Samsung kills ‘Linux on DEX’
Samsung has ended its Linux on DEX project that enabled you to run the OS on a smartphone
Samsung has ended its Linux on DEX beta trial, and it will no longer provide support on future operating systems. The DEX feature of certain Samsung smartphones enables users to plug their handset into a monitor or dock and use it as a PC, with mouse and keyboard support, as well as a desktop-like operating system, based on Android. The project (www.linuxondex.com) allowed people to run a full version of Linux on top of DEX, effectively turning smartphones into powerful portable PCS.
However, despite its promising premise, Samsung has sent an email to beta users saying that “Unfortunately, we are announcing the end of our beta program, and will no longer provide support on future OS and device releases.” It looks like the forthcoming release of Android 10 has hastened Samsung’s decision, as it says that “Linux on DEX will not be supported on Android 10 Beta. Once you update your device to Android OS 10, you will not be able to perform a version rollback to Android Pie.”
However, there is no reference to the beta ending on the project’s home page, and you can even still sign up for it if you have a compatible device – including the Note 9, S9, S10, Tab S5e and Tab S4. So if you’re eager to try it out, you may be still able to use Linux on DEX, but once you upgrade to Android 10 when it comes out, you’ll no longer be able to use it.
Samsung’s move is disappointing but perhaps not unexpected, as it has not made any major updates to the project during the beta phase, and up till now only Ubuntu 16.04 has been offered as an official system image.