Whats the best UNIX/Linux Distro for developing Android? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

i would just like to know what the majority of people here use operating system wise for developing android apps.
♪neXus♪ §⁴G • AØKP B³⁴ • Air Kernel 4.∅

The distro you use is irrelevant to developing Android apps, all that matters is that it can have Java, Eclipse (if you want everything to be streamlined) and the Android SDK running on it (which is most if not all distros). However, I like the look Of Unity so Ubuntu.
You could even run Windows

thats true for the most part.. certian distros run certian things faster and other things slower.. i should have narrowed my question cuz there are too many variables lol.
♪neXus♪ §⁴G • AØKP B³⁴ • Air Kernel 4.∅

I like Linux Mint 12 vKDE
Cheers

I have been using Ubuntu since past 3 years now. and I strongly recommend you also using Ubuntu if you're new to linux. It isn't like I haven't had my hands on other Linux distros. But, the reason I always recommend Ubuntu to Linux newbies is, Ubuntu has the biggest online community out of all linux distros which will help you out in lot of ways when you're facing some OS related problems and troubleshooting. Even googling any problem of Ubuntu will give you solutions right away on your hands. At last but not least, when it come to the installing application/software section, not matter whether from online repos or from specific packages from sites, most sites include separate installation guide for specific ubuntu when it comes to the Linux distros.

LMDE + XFCE!
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Questions or Problems Should Not Be Posted in the Development Forum
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Moving to Q&A

Debian based distros (or even debian itself) are the best.
So, ubuntu seems to be the most recommended one. Big online community, most problems and answers are already posted somewhere, it's fast enough (I haven't heard otherwise at least).
If you're feeling geeky, Slackware
Well, however, you only need Eclipse, Java, and Android SDK, which pretty much every distro supports. However you don't wanna loose most of your time worring about the distro itself since you're using as a tool for you to work. Go for Ubuntu

danieldmm said:
I like Linux Mint 12 vKDE
Cheers
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linux mint ftw

Ubuntu or any other distribution based on it (Because of the Software Repository).

I recommend Ubuntu 10.04 lucid lynx for dev android it is what I use it is noob friendly and have ywr to really see Amy problems with it not to mention the great community support
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I too recommend using ubuntu
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Tha TechnoCrat said:
I too recommend using ubuntu
sent from worldz best x 10mini
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Well, in my opinion... I would recommend Fedora. Fedora is always the leading Linux distro with all the recent technologies. I wouldn't change Fedora for Ubuntu in a million years... at least that's my opinion. Currently running Fedora 20 with Eclipse & Android Studio flawlessly...

To all those who say Ubuntu,
Ubuntu is laggy (on my PC).
Kali-linux has built in Java and Eclipse.
But I say use Builduntu or Mint (64 bit).
There are about 600 distros you can try. Try googling and you may just find the best distro for you. Keep on trying.:laugh::laugh:

For the sake of people looking for the same i was
Ubuntu (for the aformentioned reasons), but in Lubuntu or Xubuntu flavors... Offers the cleanest, fastest and less resource hunger experience in the ubuntu ecosystem.
Lubuntu being the lightest.
Example Given:
I'm currently developing not so heavy android apps (data capture, and so on) in a xubuntu 14.04, celeron dual core based pc with 3 gigs ram and 120 gb hdd, intel hd 3000 machine...

BBQ Linux - http://bbqlinux.org/

Related

[Q] Android x86

Not sure if this is the correct forum to post this. I have searched the web and this forum and only found partial answers so please excuse me if this has been discussed. If so a reply with the link would be very helpful.
With AMD and Intel both producing low powered x86 chips, especially AMDs C-50 which incorporates the Radeon HD graphics processor on the same chip, I was wondering if there are any limitations for hardware manufacturers to use these kind of chips on Tablets running Android.
I know currently Google does not have an x86 port of their own, but are there any particular reasons that would stop them if the chips were comparable in power usage and have faster performance? What would be some drawbacks? Would all the apps run fine on the x86 architecture or would each app need to be recompiled to run on these devices?
I guess what I'm really asking is with your expertise do you see x86 processors as a future of Android tablet computing?
Thanks in advance for all the input.
In theory, they'd just have to re-write the bytecode interpreter on the Dalvik-VM (Assuming it works like Sun's Java VM) Everything you run on your android is on a virtual machine, meaning it has the capability of being cross platform. So yes. It's very possible.
http://www.androidx86.org have you checked this site out??
1st ICS build for virtual machines
Just check out this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=19824180
Given the choice with all other things being equal, I'd take a modern ARM over an X86 chip, unless I'm going to run Windows ware. I've used x86 for like almost 20 out of nearly 23.5 years, and wouldn't trust an X86 Android tablet, now that I've dug into my TF .
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Spidey01 said:
Given the choice with all other things being equal, I'd take a modern ARM over an X86 chip, unless I'm going to run Windows ware. I've used x86 for like almost 20 out of nearly 23.5 years, and wouldn't trust an X86 Android tablet, now that I've dug into my TF .
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
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Wouldnt trust it for what reason?
Windows 8 will be released with an x86 and ARM version.
The Android OS itself runs very smoothly on x86, I have been using a small hp thinclient t5565 as a debug machine instead of my phone or a virtual machine for 2 weeks now and it performs admirably. Granted I cant play HD games on it, but thats what I have the Enjoy 7 tablet for. android-x86 is just brilliant, in many cases the generic froyo and gingerbread builds breathe new life into old rusty machines, making them very useful once more. The only thing missing, is better generic hardware support for ethernet and various 3D display devices. I am currently looking at an option of using android-x86 as a swop and go solution, since my test machine runs the installed system completely from a USB thumb drive. Which means if it breaks, pull the stick out, pop in another machine and you are back to work. Perfect solution for a POS terminal, library internet access machine or even something to keep the kids out of your hair.
ashmem in Android x86
I developed a simple shared memory IPC in Linux already and I would also like to do it in Android x86.
Does anyone knows on how to do this(shared memory or should I call it "ashmem"?) ?
I really need your help. I'm still a beginner in Android x86, so I hope you can give a step-by-step guide.

[Q] Few question about lapdock(Ubuntu, programming...)

Hi everyone !
I've got few question about the lapdock for the Atrix. Especially the OS that we could put on the Atrix for use with it, can we put any ubuntu or linux versions on it ? Is it difficult tu adapt a linux distro on it ? And have we all functionnality as a netbook ? (Like for exemple download library to program some kind of application (In java/PHP/C....) I'm a computer scientist student so it could be interesting for me to have a computer with a 11.6 inch display, an autonomy of 8 hours and a little weight...
Thanks for your answers
And happy new year !!
there is a hack to do this in ATRIX ROM DEVELOPMENT section. you can try and do a search there.
I'd try posting this is questions section, more people will properly see and be able to help you out
blackmario said:
I've got few question about the lapdock for the Atrix. Especially the OS that we could put on the Atrix for use with it, can we put any ubuntu or linux versions on it ? Is it difficult tu adapt a linux distro on it ? And have we all functionnality as a netbook ? (Like for exemple download library to program some kind of application (In java/PHP/C....) I'm a computer scientist student so it could be interesting for me to have a computer with a 11.6 inch display, an autonomy of 8 hours and a little weight...
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So after spending the last Month on my Lapdock, trying every combination I could, I settled on using WebTop2sd. It takes the Webtop and copies it to the External Sdcard and allows you to create whatever partition size you have room for. This only uses the Ubuntu Jaunty (9.04) Distribution that comes with the webtop. Jaunty has been deprecated and no longer has any updates coming from from Canonical. I looked at some of the other ways of changing to newer version of Ubuntu and Debian, but did not find anything that I thought was usable at this point. Or at least as usable as Webtop2sd. So even thought it is an older Distribution, I find it very usable and extemely fast to be running off of a MicroSD card. The latest Webtop (2.3.6) has Firefox 8 which is fast and you can use most all of the normal addons with it. I have the full Open Office 3 package running on mine along with XFCE-4. So right now, you would need to see if what apps you need as a Computer Scientist are available on Jaunty Armel (Have to be made to run on the Arm processor, cannot be X86 or X64) There is a lot of information on the webtop in the Development thread, so just read up on it there. I am a Sales Engineer and I travel quite a bit. I got this for that purpose, it gives me a decent size screen that I have fast web access anywhere, I can work on Docs anywhere, I have movies, music and Books (Firefox ePubReader addon) with me to pass the time. For that it is it works really well. It is not a full on linux laptop though. It has its limitations, but works very well despite of those. Just my opinion.
I think of it more along the lines of a netbook in terms of performance.

[Q] Other Linux distros possibility?

So, with Ubuntu Mobile capturing the attention of hundred of thousands I thought I would ask the one question that's been in my head since the first time I heard of Ubuntu Mobile, what about other Linux distros?
Considering Ubuntu is Debian-based and one of Ubuntu Mobile's key selling points is "it's the same is your PC" software-wise *cough* bloatware *cough* how likely do you think it is for a similar feat to be acomplished by another Linux distro (I like the ring of 'Arch Mobile' :cyclops: ) or will this be a more disgustingly exclusive Ubuntu feature (much like Unity, which didn't gain much traction in other distros).
Please voice your opinion on the matter, even if it's not completely relevant. I'd like to see how the community sees this.
Ubuntu for mobile has optimised stdio.h for touch screen mode of input and integration for touch input device at kernel level. Maybe if another distro can achieve this... Probably need a lot of libs & /dev/ mod files to get compatible drivers for touch devices. Repositories (apt.get, rpm, deb & yast etc) need to haxe modified programmes (apps) optimised for phone display, i/o etc.... Not an easy task.....
Dead cookies leave no trails...
Maybe a mobilised version of PackageKit would work for package management woes, if not I think there may be hope depending on how the phone utilises its 'desktop mode' and that can resolve issues that may accompany distro-specific issues (like Arch's KISS philosophy) and the libraries will be added to repositories (or even just made into an installable package?) for touchscreen usage and hopefully packages could be installed traditionally (i.e. 'apt-get install' 'pacman -S' 'yum install' 'dpkg -i' etc.)
I built a Linux image for my phone (Galaxy Spica)
-W_O_L_F- said:
I built a Linux image for my phone (Galaxy Spica)
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Oh that's quite interesting, when it was running a Linux image was your phone still running Android and with Linux working inside Android (using VNC for X etc.) or was it running natively in the same fashion as Ubuntu Mobile is said to be?
I would think that any Distro based of Ubuntu will be able to be run on a phone.
swehes said:
I would think that any Distro based of Ubuntu will be able to be run on a phone.
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I hope by the time all the mobile software is "figured out" (for lack of a better word) that using the device-specific software won't be limited to Ubuntu-based distros, I don't mind Ubuntu and its derivatives per se, but I much prefer using a more advanced distro; but I suppose Ubuntu is what you make of it
swehes said:
I would think that any Distro based of Ubuntu will be able to be run on a phone.
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This is not a comletely new idea mind you. We have two Ubuntu/Linux threads in the Asus Transformer tf101 dev thread. Both are WIPs but both have many users who are working on making the process better and simpler to have Linux and Android dual boot. Both methods are for native install as well so no need for chroot or VNC.
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Interesting thought. I don't know if the variation will come from other Linux flavors or just different themes or desktop environments. Could it just be that there are themes or desktop environment like cinnamon, XFCE, pantheon and others instead of different Linux operating systems completely? Then again everything is going mobile so maybe the other Linux flavors will disappear unless they follow in Ubuntu's steps and go mobile.
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Cl3Kener said:
Interesting thought. I don't know if the variation will come from other Linux flavors or just different themes or desktop environments. Could it just be that there are themes or desktop environment like cinnamon, XFCE, pantheon and others instead of different Linux operating systems completely? Then again everything is going mobile so maybe the other Linux flavors will disappear unless they follow in Ubuntu's steps and go mobile.
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No, not everything is going mobile. It's just that x86 machines have reached saturation point by now; everyone has one, so the focus is on getting a smartphone or a tablet. Plus, hardware is so powerful that there's no real need to upgrade. Software has not caught up. Even as a gamer, my ATI 6950/Phenom II 955 box hasn't had an issue with running everything topped out so far, new games and all. For sure, you don't need much just to run the everyday stuff like Chrome or Office. People still use desktop computers quite a bit, though in quite a lot of households I do find that it's not at all uncommon for the computer arsenal to consist exclusively of laptops (though that is still x86 and not ARM).
Kookas said:
No, not everything is going mobile. It's just that x86 machines have reached saturation point by now; everyone has one, so the focus is on getting a smartphone or a tablet. Plus, hardware is so powerful that there's no real need to upgrade. Software has not caught up. Even as a gamer, my ATI 6950/Phenom II 955 box hasn't had an issue with running everything topped out so far, new games and all. For sure, you don't need much just to run the everyday stuff like Chrome or Office. People still use desktop computers quite a bit, though in quite a lot of households I do find that it's not at all uncommon for the computer arsenal to consist exclusively of laptops (though that is still x86 and not ARM).
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Well obviously software developers and video gamers will always have desktop computers. It's people that aren't processor hungry that just want to check emails and social media that are going mobile. I know people that don't even own a computer and just use internet through their phones. I can see them embracing of having their phone work as a computer when they dock it into a monitor keyboard mouse environment. That's the only way they could teach their kids about computers.
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I'd love to see Debian for phones. But once I think about it. There's nothing "new" about this concept. Technically Its already out as I have native Debian and arch Linux on my iconia tab via an arm ports. Touch screens support has been patched into the Linux kernel since the 2.6.x series so it works great at the hardware level. So when I get to to bottom of all of the hype all I see is canonical marketing some sort of Unity Touch. (Gnome and KDE were too big I guess ). My point is what bother to get another ubuntu like os for phones when there's already 99% of distos already ported to arm and touch. The only thing that Ubuntu for phones can do that the Debian/other linux ports can't do is make calls, but any hacker with a pair of tweezers could port the radio interface to a Linux distro.
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Is there any way to get Arch Linux on the Nexus 10?

Hello! I've been looking up the Arch Linux distro, and it looks amazing to me. I love having to install the OS using simply the console, I love how everything about it is cusomizable. I've been using Virtual Box on my laptop to play around with it. If I had another laptop, I would probably install it on there. I heard that Ubuntu has been sorta/kinda working on the Nexus 7, I was wondering if Arch Linux would work on the Nexus 10.
Manevolence said:
Hello! I've been looking up the Arch Linux distro, and it looks amazing to me. I love having to install the OS using simply the console, I love how everything about it is cusomizable. I've been using Virtual Box on my laptop to play around with it. If I had another laptop, I would probably install it on there. I heard that Ubuntu has been sorta/kinda working on the Nexus 7, I was wondering if Arch Linux would work on the Nexus 10.
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You could probably get it running through a chroot environment, I have debian running near flawless on mine that way. But atm, its not possible to run it (or any other version of Linux) natively.

[Q] Is it possible to install Windows 8 RT on Chromebook?

Hey guys.
I have neither Windows RT device nor Chromebook but I know that both of them are based on ARM architecture. What is more, I read from news that certain developer of Google installed Ubuntu on Chromebook to enlarge the latter's offline features.
So my question is: is it possible to make a Windows 8 RT ROM for Chromebook?
It's a big challenge but will be very useful, especially for those geeks who have Chromebook and wanna try Windows.
Don't laugh if it sounds silly.
And thank your for your joining the talk.
right now, no. Later down the road?...maybe
Apparently the BIOS is a huge problem.
I heard Ubuntu runs great on it though.
Not legally... Windows RT is only being released as an OEM-install version, which means someone would have to mess around with the files that already exist on a pre-installed RT device, drivers at the present time are unable to be compiled nor installed on Windows RT due to Microsoft's adoption of the Apple ecosystem, and the bootloader would also be an issue. But, I have seen someone get the HD2 running it, it was news like a month ago http://blog.laptopmag.com/hacker-gets-windows-rt-running-on-old-school-htc-hd2-phone , but it's horribly laggy and slow.
zacharyb5386 said:
right now, no. Later down the road?...maybe
Apparently the BIOS is a huge problem.
I heard Ubuntu runs great on it though.
Click to expand...
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You're right. Just be patient and be confident in hackers lol
bal01 said:
Not legally... Windows RT is only being released as an OEM-install version, which means someone would have to mess around with the files that already exist on a pre-installed RT device, drivers at the present time are unable to be compiled nor installed on Windows RT due to Microsoft's adoption of the Apple ecosystem, and the bootloader would also be an issue. But, I have seen someone get the HD2 running it, it was news like a month ago http://blog.laptopmag.com/hacker-gets-windows-rt-running-on-old-school-htc-hd2-phone , but it's horribly laggy and slow.
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Thanks for the reply. Yea I agree with your point. But developers are always making the impossible things possible, aren't they?
Actually HD2 isn't the only android device that can be installed Windows RT/Windows Phone 8. I saw in other forums that ZTE Blade CDMA2000 version+ (N880E) also has similar hardware environments that enables Windows Phone rom installation. So a Windows ROM for Chromebooks is worth expecting!
Yah thats right ubuntu runs good on it.Try out once!!!
Thanks for asking this question I always wondered myself too just never brave like enough like you to ask.
I don't think it's possible to install windows on Chromebooks at all. They're not very open-sourced, sort of like Apple products. You can install Linux on it though, since Chrome OS is Linux based.
AndroiderShomette said:
I don't think it's possible to install windows on Chromebooks at all. They're not very open-sourced, sort of like Apple products. You can install Linux on it though, since Chrome OS is Linux based.
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Funny how Google makes an open source smartphone OS but their OS for laptops is closed source. [emoji17]
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AndroiderShomette said:
I don't think it's possible to install windows on Chromebooks at all. They're not very open-sourced, sort of like Apple products. You can install Linux on it though, since Chrome OS is Linux based.
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Why not install Linux and then switch from Linux to windows? Would it work?
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TheJerwin said:
Why not install Linux and then switch from Linux to windows? Would it work?
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How ? Vm? What r u talkin about
that would be wonderful . but no
Dual boot
Dual boot?
is it possible to buy any chromebook and than convert to ubuntu?
i want to have a full system.

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