Ubuntu for Android

Back in October, Canonical Ltd. announced that Ubuntu would be coming to smartphones, tablets and TVs. Tuesday, Canonical announced it is not only bringing Ubuntu to phones, tablets, and televisions, nevertheless it is doing so through Android, and in a form very similar to Motorola's Webtop interface.

It's quite a statement coming from a company that makes desktop operating systems. "Forget the office PC. Just dock your corporate phone and enjoy Ubuntu. Anywhere. One address book. One set of bookmarks. One place for your text messages and email. No more typing on a tiny screen when all you want is a keyboard and a mouse. Seamless integration of your desktop and mobile worlds."

When a phone equipped with Ubuntu for Android is docked into an appropriate hardware dock with HDMI out and Keyboard, it launches the Ubuntu environment in parallel with Android. It is not virtualized, nevertheless is instead a native linux environment running off of the same Linux kernel that Android uses. It requires a dual-core device, all in all, so that both environments can run and share services.

Complete desktop

Canonical bills Ubuntu for Android as a complete desktop, and it includes applications for office, web browsing, email, media and messaging. Personal files stored in the phone just as contacts, calendars, photo galleries, and music can all be accessed via the Ubuntu desktop interface.

Text messages and voice calls are as well routed through the desktop in a fashion more like a desktop VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and messaging client than a phone to allow a seamless experience.

In December, Canonical-founded nonprofit Linaro announced it had completed middleware for low-cost dual-core ARM boards that allowed for deployment of either Android Ice Cream Sandwich or Ubuntu Oneiric Ocelot, and this could play into the initial availability of Ubuntu for Android.