Linux On Dex

Yes! Linux On Dex

Being a non-traditional (not Microsoft or Apple) road warrior is very difficult when you try to rely on Android and your main computer Operating System is Linux.  It can be very frustrating indeed.  Frankly, at times, I have just wanted to throw up my hands and retreat to a Microsoft Surface Table and windows.  Yes, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is nice and I have played with it some and even integrate an xServer to get graphical apps running and frankly, most of the open source solutions I use do have Windows (or Mac) support -- but I really like the workflow I have become accustomed to in Linux.  Now, I hear you, just take your laptop with you, but I would like to travel light!  There are no pure road-warrior based products out there.  I did have high hopes for Ubuntu's mobile and convergence, but that has fallen by the wayside.

Enter Linux on Dex (LoD / LOD).  I have been and remain a Galaxy Note fan since version 1 of the Note.  I have a Galaxy Note Tablet and until a week ago, a Galaxy Note 5 phone.  I was pleased to hear of the LOD being developed and really longed to try out the feature when it was released last year.  A week ago, I made the plunge to the Note 9 and also got a DEX pad.  The Galaxy just got so much bigger for me because of increased capability and fairly good "convergence".

Samsung Galaxy Devices (S8 / Note 8 and up) and DEX

The concept is that your phone is a phone until it is plugged into a DEX station, pad, compatible usb-c 3.1 dock, or usb-c/HDMI cable.  When that occurs, your TV, Monitor, or other display device can change to an Android-based, desktop environment that is quite capable when used with a keyboard and input device (mouse, touchpad).  It is MUCH more than attaching a keyboard to an Android phone/tablet and mirroring to the screen.

In the version I am using, I am able to use my phone as a touchpad (multi-touch) or as an extended Screen (partly like KVM sharing because you can't drag apps between displays -- presently).  This is a nice feature because now you can have your phone beside the computer and use it to view additional information!

DEXter meets Linux (LOD)

The current BETA for LOD is closed and they are hopefully working on making updates and changes.  There is not a large community out there that post regarding LOD and my experience is that LOD is not a full Linux so a general Linux solution may not work in LOD. 

My initial experience with LOD is positive though and I believe it is a potential solution for a Linux Light, Mobile, Road Warrior.

Future Posts

In the future, I will post more about my experience with LOD, some issues, solutions (hopefully), and some best-practices that work for me.