Ubuntu – Does the Nexus 7 version of Ubuntu support the same software as the desktop version

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I'm wondering whether the Nexus 7 version of Ubuntu ('Ubuntu on Android') supports the same software (i. e., VirtualBox, Google Chrome, LibreOffice Writer) as the desktop version. Is there any difference between the Nexus version and the Android version in terms of software support?

Best Answer

The Nexus tablet is not a full PC. It has an ARM CPU, which while having a pretty OK clock speed, doesn't necessarily perform well at some very CPU intensive tasks. It is designed for minimal power consumption. It also does not have the same instruction set as the x86 CPUs you're used to using in a PC. Therefore, some software will just outright not work or be available (such as VirtualBox), or may perform very poorly. You can see what packages are available by looking through the archive for binary packages built for the architectures armhf or all.

However, most software will be available, even though there are plenty of packages in the archive which only build on x86 architectures, or even on other architectures, but not ARM.

Related Solutions

What Do Updates Provide in the Nexus 7 Desktop Installer? – Ubuntu Touch

The newer version of the installer includes support for the 32gb model, as well as an updated info screen warning the user that this is a developer release. It also has some fixes for incorrectly cached downloads.

Now vs updating and then re-installing, you can get essentially the same results by upgrading. However, a simple upgrade won't do, you'll need to run (on the device): sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade && sudo apt-get install linux-image-nexus7

The reason for the additional package install is that there was a change in the kernel meta-package structure. Doing this will essentially create a system that's the same as doing a fresh install with the new image.

It is a matter of preference at this point, as a fresh install is often preferred by some people to ensure a consistent experience, but an updated system should be comparable.

Ubuntu – How well does Java work on the Nexus 7

Try running:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install openjdk-7-jre openjdk-7-jdk

Launchpad lists openjdk as being available for ARM so it should install.

Best Answer

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What Do Updates Provide in the Nexus 7 Desktop Installer? – Ubuntu Touch

Ubuntu – How well does Java work on the Nexus 7

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