someoneFromInternetCan I install linux on this?
Quantum CogProbably yes
VeraxisI think you would need to provide more detail to know what you have. Does it have a model number on it anywhere?
I can’t just find
that’s it
“WM8650” seems to indicate a VIA WonderMedia WM8650 armv5te chipset, used by a lot of anemic Android laptops circa 2011 (sold under various brandnames, but apparently all made in the same factory). People have installed Linux on them in the past (there seems to have been a fad for Arch on these for a while, given the search results), but you might have trouble getting a device tree that will work with a modern kernel.
Honestly, though, it has less processor than a Raspberry Pi 3. Unless you’ve already thought of a specific use for this, I’d dump it back in the junk drawer.
I played with Raspbian Minecraft up to Raspi 2.
I think my pi zero (non w) might run a circle around it.
cRazi_manIt might be an interesting project to hardware mod it to gut it and replace internally with an R.Pi.
Probably not worth trying to actually use today. I’d leave it as it is, imo it’s better as a small piece of history - Android on PC is pretty niche
RustmilianCan you access the BIOS/Bootloader?
Is it x86 or ARM?
Is it x86 or ARM?
Take a picture of the bottom pls
that’s it: CPU: WM8650 800Hz
Memory:DDR 256MB
and information about screen. Literally
Wow
The other guy’s getting started link is a good place to start. It will take some work
delirious_owlI’m not sure its appropriate here
davelIt’s already running Linux. You just showed us a screenshot of it running Android, which is Linux.
I know :D
Clearly not the point of OP’s question though
tateFor 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.
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?
they are operating systems that use the linux kernel, just like GNU/Linux (aka “Linux”) does.
Are reading what you write? It’s linux so it isn’t?
kernel == operating system
I don’t know if it’s that cut and dry. If you study a Operative Systems class or buy a book about them, it’ll exclusively deal with the kernel.
If you can give a reference to any such book, I’d be very interested to see it.
Operating System Concepts by Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne is a classic OS textbook. Andrew Tanenbaum has some OS books too. I really liked his OS Design and Implementation book but I’m pretty sure that one is super outdated by now. I have not read his newer one but it is called Modern Operating Systens iirc.
Alpine Linux users are in shambles.
T (they/she)Does this meansI can install any repo on my phone?
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.
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.
As much as a human has of a lizard (lizardbrain). Are we still Lizards?
And “Android” specifically is a certified package with proprietary apps.
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.
Ok, you got me there. Was a hard day.
PotatoesFallthe ACKSHYUALLY is strong with this one
No it isn’t. Dude is just pointing out the obvious.
I honestly preferred the people who insist on calling it GNU/Linux over the people who think Android should be called Linux.
Wow, your preferences are so cool! What’s it like to judge people so good?
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 (he)It probably has USB, wifi adapters are cheap.
667You can install Linux on anything you can get it on.
maybe you have some instructions?
Was a bit tongue-in-cheek late, I’m sorry and it wasn’t fair because you are here looking for guidance.
Please check out Linux From Scratch: www.linuxfromscratch.org
it’s okay
Technically it already runs Linux 2.6 kernel (ah, the classic one from mid 2000’s). Surely it can boot Linux, but without knowing what is that hardware specifically it’s hard to tell how much of its support went to mainline and what architecture it even is
Yes you can here is a place to start
…blogspot.com/…/arch-linux-on-wm8650-netbook.html…
Llituro [he/him, they/them]well in a cosmic sort of sense, it already is. (android is based on a modified linux kernel). seriously though, check out antixlinux.com it’s a distro to put on any computer, even ones that old.
MX Linux is the sister project, and I think it also can work on very old hardware.
It had problems with my multi monitor setup, but it booted so ridiculously fast, even on a live ISO. Certainly worth a look.
Possibly linuxNot enought ram for MX Linux
Debian is a better choice in this case.
The first image for wm8650 that comes up is a Debian boot logo.
If not, there’s probably one or the other hole to root it and use chroot.
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.
GustavoMEven a potato can run linux if you try hard(er) enough.
a potato?
It’s beautiful, pls post an update and ping if you manage it!
thegreekgeekIt should! As long as you can get it to the bios screen you should be able to get it to boot a live USB. I actually resurrected my EeePC1005 two weeks ago with DamnSmallLinux2024.
DeconceptualistMost 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.
NetBSD will not work at all with Broadcom Wireless
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.
Broadcom makes the wifi