Running Linux on an x86 tablet -- specifically a Microsoft Surface -- with a good onscreen keyboard (OSK) experience. This video shows how I researched and experimented with many distros to get to a functional and (nearly) final installation.
The website for the excellent Onboard onscreen keyboard is here: https://launchpad.net/onboard
Websites for the Linux distros included in the video are as follows:
Plasma Mobile: https://plasma-mobile.org/
JingOS: https://en.jingos.com/
Ubuntu Touch: https://ubuntu-touch.io/get-ubuntu-touch
PostMarketOS: https://postmarketos.org/
Ubuntu: https://ubuntu.com/
Manjaro: https://manjaro.org/
Linux Mint: https://linuxmint.com/
You can learn more about Linux Mint and Ubuntu, including how to obtain and install them, in my review videos here:
Linux Mint 20: My Top Linux Distro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ZAH7LWl-o
Ubuntu 22.04: An Excellent Linux Distro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKy0tUcFQh0
For additional ExplainingComputers videos and other content, you can become a channel member here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbiGcwDWZjz05njNPrJU7jA/join
More videos on computing and related topics can be found at http://www.youtube.com/explainingcomputers
You may also like my ExplainingTheFuture channel at: http://www.youtube.com/explainingthefuture
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:21 Mobile Linux
04:01 Plasma Mobile
06:24 JingOS
07:34 Ubuntu & Manjaro
11:11 Linux Mint
13:54 Onboard (keyboard) in Manjaro
15:25 Final Linux Mint / Onboard installation
#Tablet #Linux #OSK #ExplainingComputers
Void Linux is a good option for x86 tablets, like the dell venue 8 pro. I have most drivers working, except for bluetooth and screen brightness. Nice video!
@manos.tz_ Says:
was it the xcfe verion of mint?
@alankingvideo Says:
Thanks, have tried about 7 distros, my preference is Kubuntu. But too many problems, followed your lead and installed mint first got everything working perfectly, onboard, right clicking with a long touch just works, you have no idea how tricky this is to make work on any other distro. Then I installed KDE. It all just works. Amazing. I'm also dual booting with FydeOS as this works great as well and gives you android apps. My machine for this is a surface pro 3. I have 3 of them for some reason. At £40 each, I think I'm addicted to buying them.
@10apentecost Says:
Hey Chris the reason the onscreen keyboard doesn't work is because it van see the physical keyboard attached
@staninjapan07 Says:
If you are not sure it is possible, you want to call that Chris fella from Explaining Computers. He'll have it running in 5 minutes, and then he'll have it running on a toaster just for laughs.
Thanks!
@protocetid Says:
Mobile Linux has come a long way in the past two years, (or so I hear) and I’m curious if that extends to x86. Perhaps a part 2 is in order? AMD/Intel computers have so much utility, makes the typical ARM mobile device look like a child’s toy. PC CPUs are not as terrible as they used to be for tablets, they’re really getting slept on. Was considering picking up a tablet PC because theres a lot of allure to a mobile device with a mobile UI that can also switch to a desktop one with full PC functionality, but there’s almost no information online on how mature mobile Linux is on x86.
Didn’t expect much of mobile Linux on x86, and I’m glad at least one person tried it out so thank you. AFAIK the only company that is even working on mobile Linux for their AMD/Intel tablet is Juno Computers, and there’s little information about their products out there. I assume their contributions to mobile Linux are open source and compatible with more devices than their tablet.
@SteveInterdonato Says:
Of course I meant in the real old days I used UNIX.
@SteveInterdonato Says:
Excellent video.My onlly complaint is with onboard itself having nothing to do with touch screens.
I have been using linux for 20+ years. Onboard screen keyboard even on a normal linux (non touch) wehn you click the number key (123) it does not hold. You have to click the number key before each number. I have not found a way to make the numbers key work like the shift-hold key. However other onscreen keyboards in linux do solve this problem. my 2 cents
@MrBobWareham Says:
This would be good on an Amazon Tablet! As it is running Linux anyway.
@julientidebound8072 Says:
Very nice. Bit does anyone know how to configure touch control from browser on linux mint and simulation of the right mouse click with touch?
@fraaggl Says:
on my Jumper EZPAD JPO10 I've tried 5 different distros and not a single one was able to boot.
@mihailvormittag6211 Says:
👍
@kahrlozt Says:
The recent manjaro KDE update messed up OnBoard for me. So I ended up here to find alternatives. Sadly the KDE built-in on screen keyboard doesn't let you activate it other than at the login screen.
@Lampe2020 Says:
The only problem I have with Onboard is that it doesn't work super well on Wayland, where fullscreen windows can cover it and it often pulls focus from the program I'm trying to type in because Wayland isn't made to allow apps to fully control their window, there only the user is supposed to have that control.
@Lampe2020 Says:
4:02 I've read on the KDE forums that you need to install a package called "maliit-keyboard" and then it will start working.
@Lampe2020 Says:
I'm not so sure about JingOS, as when I went to the website's main domain (i.e. without the "forum.") it opened a login page titled "trojan 管理平台", which Google Translate translates to "Trojan Management Platform". I'm not sure something that openly brands as a trojan is trustworthy…
@linuxrant Says:
I think issues with onboard happen because it does not support wayland well, but it should work fine in X.
@linuxrant Says:
I tested various Linux distros on my 2 in 1 fujitsu. In some of them, like deepin and few others in order to move windows with touch you need to turn off gestures.
Yes, I know how it sounds, but you need to try it, cos it solved the issue for me perfectly.
one of the ways is to use xinput or xsetwacom
and turn off gestures for the touch device.
@eliotcfernandes Says:
@explainigComputers after install my tablet shows ubuntu boot failed
@ravesab Says:
I'll try Linux Mint in an old Fujitsu Q550 with Windows 7...
@kellyt6728 Says:
Linux Mint works all the time, love it
@alsfishingandfamilyadventu7023 Says:
Hi , hoping you can tell me the mint os distro you used as i tried some linux 32 bit on my 500 t as i am not having any luck as yet thank you in advance
@faisalyusoof5304 Says:
kubuntu 23.10 can install lenovo ideapad flex 5 1570 touch screen i7 8gen cpu
pls answer me thank
@patrickparker4576 Says:
I just spent 10 hours yesterday trying to work with on screen keyboards in Lubuntu since I happen to have a touch monitor for an ASUS cn60 Chromebox with an i7 processor and 8 gigs of ram. First, I tried switching to the gnome desktop rather than the default lubuntu desktop to make it more touch friendly. Then I had to switch to the x-org graphics to get the Onboard keyboard unstuck from the top of the screen the way it was in your Manjaro experience. The problem now is that the default OSK still comes up when I click search in the application launcher, whereas if I am in Chrome browser it pulls up Onboard as desired. I just can't seem to get rid of that default keyboard no matter what I do. After watching your video, I'm just going to try Linux Mint instead of Lubuntu. 🤔👍
@lanceevans1689 Says:
Thank you! I have a Samsung ATIV 700T that is just too slow using Win 10, especially with only 4 gigs of ram. I will look into Mint.
@Fr4nkL33-D34DLY Says:
Which flavor of Linux Mint did you use? Cinnamon, Matte, or XFCE? Also, is it possible to wipe out the old operating system and just have Linux Mint on there? Just curious is all... :)
@jeanclaudeisambart8720 Says:
super merci pour se tuto
@Storm_. Says:
I'm surprised you ditched gnome / manjaro so quickly based on the keyboard position. I haven't tried yet but even with a cursory analysis I imagine that the keyboard won't show at the bottom because Gnomes dock is at the bottom. If you moved the dock to the side, or top, I assume the onboard keyboard would automatically change to the bottom for you. The advantage of using Gnome is that it's UI is tablet friendly, where as Mint's isn't.
@christianrazvan Says:
Yea so...windows was the best choice from the start😅
@vladlvv Says:
Idk why don't try arch with plasma mobile from aur.
@overbuiltautomotive1299 Says:
but can you resize keyborg as it giant
@johngreene6783 Says:
Which version of Mint and which desktop environment did you use?
@nevermindro4929 Says:
Hi ! After last system update on my Tab 8 tablet, I received notifications that someone login on my online store, from Linux, although I did the login after restat. It's possible that they changed the system on the new update ? Fact is that I should login with Google, but instead, they required me to add email and password, which seems strange.
@cujowoof Says:
I installed ZORIN OS on my surface #2. - Runs perfectly
@MrBobWareham Says:
I have Linux Mint Debian Edition that I love on my Lenovo T430, so my question is, what version of Mint are you using on your tablet as I want to purchase a Windows' tablet but want to install Linux Mint on it.
Thanks, Bob in the UK
@pch_mechanika Says:
Right now im using ubuntu on surface pro 3 - works quite good i really like it
@felixal Says:
i thought x86 and amd64 are different 02:50
@badral-balushi5911 Says:
How did you install these linux distros on a tablet! I have a tablet with 6gb ram and i want to install on it Pop!_Os
@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked Says:
Thanks so much! No nonsensical VNC Viewer. Haha xD
@guessundheit6494 Says:
Windoze tablets suck. I was lied to when I bought it, found out too late for a refund that the OS could NOT be removed. Now it's useless except as an offline media player at home.
@brendananderson9102 Says:
I installed the debian proot distro on android. However, I want a tablet DE. But am stuck with XFCE because it's lightweight.
@Hiraghm Says:
I'm not going to pronounce the G in Gnome.
@Ali-jabbar Says:
Tnaks for the useful video.
@tomslikk2130 Says:
I am wondering if this will work as well on my Surface Pro 1...
@richardwernst Says:
I'd be interested to see if either of the dedicated tablet Linux versions would have virtual keyboard IF you removed the physical/usb keyboard that was attached???
@alfblack2 Says:
Excellent! Thank you good sir for the testing. I tried long long ago and failed to find a workable alternative os. I stopped my search to have things develop more. Now know alteratives that exists now.
@Raletia Says:
Seeing this 9 months later, glad you explored this, I have an old Windows 8 Intel Tablet with 1GB of ram, upgraded it to Windows 10, originally it was lighter than 8 but now it's terribly unsuable. Would love to make it useful again. Wonder if Linux Mint will work? Thanks for the content!
@1ku0k Says:
Thanks for the awesome video! Quick question: does Linux Mint extend the useful life of this 10 year old tablet? That would be the main benefit for replacing the operating system on this? Eg. Make it faster, more responsive, increase the software options
@energymarketchile Says:
I love Linux Mint. I've been using it as my daily driver for the last 10 years or so... Unfortunately, in my Government work Microsoft managed to corrupt upper management and we are forced to use shitty Microsoft products...
@andrzejos7003 Says:
I've tried linux on x86 tablet. And to be honest, none of distros was mobile ready (out of the box). Sure, they are desktop systems, but preinstalled Windows 10 was the closest to mobile use - tablet mode, good on-screen keybobard, properly hibernating after sleep. It's a little strange that desktop systems are not so touch friendly, in mobile-first era.
LATEST COMMENTS