In case you did not know, Android 2.1, �clair, runs on the 2.6.29 Linux kernel. However, the user space it is built atop Dalvik, a Google-designed custom JVM (Java virtual machine).
This is pretty interesting, when you think about it. The core of Android is the linux kernel, and the standard unix/linux shell exists and is easily accessible; however, user applications are Java-based.
I have read some news reports with some strong opinions about "pure Linux" or "pure Java" and issues with Android.
At The UNIX and Linux Forums, it has always been both our mission and policy to steer clear of any "religious wars" between the various flavors of unix and linux. We don't even permit windows-bashing here!
All operating systems are equally of interest here, so if you are like me and interested in Unix and Linux, you are also interested in Android, because Android is Linux.
Making all this more interesting, of course, are all the predictions that Android will be the dominate mobile phone OS in a few years. This means there will be millions of more Linux users on the planet!
Personally I prefer Nokia due to free licensing for commercial products using QT. But then, I'm more than likely a minority. I have no predictions, except that soon this little device we all carry around will do more and more crazy things like be able to program our household appliances etc. Act as a TV/DVD/Console game remote. Change our Air-Con temps. Start our cars (maybe not that one, would be painful loosing a phone, and then loosing a car as a result). Make phone calls, no wait it does that already. OK I'm out of ideas.
Well, I have had my first Android device for a few weeks now, a Samsung Galaxy S running Android 2.1, and since then, I have only turned on my Nokia phones to retrieve some stored data, LOL. I am not Google, I am a person who uses mobile access for just about everything possible and available, and I think Android is amazing on the Galaxy S. I plan to buy the Galaxy Tab as soon as I can, which I heard was October 22nd from Samsung yesterday, at a price of around $760 USD, around the same price I paid for the Galaxy S.
The main problem I have at the moment is that I have "retired" all my XP machines and am still using OSX PPC on the desktop, so I don't have the right desktop platform to learn to develop some Android apps.
Funny, when I am on the subway, there are always people with many phones, generally over 1/2 are doing email or chatting on their mobiles. I have noticed that the iPhone users are quiet envious of my Galaxy S. The display is both bigger and brighter than iPhone.
That is cool, but more cool is that it is running a version of Linux called Android.
Well I'm brand new to both Linux and Android. I bought my wife an Android phone about two weeks ago. After falling in love with the platform I started doing some research. Found out it was based on or an extension of the Linux system. Just received the Google app creator (yes, in less than 10 days). Just installed my first ever Linux OS. I'm now trying to learn and understand both as fast as I can.
Any links, or information anyone can send my way for learning and understanding Linux and the Android platform would be appreciated. I have created a couple real basic apps, Google made things real simple with the app creator.
Are there any Android developers on this forum? If so what have you created and/or what are your current projects?
