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Advice on tablets for linux

twirlingQuark
By twirlingQuark
in Phones and Tablets
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Go to solution Solved by Commodus,
52 minutes ago, twirlingQuark said:

Hey everyone! I'm looking to get a tablet which I can install my preferred Linux on (Fedora). I'm planning on using it mostly for (a) reading, (b) doodling, (c) a thing to cast to my tv from. 

 

I've never owned a tablet before and definitely never tried to hack on one. What gotchas are there? What am I likely ignorant of?

The main gotcha is that there are few options for Linux tablets of any kind, let alone good ones.

 

For those purposes, I would probably just get a reasonably capable Android tablet with pen input. I'd suggest a refurb iPad Air, since it has a much stronger tablet app ecosystem, but I suspect a Linux fan probably isn't about to use one no matter how good it is.

Posted

Hey everyone! I'm looking to get a tablet which I can install my preferred Linux on (Fedora). I'm planning on using it mostly for (a) reading, (b) doodling, (c) a thing to cast to my tv from. 

 

I've never owned a tablet before and definitely never tried to hack on one. What gotchas are there? What am I likely ignorant of?

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52 minutes ago, twirlingQuark said:

Hey everyone! I'm looking to get a tablet which I can install my preferred Linux on (Fedora). I'm planning on using it mostly for (a) reading, (b) doodling, (c) a thing to cast to my tv from. 

 

I've never owned a tablet before and definitely never tried to hack on one. What gotchas are there? What am I likely ignorant of?

The main gotcha is that there are few options for Linux tablets of any kind, let alone good ones.

 

For those purposes, I would probably just get a reasonably capable Android tablet with pen input. I'd suggest a refurb iPad Air, since it has a much stronger tablet app ecosystem, but I suspect a Linux fan probably isn't about to use one no matter how good it is.

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2 hours ago, Commodus said:

The main gotcha is that there are few options for Linux tablets of any kind, let alone good ones.

 

For those purposes, I would probably just get a reasonably capable Android tablet with pen input. I'd suggest a refurb iPad Air, since it has a much stronger tablet app ecosystem, but I suspect a Linux fan probably isn't about to use one no matter how good it is.

Thanks for the advice!

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Sony devices both their smartphones and tablets, all can have the bootloader unlocked.  Plus, they have nice displays with strong color saturation.

 

This will allow you to setup an arm-based Linux system like Debian or even OpenSUSE, but I haven't seen any Fedora images nor any discussions about it.  The pinephone and pinetab, as well as the Pine Note with e-ink screen, can all run Linux.

 

Level1techs forum has a discussion about Linux devices like pinephone, so you may want to look into this thread:

 

https://forum.level1techs.com/t/linux-phone-hub/160167

: JRE #1914 Siddarth Kara

How bad is e-waste?  Listen to that Joe Rogan episode.

 

"Now you get what you want, but do you want more?
- Bob Marley, Rastaman Vibration album 1976

 

Windows 11 will just force business to "recycle" "obscolete" hardware.  Microsoft definitely isn't bothered by this at all, and seems to want hardware produced just a few years ago to be considered obsolete.  They have also not shown any interest nor has any other company in a similar financial position, to help increase tech recycling whatsoever.  Windows 12 might be cloud-based and be a monthly or yearly fee.

 

Software suggestions


Just get f.lux [Link removed due to forum rules] so your screen isn't bright white at night, a golden orange in place of stark 6500K bluish white.

released in 2008 and still being improved.

 

Dark Reader addon for webpages.  Pick any color you want for both background and text (background and foreground page elements).  Enable the preview mode on desktop for Firefox and Chrome addon, by clicking the dark reader addon settings, Choose dev tools amd click preview mode.

 

NoScript or EFF's privacy badger addons can block many scripts and websites that would load and track you, possibly halving page load time!

 

F-droid is a place to install open-source software for android, Antennapod, RethinkDNS, Fennec which is Firefox with about:config, lots of performance and other changes available, mozilla KB has a huge database of what most of the settings do.  Most software in the repository only requires Android 5 and 6!

 

I recommend firewall apps (blocks apps) and dns filters (redirect all dns requests on android, to your choice of dns, even if overridden).  RethinkDNS is my pick and I set it to use pi-hole, installed inside Ubuntu/Debian, which is inside Virtualbox, until I go to a website, nothing at all connects to any other server.  I also use NextDNS.io to do the same when away from home wi-fi or even cellular!  I can even tether from cellular to any device sharing via wi-fi, and block anything with dns set to NextDNS, regardless if the device allows changing dns.  This style of network filtration is being overridden by software updates on some devices, forcing a backup dns provuder, such as google dns, when built in dns requests are not connecting.  Without a complete firewall setup, dns redirection itself is no longer always effective.

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