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Comment by balnaphone | Hacker News Reader

When you say "just... run linux", are you referring to termux, or something else ? How do you run a linux userspace in Android ?

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I mean a fully fledged regular debian

https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/bringing-desktop-linux-...

https://source.android.com/docs/whatsnew/android-16-release#...

While this is mostly a KVM setup, there's nothing specific about Android that prevents a linux userspace from running in there. Each app is almost one already. Most of its core components have been integrated into linux's main repository (like binder), and AOSP isn't that far off from a regular Linux. Sure, zygote, user & power management are not exactly a standard install, but they're not that crazy either

That’s all very convincing. For users who just want a Linux phone? Not there yet. Android or not.

Aside from a misplaced obstination to have _Linux_ as the base for your phone with all the awful power management, high energy use, bad governors, terrible process isolation and fleeing security holes everywhere in a phone that most of the times contains access to your entire life, what does Linux give you that Android doesn't? Both are FOSS.

Okay, so suppose I want a linux and not an android phone, so I get an android phone, disable login password etc, and delete everything except "Linux Terminal" and put my linux there.

What sort of tradeoffs would I see? Performance? Battery life? Security (secure enclave access?)

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