Android-Based Console OS Available For Download

[MoonMoon]

It's plainly obvious that proprietary drivers written for android have been traditionally bad, very bad. Most of them are only ever built for the one version of the kernel that hardware is shipped on, and then never updated or bug fixed. In almost every case there is no possibility to upgrade android or the kernel -because- of proprietary drivers.

How many x86 systems do you know that would have need for closed source drivers for ARM hardware? Or am I missing something here?

[duby229]

How many x86 systems do you know that would have need for closed source drivers for ARM hardware? Or am I missing something here?

It's beside the point. Yeah, even x86 proprietary drivers have problems. Of all of them, I think nvidia does it the best, but they are the exception and not the rule. We all know that linux doesn't have a stable driver interface. It's up to the hardware vendor to keep their drivers patched and compiled against the latest versions and many if not most of them don't.

[ripps818]

I wonder if this would work if I installed it to dual-boot on my chromebook

[Watney]

I wonder if this would work if I installed it to dual-boot on my chromebook

Or, run in crouton. Now, that would rock! Imagine ...

@Christopher Price, thanks for your courage to wade into the comment thread.

[ruthan]

Driver support..

Are now Nvidia GPU finally and also any Core i and modern AMD CPU too supported? Or it is again pseudo PC supporting release? Android x86 is running on almost every modern computer. ConsoleOS in last version supported only some minor nebook / tablet hybrids like Surface and other hipster stuff and some Ivy Bridge i think.

[CTown]

The website mentions that ConsoleOS is "For Gamers Too". But I myself am looking for a solution that has Google Apps, OpenGL ES, and can run apps only compiled for Arm. I tried Genymotion with the Arm Translator (on Android 4.4 and Android 5). I'm trying to play Summoners War: Sky Arena on a Linux desktop. Now that would be one interesting "console OS".

[Christopher Price]

The website mentions that ConsoleOS is "For Gamers Too". But I myself am looking for a solution that has Google Apps, OpenGL ES, and can run apps only compiled for Arm. I tried Genymotion with the Arm Translator (on Android 4.4 and Android 5). I'm trying to play Summoners War: Sky Arena on a Linux desktop. Now that would be one interesting "console OS".

The tech demos on the Console OS Wiki are mostly Unreal Engine 4 game demos, some ported from Xbox/PS4 targets.

So yeah, our goal is to take mainstream 2-in-1 hardware and arm it with OpenGL ES elements that scale better. So you can have one game/purchase that scales from smartphone, to tablet, to PC/PC-Tablet and eventually to an Android mainstream console.

And as to drivers, yeah, we advocate for OSS when we meet with vendors. We have a lot less clout than people think - we have to get millions of people using Console OS before we get an ounce of clout.

Vendors all tell us the same thing, mostly. OSS costs money when it comes to drivers. Tons of due diligence. You have to prove the market, prove that there's demand for OSS drivers, and then prove that something cool will happen that boosts sales at the end of the tunnel for undertaking the effort.

Android is a major reason why AMD and NV are leaning more open-source, I can say that. IoT is helping too.

[Pajn]

Does it supports chrome casting to it?

[Christopher Price]

Does it supports chrome casting to it?

Heh, I could get in trouble for answering that one completely. The standard Console OS today doesn't, but we have a SKU in the works that likely will do what you want. It'll be announced at MWC (at Intel's booth, no less) so you'll have to wait a week or two.

That all said (and apologies for the partial smoke-and-mirrors reply), we do want Console OS devices to be able work as Miracast receivers. Nobody's tried to do that before with Android, and Google seems to be leaning toward Chrome-casting (we favor Miracast as it's the industry standard).

[MoonMoon]

It's beside the point. Yeah, even x86 proprietary drivers have problems. Of all of them, I think nvidia does it the best, but they are the exception and not the rule. We all know that linux doesn't have a stable driver interface. It's up to the hardware vendor to keep their drivers patched and compiled against the latest versions and many if not most of them don't.

The only one I know of lacking support for latest kernel versions is AMD. Do you have any other examples?