Maru OS brings Debian 9 on Android smartphones for use as a desktop.
The Maru OS custom ROM allows you to use Android 8.1 Oreo on a smartphone normally, but then switch to Debian 9 Stretch when an external screen is connected for desktop mode.
The concept of convergence, or the use of a single device both on the move and at the desk, seems to have suffered a considerable setback with the closure of the Ubuntu Touch and Windows 10 Mobile projects.
Both made of their ability to allow a smartphone to operate also as a desktop device one of the main raison d’etre. Maru OS fits on this path and combines Android 8.1 and Debian 9 to allow the use of the same device in different conditions of use.
The custom ROM makes it possible to use the classic Android 8.1 Oreo when the smartphone is used as such, but then switch to Debian 9 when an external screen is connected. The latest version, Maru 0.6 ” Okinawa “, switches to Oreo from Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (also using LineageOS instead of AOSP), from Debian 8 Jesse to Debian 9 Stretch and offers support for Chromecast.
Just the passage of the basic ROM from AOSP to LineageOS allows to potentially support a greater number of devices. At the moment, the Google Nexus 5 and the Google Nexus 5X are supported, but the developers are also working on support for the Samsung Galaxy S9.
Among the other new features of Maru OS 0.6, as reported by Liliputing, there is also better support for keyboards and mice: it is now possible to also connect USB peripherals in addition to Bluetooth ones.
A bug that prevented all CPU cores from being exploited has been fixed, and this should lead to significant improvements in performance when using Maru OS in desktop mode. More information is available on the official blog.
