Samsung is killing off Linux on DeX with Android 10 update
Less than a year after it launched, Samsung has decided to close down Linux on DeX.
DeX is Samsung's feature that transforms a phone into a (nearly) fully fledged computer when connected to a monitor, and Linux on DeX made it possible to run a Linux distro in this environment. Now the company has decided to knock the project on the head and is killing it off in Android 10.
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In an email that has been sent out to beta testers, Samsung says: "Thank you for supporting Linux on DeX Beta. The development of Linux on DeX was all thanks to customer interest and valuable feedback. Unfortunately, we are announcing the end of our beta program, and will no longer provide support on future OS and device releases".
The email continues:
NOTE -- 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. If you decide to update your device to Android 10 Beta, we recommend backing up data before updating.
It's not clear how many people signed up for the beta program, but there was certainly a reasonable level of interest in the idea of running full Ubuntu from a smartphone -- albeit the slightly elderly Ubuntu 16.04 -- although apparently not sufficient interest to justify continued development.
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