Canonical bringing Ubuntu to ARM-powered devices

It was inevitable, really -- now that ARM processors are bound for netbooks and the like, it follows logic that ARM would tag team with Canonical to bring along Ubuntu support. The two firms have collaborated in order to "bring the full Ubuntu Desktop operating system to the ARMv7 processor architecture (targeting the Cortex-A8 and Cortex -A9 in particular) to address demand from device manufacturers." They even go out of their way to assert that this is all about bringing Ubuntu to "new netbooks and hybrid computers," though we're still hopeful that the OS will find its way into even more diminutive ARM-powered devices in the future. Sadly, you'll have to wait until April of 2009 to see the fruits of this so-very-special relationship.

[Via CNET]

[Dummy00001 Posted Nov 16th 2008 3:13PM]

I want to cool down all those nerds who think that ARM is much less power consuming that x86.

The problem of CPU implementation is really not that big and all of x86 AFAIK have power management more than sufficient to compete against ARM.

The real problem is what you run on the CPU. Long time ago, when I only switched my PowerBook to Linux, I tried hard to max out battery life time. But even with all cool sleep modes of Motorola's CPU, it was futile: feature full Linux-based OS always has something to do in background. Essentially, you have to degrade system to text mode, if you want to get max out of it. With GUI running and "idle" system ("idle" == no actions on user part) I have rarely seen that CPU was sleeping for longer than 5 seconds. By going to "init 1" I have managed to finally see system really sleeping and consuming literally no power. As soon as you activate network ("init 3") you immediately get flood of all possible requests (e.g. samba) your Linux is ought to respond to make it look like good citizen on network.

To conclude: going to ARM will not make OS magically more power efficient. All what that would accomplish is new price niche for netbooks. I'd say $100-150 for decent ARM based system is absolutely real target (w/o compromises like e.g. OLPC) as ARM market is filled with SoC solutions which cram all PC peripherals onto single module.

[pogodrummer Posted Nov 16th 2008 4:14PM]

hey,i've installed ubuntu 7.10 on a 300 mhz celeron,tell me if an iphone (its processor is a samsung S3C6400 with 667 mhz, underclocked to 400 mhz , but it can be OC up to 850-900 mhz) cna't support a normal desktop version of ubuntu,not phonebuntu...
plz add me as [e-mail], i have no contacts, thank u

[Samunosuke Posted Nov 16th 2008 4:45PM]

Seeing as ubuntu is my preferred linux option, the more devices they can be utilized on will only make my experience more streamlined. Would love this on a Nokia E or N series device. Totally kick-ass.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 16th 2008 5:30PM]

This of course means 10+ hours of battery life for netbooks. Probably with only having a 3-cell for that matter. Not to mention that M$ can't bust out windows XP on the arm platform to help from loosing its market share. Count it, that's two wins for consumers everywhere.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 16th 2008 7:01PM]

Nice laptop


Nissan 370Z Reveal before LA Autoshow

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 16th 2008 7:03PM]

whoops!!!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZqgaVxUha4

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 16th 2008 7:37PM]

The idea of Ubuntu working on a phone is a great idea. However, I think that the support for "new netbooks" is just as important. I love Ubuntu, but it has some serious issues with Wifi cards. Each time I've put Ubuntu on a net/notebook of mine, the wifi card has some sort of problem that requires extensive tinkering in Terminal. If Ubuntu can get out-of-box support for all the newly produced netbooks, I'll be extremely happy. The same goes for cell phones: I don't want to have to do a lot of work in Terminal to get the wifi on my iPhone/WinMo working.

[Nerdtalker Posted Nov 16th 2008 10:47PM]

Usually when I read posts like this, I give the poster the benefit of the doubt that there's actually a coherent sentence buried somewhere in there, and give it a read.

However, upon finishing this one, my only thought was "WTF?"

You're a fully qualified incoherent nonsensical rambling idiot is what you are, LOL!

[gikku Posted Nov 17th 2008 12:28AM]

Ubuntu? they still kicking around all that brown sh!t on the desktop, yuk!

[Frogboy Posted Nov 17th 2008 9:53AM]

Sounds like an excellent dev machine for the Pandora.

[x3qt0r Posted Nov 18th 2008 2:59AM]

I feel so good writing this comment on an ubuntu desktop to this post :D

ubuntu FTW!!!