu for Android is an upcoming free and open source variant of Ubuntu designed to run on Android phones. It is expected to come pre-loaded on several phones. Ubuntu for Android was shown at Mobile World Congress 2012.

Features

• Both Ubuntu and Android run at the same time on the device, without emulation or virtualization, and without the need to reboot. This is possible because both Ubuntu and Android share the same kernel (Linux).
• When the device is connected to a desktop monitor, it features a standard Ubuntu Desktop interface (Unity).
• When the device is connected to a TV, the interface featured is the Ubuntu TV experience.
• Ability to run standard Ubuntu Desktop applications, like Firefox, Thunderbird, VLC, etc.
• Ability to run Android applications on the Ubuntu Desktop.
• Make and receive calls and SMSs directly from the Desktop.

System requirements

According to Canonical a phone needs the following requirements:

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

Reception

Katherine Noyes, writing for PC World, noted "As a longtime Ubuntu fan, I have to admit I'm especially excited by the prospect of having my Ubuntu desktop available on my phone, wherever I go."

Lawrence Latif, writing for The Inquirer noted "if the mobile phone OEMs do a good job of building Android Ubuntu devices, those could be useful for those who don't want to lug around desktop replacement laptops."

Scott Merrill, writing for TechCrunch noted "I admit that I think this is pretty novel [...] it’s something completely new that’s trying to leverage the right interface and experience for the right context. It’s a phone in most senses, but only activates the Ubuntu desktop when connected to peripherals that benefit from them."

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, writing for ZDNet, noted "The idea is an interesting one", concluding "This could put a lot of new eyeballs on the Ubuntu OS."

Jamie Lendino, writing for PC Magazine, noted "Today's announcement is a big step toward fulfilling Shuttleworth's promise back in October to have Ubuntu running on smartphones, tablets, phones, TVs, and smart screens by early 2014. It certainly has us interested; we typically have a soft spot for this kind of product"

Joey Sneddon, writing for OMG! Ubuntu! noted "Both [Android and Ubuntu] run at the same time on the same device. The net result of this is a super efficient workflow."

Cameron Summerson, writing for Android Police, noted "Imagine carrying a full desktop computer in your pocket [...] Ubuntu for Android is something that we've only dreamed about up to this point - one device to rule them all, if you will."

Jerry Hildenbrand, writing for Android Central, noted "it's going to be a wide-open, full-blown, honest-to-goodness Ubuntu installation, running in tandem with Android. Full administrative tools, the full package manager, and everything you would ever want in a desktop computer OS"

Ubuntu for phones

Main article: Ubuntu Phone

In a conference in London, on 2 January 2013, Mark Shuttleworth has unveiled the concept for an upcoming mobile operating system - Ubuntu Phone, that will probably be released "by the end of the year. The device(s) on which it will be released will deliver a personalised, full screen-to-screen experience - with a 'welcome screen, not a lock screen'". Thereafter, a concept for one phone with Ubuntu for Phones was published on Ubuntu's official channel on YouTube, in which it is shown as a simple, rounded bar-type smartphone, with no buttons on the front, unlike what is usually seen on most smartphones. The Welcome Screen is shown to have the standard Ubuntu background image, with digital clock on top, and small-to-big circles in the centre, circulating Unread/Notifications/Talk Time. Each of these parts appear and fade each after the other, while changing the colour of the circles in the background and the placement of the little ones. From the Welcome screen, the user could swipe to any of the four directions: up for notifications, left for the app menu, swipe from the right to launch the previous app, and swipe from the bottom to display the operations menu. Also, the user would be able to launch Voice Control by touching the bottom-right corner outside the interface, where the soft buttons would be on other smartphones. In the main menu, you could swipe far to the bottom and release to launch the Home Screen, The Ubuntu for Android project, as said, is the first step for this new phone OS. Mobile development suite will be available later the week. Developers will be able to create one app, with two interfaces: a smartphone UI, and, when docked, a desktop UI. The software would then be integrated with Qube, and Quickly development (as told in the OMG! Ubuntu's Google+ hangout). Full information about the phone and OS is currently available in Ubuntu's official page for the product [1]. A demonstration of the product will be shown in this year's CES, 8–11 January 2013.

See also

• Docking station
• Ubuntu TV
• Ubuntu Touch

External links

• official website