Linux - GeneralThis Linux forum is for general Linux questions and discussion.
If it is Linux Related and doesn't seem to fit in any other forum then this is the place.
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Distribution: Currently: OpenMandriva. Previously: openSUSE, PCLinuxOS, CentOS, among others over the years.
Posts: 3,881
Original Poster
Rep:
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidMcCann
...I'd say that Android is Linux, but not a distribution — that's why it's not on Distrowatch.
It's probably because Android was originally designed for smartphones and tablets rather than as a desktop or server system. Also, I don't think because it's not listed on Distrowatch that means it's not a Linux distribution.
Distribution: Mainly Devuan, antiX, & Void, with Tiny Core, Fatdog, & BSD thrown in.
Posts: 5,521
Rep:
I think you will find Android is available for PC, but I wouldn't use it personally, & Distrowatch is mainly concerned with F.O.S.S. operating systems.
(BSD isn't Linux either).
Distribution: Currently: OpenMandriva. Previously: openSUSE, PCLinuxOS, CentOS, among others over the years.
Posts: 3,881
Original Poster
Rep:
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsbjsb001
It's probably because Android was originally designed for smartphones and tablets rather than as a desktop or server system. Also, I don't think because it's not listed on Distrowatch that means it's not a Linux distribution.
ReactOS most certainly is not Linux distribution and it is listed on Distrowatch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fatmac
I think you will find Android is available for PC, but I wouldn't use it personally, & Distrowatch is mainly concerned with F.O.S.S. operating systems.
(BSD isn't Linux either).
Perhaps you missed the word I've highlighted in bold. I wouldn't waste my time using the PC version of Android either. I'm not even sure why people even want it for PC.
Android as far as I'm aware uses the Linux kernel with the BSD userland. The Linux kernel is GPL licensed, even if the BSD userland isn't.
It's probably because Android was originally designed for smartphones and tablets rather than as a desktop or server system. Also, I don't think because it's not listed on Distrowatch that means it's not a Linux distribution.
ReactOS most certainly is not Linux distribution and it is listed on Distrowatch.
Purely for info, here's the excerpt from the Distrowatch FAQ that explains why Android is not included:
Quote:
Why do you not list Android, arguably the world's most popular Linux distribution?
Android does run on the Linux kernel, but it is not one single Linux distribution. Android is a family of operating systems, much the same way GNU/Linux is not a single operating system, but a collection of distributions. Most of the members of the Android family are tied to specific hardware platforms and cannot be installed on any computer or mobile device of the user's choosing. This makes most flavours of Android unsuitable for inclusion on DistroWatch as our readers are unable to download most flavours of Android at home and install them on the device of their choosing.
We do track some specific flavours of Android, ones that can be installed on generic hardware without requiring the user to create a port. The Android-x86 project, for example, features Android's upstream source code and can be run on generic personal computers.
Because when I let go of one of my netbooks. Instead of a Windows License purchase . Or installing some flavor of Gnu/Linux that the the person I will hand that touchscreen netbook over to has no clue on how to operate it or the name of applications and what they do.
I install Android. Because they are familiar with it. Makes complete sense to me.
^ have you actually done this, rokytnji?
in other words, is it doable (on a random tablet)?
you probably need to hunt down the suitable ROM, if available at all?
^ have you actually done this, rokytnji?
in other words, is it doable (on a random tablet)?
you probably need to hunt down the suitable ROM, if available at all?
This also depends on what you want to do? They all have their quirks...
Biggest issue I have with Ubuntu is it does not clean up old kernels and over time, then with updates /boot gets full then updates will fail. Now, this is not a big issue, any one with some amount of *NIX experience can figure out how to resolve this...
This issue may be resolved in Ubunto 18*? Have not checked...
This also depends on what you want to do? They all have their quirks...
Biggest issue I have with Ubuntu is it does not clean up old kernels and over time, then with updates /boot gets full then updates will fail. Now, this is not a big issue, any one with some amount of *NIX experience can figure out how to resolve this...
This issue may be resolved in Ubunto 18*? Have not checked...
Yup, in Ubuntu 18.04 as far as I am aware, if you're using the default linux-generic package to install your kernels, only the current and previous versions of the kernel are kept (achieved by a post-install script).
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.