There already is a lot of software available for Linux/oubuntu. In the two years that Android has been around it has amassed around 20,000 applications. Whilst not all of them are open source, giving developers of either platforms yet another market to target would be a great incentive to build applications for Linux
Why is this marked as not-a-bug? Canonical was on to something in may last year, but hasn't shown any progress for months and months. Read this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9125232
And please mark this a valid idea + help promote it! :)
PC's need apps, or they may die! Smart phones and tablets are exciting. Why? Because they have a great user interface -- apps! PC's are boring, techy, and the desktop screen is hardly used. Putting Android apps on PC desktops will make PC's exciting again!
cheesehead(Brainstorm admin)
wrote on the 28 Mar 11 at 16:29
It's not a question of 'allowing' Android apps to install to Ubuntu. It's not forbidden. This idea was closed because the original author did not suggest any useful or reasonable way to make it happen. And nobody else has either.
The original author rejected the idea of virtualization, though it would meet the Rationale (and that's how the SDK does it). Nobody has suggested, for example, a team of volunteers to recompile Android apps from source into Ubuntu packages. Nobody has suggested an 'Android-friendly' metapackage of tools and libs to make native installation possible. Nobody has suggested UI guidelines so packages are more easily portable between the two environments. Nobody has suggested lots of other implied tasks.
It is no longer correct that "nobody has suggested". You just did. Thanks! But if Ubuntu does not pursue it, it will die, as well other old-style operating systems on as old-style PC's. It's a great opportunity for Ubuntu. Meanwhile, the only alternative (other than using tablet PC's) will be the Android OS on PC's, which is becoming available...
cheesehead(Brainstorm admin)
wrote on the 29 Mar 11 at 00:16
The Idea needs much more than just complaining, ranting, hyperbole, or hand-wringing to work - which is all it's received so far. Vague statements of support -or catastrophe- are irrelevant in Brainstorm. They do not contribute to the solution or discussion, nor do they convince anyone with lots of extra resources to work on the problem...because those people don't hang out in Brainstorm.
A implementable solution to the Rationale needs an achievable goal, it needs volunteers, it needs a plan, it needs resources, and it needs leadership. It needs Solutions to figure all those out.
I didn't add those comments as Solutions, which is what's necessary to reopen this idea. You are welcome to those, as long as you also add a few of your own.