Ubuntu Now Available On the Nexus 7 87
An anonymous reader writes "Ubuntu for the Nexus 7 was released today and Ubuntu Member Benjamin Kerensa has provided photos and video of it in action." I wish the Nexus 7 had what most Android tablets lack: a full-size USB port (or SD card slot) to make such OS experimenting easier.
Re:USB OTG (Score:5, Informative)
While for some fucking reason they used a micro B connector instead of a micro AB the port DOES support host mode with the right adapter (which was easy enough to find on amazon).
The biggest annoyances are
1: AFAICT there is no easy way to charge the device and put the port in host mode at the same time. The USB battery charging spec lays out a way to do it but it's tricky to acheive physically (you need to find a cable to cut up that allows you access to the ID line) and I don't know if the nexus will actually support it when you try.
2: You need to root to mount USB drives (though if you are running ubuntu you are presumablly at that point already)
Interestingly with the adaptor I tried Ethernet over USB worked out of the box with no need to root.
You can do SD & USB (Score:5, Informative)
Pick up a usb SD reader (I bought one a couple of years ago for under 10 euro)
Root your device, and you have anything you want on your Nexus 7. I have tried USB stick, SD card, USB keyboard and mouse, and charging my phone. It al works.
The most difficult part is keeping your nerve while rooting. The process itself is easy, but still, your glad when you're finished and you have not bricked your device.
Re:The Bizarre Submitter Comment Award goes to... (Score:5, Informative)
That was added by timothy, not the anonymous submitter [slashdot.org].
Re:OTG is magic! (Score:3, Informative)
"How on earth does that relate to OTG?"
Because you can connect an SD card reader, an USB memory or an USB hard drive for that matter, neatly resolving the original complaint which was about access to external storage: " (or SD card slot) ".