Forum > Operating Systems
Android vs Linux
djdjdjole:
To be honest, I haven't use both Android and Linux on same hardware - so this lack of comparission. My first board (Mini2440), I used only from Linux, although it comes with Android image also. Android, I do only for phones/tablets. Now I have RPi, which announces Android image soon. It means that all the hardware on boards of that kind, could be powered by Android, also, and hence my question.
Agree with Leledumbo's statement of nerrowing term "embedded", but I can reformulate question -which areas in embedded world is better to use Android for (excluding phone and tablets from discussion) and which bare Linux ?
Regards
PS One interesting matter - I recently acquired tablet that has USB host and Android provides API for it, so I can attach some USB device and communicate it (I tried and it works) without writting driver (user mode programming only). Don't you think this (and who knows what else) extends use of Android ?
Leledumbo:
--- Quote ---which areas in embedded world is better to use Android for (excluding phone and tablets from discussion) and which bare Linux ?
--- End quote ---
If the device has no UI, has limited memory and storage, I'll use bare Linux. Smart cards, robots, etc. fall into this category. Otherwise, feel free to use Android. Note that pure AOSP image requires more than 100 MB of storage and around 256 MB of RAM, so if the device has less than that, Android is not a feasible target.
--- Quote ---Don't you think this (and who knows what else) extends use of Android ?
--- End quote ---
Yes, one of the benefits of Android is that its API provides easy hardware access. The burden of connecting the lower level access to higher level is given to the vendor, which builds the driver and customize the Android image for you.
djdjdjole:
Your arguments sounds quite logical with one little addition from me - memory requirements, I consider would be not so important matter for discussion, shortly (for example RPi board has 512Mb of RAM and it's price is 25E).
For the moment I will certainly follow both Android and bare Linux and see what's happening.
And one more thing - AFAIK, Ubuntu phone, you mentioned, seems to me like something wihich will live together with Android (sharing the kernel, but when docked - than it is Ubuntu, else Android) and not something that will beat him.
Regards
Leledumbo:
--- Quote ---And one more thing - AFAIK, Ubuntu phone, you mentioned, seems to me like something wihich will live together with Android (sharing the kernel, but when docked - than it is Ubuntu, else Android) and not something that will beat him.
--- End quote ---
Seems so, except that everything is native, not interpreted bytecode.
djdjdjole:
Just heard the news that overall sale of tablets overwhelmed those of laptops and netbooks in the world. Probably, the brute force will decide. Meaning - memory chips and CPU power growth will almost erase the relation between interpreting (Android) and native (Linux) execution. Similiar is regarding OS image and executable size.
I am very, very sad to say how it means to me that future of embedded world belong to Android, at least (but not necessarily in future) for GUI applications.
Linux (embedded)+ Qt/GTK building process, now seems unnecessary.
And Lazarus, which I mostly use, espetially for embedded GUI Linux, should probably adapt somehow to new winds, else desktops will be it's only field.
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