[LAU] android for the linux user ...was: legacy equipment for a user who does not "program"

[Simon Wise]

On 18/03/14 00:28, Dave Phillips wrote:
>
> On 03/17/2014 09:15 AM, Joe Hartley wrote:
>>
>> I have used Linux since the Yggdrasil days where you had to compile
>> everything from scratch...
>>
>> I don't miss those days at all.
>>
>
> I don't miss them nor do I regret a single second I spent in that learning process.

Kind of related, but the other end of the GUI v DIY spectrum ...

I'm only just now diving into Android ... this year's Samsung Note offering. It 
is proving a nice device, 4 cores with an additional processor for the pen and a 
very nice screen. But it's getting very frustrating looking at wizards with 
three options, none of which suit, then scrounging around a zillion half-baked 
apps available which may or may not do what I want. A bit like looking through a 
zillion offerings via apt-get for the first time, but without the quality 
control, man pages, web pages and community history and support that comes built 
in with debian.

Everything is GUI. Everything is simplified. Very little is possible at any 
particular step, and the offerings are all context determined so the same path 
will lead to a different set of choices in slightly changed circumstances. By 
default, everything non-wizard-ish is hidden, mostly locked away by default, 
there is almost no documentation. It's all plug and play, or not.

The basic things it does built in are done well, the interface is well thought 
out, flexible and effective, and with a bluetooth keyboard and my old Lifebook 
pen which is proper sized with an extra button (middle click) all dealt with 
properly and cleanly it is going to be very nice when I get it sorted. But 
discover-ability is not there at all. Plus anything out of the standard "be a 
good consumer" thing may require writing it yourself in Java, or struggling with 
someone else's undocumented offering which suited their particular needs and device.

Any hints appreciated ... an app called juiceSSH has given me a command line 
locally, and ssh access to my other machines with a clean interface and good 
keyboard support. And the wacom pen works very well, with very nice built in 
support for handwriting recognition, maths formulas and such ... so the two main 
reasons I got it are working.

I've got an Xserver installed, XSDL, which looks very promising and a debian 
chroot seems best but which method is the best? I've tested an app which has 
gimp and inkscape on an xfce desktop, it runs fine, the device copes easily, the 
(X display from XSDL seems better though, I will use it instead). It is 
apparently just a debian chroot so this path will be successful.

Haven't yet added an admin account, first I am seeing what is possible without 
it. But the command line isn't much use, even man is in /sbin it seems.

Hints from those who have been here already much appreciated!


Simon