Ubuntu on Android for Samsung Galaxy note 2?

Question

This question is lengthy, I have to warn you.

I'm generally a mac user. My setup currently consists of using mac osx and vmware (windows 7) to run one program that isn't compatible with osx or linux. This program can be run using crossover (wine) as well but it works better with vmware.

I'm thinking of switching over to ubuntu as my main operating system on my computers and running vmware or crossover that way to access the program I need. No specific reason why, I guess I'm just sick of the apple/windows machine. I've always wanted to try linux so figure there is no better time than now. The point is I haven't used ubuntu yet so I don't know a lot about it.

I was planning on buying the iphone 5 when I saw there is an app to setup ubuntu operating system on an android phone. I'm now thinking that this would be fantastic for me if I bought the samsung galaxy note 2 and was able to install ubuntu and either vmware or crossover to use my windows specific program for work right on my phone. The samsung galaxy note 2 has a 1.4 ghz processor and 2gb of ram which is enough to handle a modern operating system. My program does not need a lot of speed or memory to work. To be honest, the windows specific program I need would work fine on an old laptop running windows xp.

My first question is if ubuntu for android is really the full operating system that lets you run programs just like a desktop pc? Is it super slow where it takes many minutes to load up ubuntu? I don't need blazing speeds, but I'd like something useable.

My next question has to do with vmware or crossover. Is ubuntu for android capable of running these programs?

I think it would be great to use the same operating system like ubuntu on my desktop, laptop, tablets, and phone.

Thanks so much for all the help!!!

Solution 1

My first question is if ubuntu for android is really the full operating system that lets you run programs just like a desktop pc? Is it super slow where it takes many minutes to load up ubuntu? I don't need blazing speeds, but I'd like something useable.

This is Ubuntu for Android.

It's not a "mobile version" of Ubuntu.

It's a special build of the Ubuntu OS that can be installed on Android dual-core phone, with this you can attach a HDMI monitor (and I think a bluetooth keyboard and mouse) and use your smartphone as a computer with Ubuntu.

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My next question has to do with vmware or crossover. Is ubuntu for android capable of running these programs?

Ubuntu can run VM software on the PC to emulate other OSs, however VMWare does not emulate CPU architecture, therefore it doesn't run on the Ubuntu version that the app Installs because only software compiled for ARM is available. I had Ubuntu on my Galaxy S 2, Wine for instance wasn't available but other software was such as Chromium, or Inkscape.

Solution 2

schulzey, it's not about the version of ubuntu it's about not being able to emulate HARDWARE, the arm chips in your phone are very different devices from the ones in PC's and cannot emulate PC hardware which wine relies the existence of on to work.

Comments

[david6]

Have you read: askubuntu.com/questions/106273/what-is-ubuntu-for-android AND askubuntu.com/questions/146238/…

[schulzey]

Thanks for the quick response. I'm very sad to hear that ubuntu for android wouldn't do vmware or wine. I guess my next question is there a way to get a full ubuntu operating system on my samsung galaxy note? I've seen youtube videos of people putting linux and windows on the android phones but it runs super slow.

[Uri Herrera]

That is all you can get, the available ARM software in the repositories.

[Tachyons]

+1 This is the correct answer, I don't why this answer did'nt got even a single update

[Philippe Blayo]

the question doesn't mention version of ubuntu or I've missed something