Google introduces Debian Linux terminal app for Android. My phone's a laptop at last!

Qualcomm claims that my Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus’ Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU is faster than the Intel Core Ultra 288V chip. My smartphone also has 12GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage. In short, it’s more powerful than most of my laptops. So why not use it as a laptop?

Why not, indeed, says Google, which has introduced – at long last – a native Linux Terminal application in its March 2025 Pixel Feature Drop.

    • @[email protected]English
      4•1 month ago

      Spanish BQ manufacturer sold Ubuntu phones a while ago. I had one, and it felt great. Unfortunately the phone itself (the screen in particular) was pretty low quality, and the customer support not qualitative enough. Mine broke just by sitting in the couch with it in my pocket. That was a huge lost opportunity.

      • @[email protected]English
        2•1 month ago

        Mine broke just by sitting in the couch with it in my pocket. That was a huge lost opportunity.

        yeah you should have hurled it at a fascist.

        edit: ooh the fascists are sensitive today!

    • Lka1988English
      9•1 month ago

      It’s just virtualization, the same way you would run a Debian VM under Windows or whatever.

        • @[email protected]English
          6•1 month ago

          Why would you want to not use Android? Can’t you just de-google your android if that’s your concern? Android is made for mobile devices.

          • @[email protected]English
            0•1 month ago

            because of docker, smb over tailscale, and a general lack of convenience associated with android’s settings.

            • @[email protected]English
              5•1 month ago

              How are you not fully in control when running a foss rom? The only thing you can’t do (easily) is run a different Linux kernel due to drivers

              • adr1anEnglish
                1•1 month ago

                Firmware. The same things that Linux struggles to control any given phone fully with all the hardware that basically make a “phone” (gps, bluetooth, wifi, camera, accelerometers, etc.) for details, see https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices

          • @[email protected]English
            2•1 month ago

            The only phones that support it are either old or niche, I love my Google Pixel 9 and I would rather not give it up (I also love GraphineOS)