[Q] [Webtop] Next steps: More space or newer Ubuntu? (Poll effectively closed)

[Sogarth]

----- Announcements -----

The poll is now being treated as closed. As such, since I would be unlikely to look back after moving to a newer Ubuntu, and since the two efforts are effectively incompatible (unless I wanted to try my hand at flashing a new /osh which... no), I'm concluding that there are enough users who are happy enough staying on Ubuntu 9.04 that I'll work on the union filesystem first before moving on to newer versions of Ubuntu.

----- Your regularly scheduled post below. -----

I believe I'm getting close to having a reasonable "first pass" of having a working Ubuntu on the Atrix. The interesting question becomes: what next? There are two steps I can see right now:

• Get a FUSE kernel module working so that we can get a union mount for our modified Linux so that we can have more effective space. Note: this process is almost guaranteed not to work with the next option.
• Now that source code is available for the Ubuntu files (I need to find out if we have everything we need, mind you), port newer releases of Ubuntu (starting with either 9.10 or 10.04).

Users, what would you like to see? The numbers at "closing" were 48/47/3.

 

[raybond25]

i think it would be cool to see a 10.04 ubuntu - but what can be done with that without very much effective space? if you could find a way to expand the storage with an ubuntu port (even if it's after you port ubuntu, then find a way to increase storage) i think that makes more sense than trying to improve the inherently crippled current webtop setup

 

[seven2099]

It would be great to see more storage! That is the biggest limitation at this point..

 

[SS2006]

im all for 10.04 or 10.10

 

[seven2099]

Wouldn't you require more space for this though?

 

[Sogarth]

Wouldn't you require more space for this though?

Not really. Remember that the 1 GB filesystem file is a copy of the partition that Motorola ships. Upgrading would be swapping out Ubuntu 9.04 packages for Ubuntu x.yy packages, so it would be a matter of trading space, not strictly losing it.

 

[seven2099]

Not really. Remember that the 1 GB filesystem file is a copy of the partition that Motorola ships. Upgrading would be swapping out Ubuntu 9.04 packages for Ubuntu x.yy packages, so it would be a matter of trading space, not strictly losing it.

Forgive my stupidity but... you are reffering to the 1gb file called Ubuntu.disk right?

Meaning, I can move that to SD to leave more space internally?

 

[Sogarth]

Forgive my stupidity but... you are reffering to the 1gb file called Ubuntu.disk right?

Meaning, I can move that to SD to leave more space internally?

I'm pointing out that ubuntu.disk is 1 GB, but once it's created, it has no reliance on /osh. So as long as the Ubuntu x.yy installation is < 1 GB like the current 9.04 installation is, the space issue won't get any worse. No better, though.

And, no, moving ubuntu.disk to /mnt/sdcard won't work. If it did, I would have created a partition on the SD card to start with.

 

[molotof]

NUKE webtop and make it run ubuntu Pure ubuntu with the option to show it on the atrix screen too HEHE !

 

[tical2k]

union mount! Also I bet this has non-ubuntu implications (internal and sd card as 1 mount point would be hot). Also why do we need a newer version other than to say "i have ubuntu x now which version number is greater than y was". What features are there in 10 over 9?

 

[Sogarth]

Also why do we need a newer version other than to say "i have ubuntu x now which version number is greater than y was". What features are there in 10 over 9?

I dunno. Minor things like Firefox 4, chromium browser, stuff like that.

 

[tical2k]

once again... what was wrong with firefox 3 other than 4 > 3? just being the devil's advocate here.

 

[Sogarth]

once again... what was wrong with firefox 3 other than 4 > 3? just being the devil's advocate here.

You're asking somebody who's typing this from IE9, so I can't help you there. But, interest seems high, and it is true that newer software isn't available as easily for older versions of the operating system.

 

[lindsaytheflint]

Would it be possible to move it to SD card if there was an ext2 partition there? For example, on my 16gb SD card, have a 14gb fat32 partition, then a 2gb ext2 partition, with your mod mounting the latter instead of a file on /data.

I started playing with this idea yesterday, but ran out of time before I got it to mount properly in Android... Do you think it's feasible?

Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

 

[Sogarth]

Would it be possible to move it to SD card if there was an ext2 partition there? For example, on my 16gb SD card, have a 14gb fat32 partition, then a 2gb ext2 partition, with your mod mounting the latter instead of a file on /data.

I started playing with this idea yesterday, but ran out of time before I got it to mount properly in Android... Do you think it's feasible?

From the been there, done that file, no, it's not feasible at this point in time. Sorry.

 

[swanga]

..................

 

[lindsaytheflint]

From the been there, done that file, no, it's not feasible at this point in time. Sorry.

Ah I see... What about symlinking a whole lot of stuff over to /cache, since it's a 600mb partition doing not much? I'm guessing you've probably tried that avenue too?

Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

 

[Sogarth]

NUKE webtop and make it run ubuntu Pure ubuntu with the option to show it on the atrix screen too HEHE !

Actually, here's a question: based upon a link another user pointed out, the other Linux loaders use VNC to display the Linux desktop on their Android screen. That's not enough?

 

[Sogarth]

Ah I see... What about symlinking a whole lot of stuff over to /cache, since it's a 600mb partition doing not much? I'm guessing you've probably tried that avenue too?

No, actually, since the initial idea didn't involve use FUSE to be able to do crazy filesystem tricks. I thought /cache was needed, though? If we can find space here and there, it might be possible to decrease the footprint in /data a bit so that people aren't squeezed so tightly on space.

 

[lindsaytheflint]

No, actually, since the initial idea didn't involve use FUSE to be able to do crazy filesystem tricks. I thought /cache was needed, though? If we can find space here and there, it might be possible to decrease the footprint in /data a bit so that people aren't squeezed so tightly on space.

/cache is only used for temp downloads (market apk installs, email attachment previews, etc) and OTA updates. The temp downloads don't take up much space - less than 50mb usually, but the OTA updates would probably be a a bit bigger. But who uses those right?

I'm one of those greedy people who have over 1gb of junk on their /data partition