I found this netbook(?) somewhere in old things and just wonder: can linux be installed on it?
- davel [he/him] ( @davel@lemmy.ml ) English56•3 months ago
It’s already running Linux. You just showed us a screenshot of it running Android, which is Linux.
- randomname01 ( @randomname01@feddit.nl ) 81•3 months ago
Clearly not the point of OP’s question though
- PotatoesFall ( @PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de ) 56•3 months ago
the ACKSHYUALLY is strong with this one
I know :D
- T (they/she) ( @Templa@beehaw.org ) 13•3 months ago
Does this means can install any repo on my phone?
- davel [he/him] ( @davel@lemmy.ml ) English9•3 months ago
If you can root your phone, probably some of them, perhaps many of them, but that probably wouldn’t make for a very good phone.
- I'm Hiding 🇦🇺 ( @i_am_hiding@aussie.zone ) 1•3 months ago
Sadly no, because while Android is based on Linux, it is so far removed that the kernel is wildly different. Some teams such as mobian, SFOS, postmarketOS, etc. have got fair dinkum Linux running on android devices though.
- tate ( @tate@lemmy.sdf.org ) 11•3 months ago
For better or worse the more correct name GNU/Linux did not catch on and is universally shortened to Linux. Android uses the Linux kernel, but is not GNU/Linux, and therefore is not Linux.
- rwhitisissle ( @rwhitisissle@lemmy.ml ) 22•3 months ago
Alpine Linux users are in shambles.
- davel [he/him] ( @davel@lemmy.ml ) English18•3 months ago
This is some ass-backwards logic. You’re trying to redefine Linux and then declaring that Android does not meet your novel definition. If Android, Alpine, and Chimera are not Linux, then what are they?
- tate ( @tate@lemmy.sdf.org ) 1•3 months ago
they are operating systems that use the linux kernel, just like GNU/Linux (aka “Linux”) does.
- Captain Beyond ( @beyond@linkage.ds8.zone ) 4•3 months ago
GNU/Linux != Linux
Linux is a kernel
GNU/Linux is the GNU userland (tools and libraries) combined with the Linux kernel to form a complete operating system
Android is Linux but not GNU. So are Alpine, postmarketOS, and others I can’t think of
Linux is to an operating system as bread is to a sandwich… an essential component, but a slice of bread by itself does not make a sandwich make
- tate ( @tate@lemmy.sdf.org ) 3•3 months ago
Most of what you said is exactly my point. It’s true the word Linux, used properly, refers to a kernel and not an operating system. But that’s not the way the word is used in practice, and it is not what OP meant when they used it. They meant " an OS with the Linux kernel and GNU userspace utilities." When the word Linux is used that way, Android is not Linux.
- fossphi ( @fossphi@lemm.ee ) English3•3 months ago
I feel like that’s precisely the point they tried to make
- MonkderDritte ( @MonkderDritte@feddit.de ) 2•3 months ago
As much as a human has of a lizard (lizardbrain). Are we still Lizards?And “Android” specifically is a certified package with proprietary apps.- davel [he/him] ( @davel@lemmy.ml ) English15•3 months ago
Firstly humans having lizard brains is pop science nonsense, and secondly humans and lizards are amniotes. And thirdly, the Android userland is Apache 2.0 licensed, regardless of whatever proprietary apps might or might not be installed on top of it, and the vast majority of Linux distros’ kernels have proprietary binary blob drivers installed in them.
- MonkderDritte ( @MonkderDritte@feddit.de ) 4•3 months ago
Ok, you got me there. Was a hard day.
- shastaxc ( @shasta@lemm.ee ) 47•3 months ago
No, you’re not allowed. Now go to your room and think about what you’ve done.
- ratzki ( @ratzki@discuss.tchncs.de ) 11•3 months ago
*what you have NOT done.
Fixed that for you 😉
- delirious_owl ( @delirious_owl@discuss.online ) 33•3 months ago
Surely its easier to install Linux than android.
I want to know how they put android on it
- StoneGender ( @StoneGender@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) 20•3 months ago
Yes you can here is a place to start https://kernelhacks.blogspot.com/2012/06/arch-linux-on-wm8650-netbook.html?m=1
- Deconceptualist ( @Deconceptualist@lemm.ee ) English17•3 months ago
Most likely yes, as many others have said. Of course you’ll likely have to pick a very lightweight DE.
As a fallback there is always NetBSD.
- Possibly linux ( @possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ) English7•3 months ago
NetBSD will not work at all with Broadcom Wireless
- Deconceptualist ( @Deconceptualist@lemm.ee ) English9•3 months ago
I mean if you’re down to NetBSD as your pick you’ve probably already made some big concessions so plugging into Ethernet isn’t a huge leap at that point.
- Possibly linux ( @possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ) English2•3 months ago
Broadcom makes the wifi
- HATEFISH ( @HATEFISH@midwest.social ) 13•3 months ago
Just want to say good luck. Someone brought me one of these and asked to make it ready to be their university laptop in 2013. I worked real hard not to laugh because money was obviously tight but I just told them to return the pos to Amazon.
- 𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏 ( @lemann@lemmy.dbzer0.com ) 13•3 months ago
This looks like one of those low cost netbooks from the time where “EPad” and “MID” tablets were a thing. There is an edition of Windows CE floating around for these - but WiFi will not work, neither the modem if this has one built in.
No idea about Linux - there is a kernel so you’re technically half way there, but considering most of these had a slow single core ARM CPU and 256MB of RAM on a good day, practical use is limited IMO
- boredsquirrel ( @boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net ) 7•3 months ago
It probably has USB, wifi adapters are cheap.
- Matúš Maštena ( @DieserTypMatthias@lemmy.ml ) 11•3 months ago
Well of course you can.
- SuitedUpDev ( @SuitedUpDev@feddit.nl ) 11•3 months ago
Yes you can, it won’t be great though.
I used to maintain a Linux distribution called “OpenWM8650” (back in 2011 / 2012) which was specially aimed at the WM8650 and WM8505. It would run off the SD card. Which wasn’t great, but the flash onboard support was horrible at best.
Maybe you can find some old information on it, on XDA because the website for the initial distribution is long gone.
- notthebees ( @notthebees@reddthat.com ) 3•3 months ago
https://archive.org/details/wm8650-linux It might have been archived here.
- Possibly linux ( @possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ) English11•3 months ago
This device should be able to run Linux fine of the specs you provided are correct. You can either use CLI or a Light weight Window manager like IceWM. Web browsing and video playback are out of the question but it most certainly can run vim.
I would just install Debian. It is likely a 32bit machine.
- bloodfart ( @bloodfart@lemmy.ml ) 8•3 months ago
The first image for wm8650 that comes up is a Debian boot logo.
- MonkderDritte ( @MonkderDritte@feddit.de ) 6•3 months ago
If not, there’s probably one or the other security hole to root it and use chroot.
- StoneGender ( @StoneGender@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) 6•3 months ago
Take a picture of the bottom pls
- delirious_owl ( @delirious_owl@discuss.online ) 4•3 months ago
I’m not sure its appropriate here
that’s it: CPU: WM8650 800Hz Memory:DDR 256MB and information about screen. Literally
- ILikeBoobies ( @ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca ) 4•3 months ago
Wow
The other guy’s getting started link is a good place to start. It will take some work
- 667 ( @667@lemmy.radio ) English4•3 months ago
You can install Linux on anything you can get it on.
E: Please check out https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/
maybe you have some instructions?
- 667 ( @667@lemmy.radio ) English6•3 months ago
Was a bit tongue-in-cheek mate, I’m sorry and it wasn’t fair because you are here looking for guidance.
Please check out Linux From Scratch: https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/
it’s okay