What linux distributions exist that will run natively on a tablet?

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I don't need recommendations, I just wanted to know if there exists a distribution that runs or can run natively (not sandboxed in the host os) with documented confirmation, and/or instructions.

I don't care about a specific distro at this point, although I am partial to debian based distros.

MDMoore313

Posted 2013-11-15T14:08:06.323

Reputation: 4 874

7I'll be the first to take the bait... Have you considered Android? =] – Marcks Thomas – 2013-11-15T14:13:17.343

@MarcksThomas +1, that's funny. Yes, however Android is to linux as Mac is to BSD. While there is plenty that can be done to work with an Android tablet on a day to day basis, there remains a lot that can't be done. The 3rd dimension that's missing is what makes linux linux. – MDMoore313 – 2013-11-15T14:15:22.720

3If the answer is "yes there is", its a technically accurate, yet entirely useless answer. If we specify an answer, then its in essence a product reccomendation. I do believe many x86 tablets would run linux natively with very little fuss. I'm not sure the question can be answered as is – Journeyman Geek – 2013-11-15T14:15:32.693

1Channeling RMS, perhaps he's looking for a tablet that runs GNU/Linux, rather than any arbitrary OS based on the Linux kernel. – dsolimano – 2013-11-15T14:16:28.440

@JourneymanGeek there is a fine line, yes, however specifying that something exists and recommending it can be different things. Velcro shoes exist, and I can give you an example, but I wouldn't recommend them. – MDMoore313 – 2013-11-15T14:17:30.370

@dsolimano that's correct. – MDMoore313 – 2013-11-15T14:17:59.153

Well, they do exist. What now? – Journeyman Geek – 2013-11-15T14:18:05.973

@JourneymanGeek can you prove it? – MDMoore313 – 2013-11-15T14:18:22.953

1@MDMoore313 Yes see my answer below. – Simon – 2013-11-15T14:24:11.460

2The big issue with such a question is that it becomes obsolete quickly. We've had some of those in the early days of Super User, and two years later you'd scratch your head over the hardware that was mentioned "back then" and wonder what that (now discontinued) product was. It'd be a huge effort to keep such posts up to date, which is why the question's not a good fit, sorry. The issue per se is not that products are being recommended (cc @jou), but that the question set its own expiry date at the time of posting. – slhck – 2013-11-15T14:38:25.790

@slhck you make a great point, but what about questions such as this that also become obsolete? The same approach can be taken, a new answer posted by someone looking for the answer, when the current answers were for older versions of (in that case) software, and no longer applied. Simon has a great answer, an OS that is designed to work with ARM based tablets, and didn't name too many particular hardwares. I am open to suggestions on how I can reword the question to make it a better fit for the site.

– MDMoore313 – 2013-11-15T15:05:19.270

The comparison to the jQuery question is a little moot. It's asking how to do something (i.e. solve a specific problem) in a language/software that has existed for a long time and will continue to exist. The answers may slightly change due to syntax improvements (don't forget keeping answers for legacy projects!). The only viable question I could see is asking "how to identify whether a tablet supports Linux natively", because that'd elicit answers that are always true. – slhck – 2013-11-15T15:09:24.017

@slhck updated. – MDMoore313 – 2013-11-15T15:23:16.000

+1, haven't heard of this before. I see they have an ARM-based version as well, I don't think that will be able to run on the Surface RT though, MS' requirements for hardware vendors are that they can't enable a way for users to disable secureboot on those devices, surface pro is a different story. Nonetheless, this is definitely interesting. – MDMoore313 – 2013-11-15T14:27:45.970

@MDMoore313 I know about it because its supposedly a linux that looks like Mac OS X. Some people have cruelly dubbed it Mac OS X for "poor people". – Simon – 2013-11-15T14:29:57.643

yeh well that's how the rich stay rich. – MDMoore313 – 2013-11-15T14:38:53.577

1@MDMoore313 If I buy a new Nexus or MS Surface tablet next year, i'll definitely be using it :) (if its still around). – Simon – 2013-11-15T14:41:50.657

@MDMoore313 Checkout also https://sailfishos.org/ they will be launching on http://jolla.com/ at the end of November but no doubt it will come to tablets in the not to distant future.

– Simon – 2013-11-17T13:29:23.187

What linux distributions exist that will run natively on a tablet?

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