Originally Posted by PowerUser

As for me, I would not buy things from Google due to privacy concerns and strange platform design. I do not want a toy-like Java stuff when I can carry a REAL Linux like Maemo in my pocket. Actually Google's platform is not Linux at all since it does not represents Linux APIs and services to applications. Furthermore, it forces people to use Java only, which is slow and memory hog. Hence it's quite useless and restrictive platform. And I doubt someone would be able to write something equal to Pidgin, X-Chat, OpenTTD, Quake, etc using Java anyhow soon.

Originally Posted by fatalsaint

Actually I disagree and I have a rooted android.

Android simply doesn't work like linux should. It's.... odd.

Android is as much like linux as Mac OS X (Nextstep) is like FreeBSD.

Sure.. there's parts in there... somewhere... Good luck finding it.

Sure, we have /etc, /dev, /proc, /root, /lib and /sbin in android.

No /home, or /bin, or /boot, /usr, /var.

We have some new crap though... /sys, /system, /data, /cache, /init, /init.goldfish.rc, /init.rc and /sdcard.

Yeahhhhhh...no. It's linux.. but.. not really. Without a rooted android (which is typically a real PITA to get, as well) - you are limited severely on the available terminal commands as well. Not to mention the versions of commands on my android device are HORRIBLE. I cannot "mv" from one partition of my sdcard to another because it traverses filesystems. I have to cp a file first, then remove it by hand. There is NO options..

Code:

$ mv -h 
USAGE: mv <source....> <destination>
$ mv --help
USAGE: mv <source....> <destination>

It's a nice try.. tho... I guess...

Originally Posted by danramos

MM... yeaaah.. good try, but Linux is the kernel and all of that has little to do with the kernel. It SOUNDS like you're complaining about the distribution. There ARE variations in Linux distributions like the ones you're talking about and the commands and filesystem structures CAN be different and yet remain clearly Linux. The drivers work ilke they're supposed to, the API's are all there, you CAN do everything Linux can do when you're root and a user with restricted access. There are several things going on that violate POSIX rules but it's all clearly Linux. For example, if anyone with the knowledge and ability (ahem) wanted to, they COULD compile the bluetooth HID drivers for BlueZ (which is already installed and running on the DROID) to support bluetooth keyboards. Supposedly, someone is doing that already and I'm eagerly awaiting it.

Although Android is built on top of the Linux kernel, the platform has very little in common with the conventional desktop Linux stack. In fact, during a presentation at the Google IO conference, Google engineer Patrick Brady stated unambiguously that Android is not Linux.

Much of the Android userspace operates within the constraints of Dalvik, Google's own custom Java virtual machine. Dalvik uses its own bytecode format called Dex, and is not compatible with J2ME or other Java runtime environments. Third-party Android applications are written in Java using Android's official APIs and widget toolkit. The Android SDK includes special compilation tools that will translate Java class files into Dex bytecode and generate an installation package that can be deployed on Android devices.

Android's radically different approach to mobile Linux application development offers some unique advantages, but it also creates a lot of challenges for third-party developers. The biggest advantage is that it provides a very high level of uniformity. In theory, the vast majority of Android applications will be able to run seamlessly on virtually any Android-based device without requiring any further modification.

The problem with Google's approach is that it makes Android an island. The highly insular nature of the platform prevents Android users and developers from taking advantage of the rich ecosystem of existing third-party Linux applications.

Originally Posted by fatalsaint

How many times did I say.. "Yeah It's linux... but it's not."

I am fully aware that "linux" is a kernel. Technically the smallest and most customized firmware-based linux OS is still linux. It is not what people technically think about when they say "linux" however.

This entire "distribution" is completely non-standard. Even the /etc/ is a symlink to /system/etc.

Maemo is linux. A linux admin can sit in front of a maemo OS and feel comfortable. Android... has a linux kernel.

You know... don't listen to me. Listen a damn developer for Google:

http://arstechnica.com/open-source/r...developers.ars



I will say it.. yet again. Yes, Android is linux... but no.. it's not.

Originally Posted by fatalsaint

That's not what I'm saying. Because at least RPM-based distro's are related to other distributions.

In fact... these are all completely different linux:
Slackware,
gentoo,
Debian,
Red Hat,
Arch
(all derivatives of the above)

And yet.. they are the same. Android.. does not fit into the category. It shares a chromosome or two with the rest and that's it. Again, it's as much linux as Mac OS X is FreeBSD. I don't go around calling Mac Unix. I call it Nextstep or OS X.. because that's what it is.

Android is Android. It may have started it's infancy as linux.. but has grown into something altogether different. I can't make it anymore clear than by showing a slideshow of google's that specifically says "Android is not linux."

I just... can't.