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

[Federico Galland]

On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 01:44:20 +1100
Simon Wise <simonzwise at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
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I had a smartphone which was literally eaten by my dog, but before that, I used to download apps from the F-droid repos, which are mostly FOSS.

IMHO Android sucks, but the apps in those repos at least don't bother you with ads and nonsense.

To be honest, I'm happy I don't have a cellphone anymore...

Cheers!