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Samsung Linux on Dex Galaxy Tab S6 availability

(Topic created on: 12-09-2019 09:42 AM)
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DaedalusEH
Explorer
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Does anyone know as to when the 'Linux on Dex' will be available on Galaxy Tab S6? I looked at the Galaxy store and the Play Store but I did not find anything. Also I downloaded the 1.0.51 beta version from APKMirror but when I started it told me that the device was not compatible and shut down. 

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WantAGeek
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My Tab S6 has just arrived and I'm dissapointed that LOD isn't supported. Hugely impressive feature but Samsung can't tell us when it will go into production release or even if they'll extend support for the Tab S6. 

 

Currently using it on a Note 9 and it is awesome but I don't always have a monitor and keyboard handy.

 

Think I'll be sending my tablet back.

Mikka
First Poster
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Pure conjecture, but from what little I know about the product and the cycle, it seems to be related to the S6's new keyboard with touchpad. In essence, whenever you add new periphery you have two options: transparently proxy it through a host system function (the touchpad "looks" like a generic Wacom to the Linux system), or you can write a driver for Linux and ship it.

 

Samsung has been relcutant to do the latter, because it'd mean giving out source code, which they rarely if ever do. Corporate sensibilities and all. For the former LoD has to be massively redone, which may or may never happen.

Isurus65
Student
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Good point. But that does not explain why LoD is not supported on Note 10 either.

Maksimum8
Explorer
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I'm not going to buy ѕ6пока there does not appear to support Linux on Dex. Samsung won't fool me. Let just say it will support or not. So why terroriziruet soobshestve and cause a waste of money. If samsung altogether the opportunity to even those that are, that I will never set foot in stores samsung. Tired of their silence and hide and seek. Will have move and ios. There at least also a stylus. But if someone from samsung reads, if I move there, then lure back you me not can. And let's create an analogue of photoshop or photoshop itself ported to Android.

DaedalusEH
Explorer
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There are actually many people that I know and I talked to,  that they wont buy the tab 6 because of Samsung not supporting Linux or at least not telling us that they will. It is a great opportunity for them to open the platform, it is an untapped market that they could exploit. Also it is a lost opportunity for them as they could have advertised and marketed Tab 6 having Linux support. As a developer I would have really appreciated that, as it would allow me to use many familiar tools in a hardware platform that is easily accessible, mobile as well as powerful. Lets hope at least that they are still developing the app, if not (possibly not having the resources or their managers do not see the financial benefit) then we could  ask them to open source it so that others can improve it and support it or even petition if we can get the people to sign so that they can see the number of people that want that feature.  

As of the keyboard+touchpad driver being the issue of not supporting the app, I kind of doubt it, as they could just not support it, as it is an optional peripheral. I also think that the bus and the hardware they are using is (or should) not proprietary so there should be already open source support for those (in the kernel) they might have to write some pass through code from the app to the VM but I dont think that they have to open source that, as it is outside the Operating System .

Ekami
Student
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Same here, I'm waiting for a month or two to get Linux support on the Galaxy Tab S6. If that doesn't happen I'll just go with an IPad Pro. 

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DaedalusEH
Explorer
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Don't get me wrong, there are other ways to install Linux on the Tab S6 but those are cumbersome and clunky, (using an app called Termux) . For example I installed Ubuntu 18.04 and 19.04, the only interface I was able to run successfully was XFCE4 and this had several issues (speed, graphical, and apps not running).

Having official Linux support for DEX for the Tab S6 will  give the tablet a heads up over iPad Pro for developers, as of right now there is really nothing more than just the price (which is quite significant) and the open android ecosystem to take into consideration .  DEX is a significant feature by itself but with the iPAD OS Apple has raised the bar once more and Samsung needs to keep up. 

Ekami
Student
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Yeah, I definitely want an official solution here. Linux on x86 machines already takes a lot of patience to get it working properly so I don't want to scratch my hairs getting it to work on ARM.
SilvaTron
First Poster
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Hi,

Is there an actual way to have a Linux environment on an iPad pro?

Or you would just install some app to have a bash-terminal such as the ones we can get on android?

Thanks

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DaedalusEH
Explorer
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No there is not a way to install full fledged Linux on iPad Pro unless you jailbreak the device, that will invalidate your warranty . There are shell/terminal apps on iPad/iPhone but those are limited in functionality . For further information follow this : https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/77tx2v/why_is_there_no_native_vm_software_for_ios/

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