Thoughts about UserLAnd?

UserLAnd is an Android app that supposedly let's a person setup a Linux distro as if it were a program in Android.

I'm thinking about it for an Android tablet here, and you know my skill level is depreciated beginner, so it might be something I couldn't mess up so well. It would stand to reason to use Debian... just thinking out loud here. I'd need to seriously clean up the tablet first because I almost installed FL Studio and made a big mess.

Having said that, one of my favorite DAWs is REAPER and they're doing good on a Linux version (not sure if that includes ARM CPU support though), and I can't say enough good things about Reaper. If that ran on the tablet it could be a good thing.

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-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2018 01:53PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

Digital Audio Workstations depend on low latencies and high audio quality on audio playout. I assume, that nothing of that is possible with this linux hardware emulation layer between audio hardware of your tablet and your DAW software.

Beneath this I would see problems according recording with the internal audio hardware of your tablet.

It is not sure, that it is possible to get a USB hardware (e.g. RME Fireface) to run with the USB port of your tablet.
And that would be only the first step - afterwards it would be necessary to tunnel the barrier between android and linux world to access the fireface hardware ...

Most of the ideas to get around this problems are causing problems according track synchronity. Adding tracks to a mix with accurate timing will be quite complicated ...

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
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> and you know my skill level is depreciated


!!! Really, Openwrt comes to mind.... I would put you down more as my level of "inveterate fiddler"

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=inveterate+meaning&rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB744GB744&oq=inveterate&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.3454j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Gravelrash Wrote:
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> JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> > and you know my skill level is depreciated
>
>
> !!! Really, Openwrt comes to mind.... I would put
> you down more as my level of "inveterate fiddler"
>
> https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=inveterate+meaning&rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB744GB744&oq=inveterate&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.3454j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I would not put it like that :)))

They say you cannot teach old dog new tricks, but for old timers Joey and The Gravel, I would say new tricks would be OK given enough motivation :))

-bodhi
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JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
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> UserLAnd is an Android app that supposedly let's a person setup a Linux distro as if it were a program in Android.
>
It claims to be able to run any Linux distros at full. Does that mean we can use it to hack the Android device sans root. That will be cool to be able to remount any Android filesystems in R/W mode.

I have not tested it, but it sounds good.
But I do not think, that it is possible to distribute an app with this "hacking capabilities" via google play store ...
Perhalps they use something like "container" files in the android world to play "hard-disk" for the linux emulation...

One disadvantage - it requires android 5.0. That means almost all the dropped smart-phones in my "too good to dump" box are too old ...

Martin from Dortmund Wrote:
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> I have not tested it, but it sounds good.
> But I do not think, that it is possible to
> distribute an app with this "hacking capabilities"
> via google play store ...
> Perhalps they use something like "container" files
> in the android world to play "hard-disk" for the
> linux emulation...
>
> One disadvantage - it requires android 5.0. That
> means almost all the dropped smart-phones in my
> "too good to dump" box are too old ...

Ahh, my version 4 Android is why it had a parsing error. Good call on your previous contribution about latency, and yes I do have a Fireface 800 around, not USB but I know what you're saying.

You only need to worry about latency when tracking, and the idea here would have been to do things after the fact, maybe open stem projects and set levels better. Than just upload the project file (.RPP) to the router and open from a DAW-centric computer around here.
When mixing on my earlier machines, I'd set the latency real long like 750 ms or a second, and that allows processing and smooth playback and render.

As far as multitrack recording while you're jogging/walking on an Android, J4T is the one I've settled in on. Four tracks and has latency compensation and even a grid if you want to align it manually. It's the best and simplest audio scratchpad I've seen. I'm amazed by my neighbor's new iPhones, but they're too precious and easy to drop - I much prefer either all out like a Zoom H6 (I'm gunning for one a year in advance) or $9.99 like my Habibie/Best Buy phone LOL

Back to Reaper, since it runs on Windows/OSX/Linux now, that's got a unique set of reasons I want it. But alas, my Android tablet is too ancient and my smartphone way too small a screen.

Gravelrash Wrote:
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> Really, Openwrt comes to mind.... I would put
> you down more as my level of "inveterate fiddler"

Right on! :-)

Thanks a lot for taking time out on this Black Friday - now charge that mosh pit and get those deals! LOL

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-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2018 01:45PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

lack of hardware's drive would be nightmare.

asterix Wrote:
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> lack of hardware's drive would be nightmare.

I could agree for a number of reasons, but I'd expect Reaper to be real frugal on its use of resources both "hard drive" and RAM. Justin Frankel was coding Winamp when 64MB of Windows RAM was a luxury. Also I set my Reaper preferences to use FLAC and not Waves so much less space is used up. Even so, if I had a tablet setup this way, I could download say 10 multitrack projects from the router/Pogoplug, do my edits anywhere with the tablet and then upload only the project file and delete the FLACS.

But, building a serious OS over Android is probably like building a house over a potential sinkhole, or some other comparison.

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-= Cloud 9 =-

bodhi Wrote:
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> Gravelrash Wrote:
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> They say you cannot teach old dog new tricks, but
> for old timers Joey and The Gravel.

I remember when building a linux dial on demand router, with a 33600 bpm modem on a 3.5" floppy boot disk, with nat and firewall capability was cutting edge. On a current model 486 SX25 :)))



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2018 11:22AM by Gravelrash.