Your next Linux desktop could be an Android Phone

Here at Neowin, we love operating systems and gadgets, so how cool would it be getting the full Ubuntu OS running on your device? The answer is: very cool. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu understands this and has decided to work on a full desktop version of Ubuntu which works with multi-core Android devices.

Imagine carrying a full desktop computer in your pocket. We’re not talking about tablet OS’s we’re talking about a better standard system which meets the needs and requirements of all users.

Ubuntu for Android is something that is already available unofficially but lacks functionality and is something we've only dreamed about up to this point.

It makes sense that Canonical would start developing this seeing as the Android kernel is based on the Linux kernel which is fully compatible with Ubuntu. This means that the core system should work. On top of the standard Ubuntu OS, users will be able to access all of their phone's goodies, including SMS messages and phone calls.

Linux-based systems aren’t hardware demanding. In fact, most multi-core phones with at least 512MB of RAM should be able to handle the Ubuntu build for Android.

This does not rid users of Android, nor does it ruin the way either operating system works. Ubuntu for Android works side-by-side and interlaces with certain Android features to deliver a more practical desktop experience without losing the perks of a user's beloved Android device.

At this point, Canonical is still calling out to developers, manufacturers and carries to help support Ubuntu’s integration with Android, so it's hard to say when we'll actually see this in the consumer market. Canonical is, however, planning to demo Ubuntu for Android at next week's Mobile World Congress convention in Barcelona, so we’ll definitely learn more then.

For more information on Ubuntu for Android, go here. Feel free to let Canonical know any ideas that you may have, features are up for discussion.

Let us know your thoughts.

Revision: Based on comments I've elaborated on certain aspects of how Ubuntu for Android works.