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JingOS: Linux Distro Inspired by the iPad

435 points| throwaway888abc | 5 years ago |jingos.com | reply

274 comments

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[+] pratio|5 years ago|reply
A lot has already been said about them copying or borrowing or just getting their inspiration from Apple, so I'll skip that. Unless they fully opensource the code it is unlikely to get any traction. And if it is really based on Linux we're likely going to see UI and UX issues, An OS is more than just a some fancy icons and modded apps. The transitions that they show in the demo are not easy to achieve as in stability of the software. It looks very clean but unlike elementary OS, it doesn't feel authentic. I don't know what obsession people have with Apple but they aren't the only company getting designs and UX right. These avenues are unfortunately killing independent and new design ideas.
[+] fartcannon|5 years ago|reply
I don't know why people think Apple even has a good UI. Because it all looks the same? None of it makes any sense if you have any experience other than Mac/iOS.

Let us never forget that we are holding it wrong.

[+] alexfromapex|5 years ago|reply
I don’t think there’s an obsession with Apple so much as there is an obsession with the minimalism and an alignment of the design goals into an ecosystem that Apple has demonstrated.
[+] FreddGreen|5 years ago|reply
I think it will get traction because there are tonnes of low end windows tablets out there that only have 2 gb ram and 32 gb storage that can barely even run windows and jing os which is using a modified plasma mobile will be way faster on these low end windows tablets
[+] app4soft|5 years ago|reply
The worst thing is there that title should be: "Linux Distro Inspired by the iOS".

iPad is a device, not OS.

[+] tomc1985|5 years ago|reply
I wonder if this is going to be the OS of choice for flea-market iPad counterfeits/knockoffs... the Files screen even says "On my Pad" in the shown screenshot. Everything looks close enough to be able to possibly fool an untrained eye.
[+] iFreilicht|5 years ago|reply
And the makers of JingOS, Jingling, are a China-based company working on the JingPad, an ARM tablet designed to run Linux OOTB. I'm sure we'll see a lot of variants of that quite soon after their release in July, and many people having fun hacking them.
[+] footrot|5 years ago|reply
Pad is also a star trek throw back, and a word. I don't see why apple should have dominion on that word. Short and succinct.
[+] zhobbs|5 years ago|reply
I would think an Android skin would still be preferable. Much bigger ecosystem of touch optimized apps.
[+] popcorncowboy|5 years ago|reply
Unfortunate name [0] :| or perhaps it was intended? Very clever then.

0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingoism

[+] hnarn|5 years ago|reply
The company is called Jingling which seems to be a Chinese city, so I highly doubt they named it after some obscure English expression.
[+] dathinab|5 years ago|reply
I don't follow.

It's clearly <Jing><Os>, and Jing sounds like something which is likely a Mandarin (or other Asian language) word. And Os is a widely accepted name suffix for operating system.

And it turns out it is (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jing_(Chinese_medicine)) and it's a widely used/known word, too.

Additionally Jingoism, isn't really that commonly used. Most non-native speaker which are not reading certain political news outlets likely have never heard about this word before (like me). It's definitely not part of the vocabulary thought in (non native) english school courses.

Lastly, where would we end up if we have negative sentiment, every time a wrongly pronounced word happened to sound similar to a word in another language which has negative sentiment attached with it. At that point we probably would need to remove a non small part of names and the english language because wrongly pronouncing it makes it sound like a bad word in some other language...

[+] pekinlcc|5 years ago|reply
Jing means Whale, so does the logo.
[+] SquareWheel|5 years ago|reply
Wow, yeah. That was my first thought upon seeing the name. Definitely could have picked something better.
[+] FooBarWidget|5 years ago|reply
As a non-native English speaker, the first thing that came to my mind was jingle bells, not jingoism.
[+] roadbeats|5 years ago|reply
People are full of "news" these days. Haven't you ever heard of the word "jing" ?
[+] dathinab|5 years ago|reply
This looks like a legal nightmare.

I mean there are all kinds of protections of visual thinks like e.g. design patents.

I would be highly surprised if this doesn't violate at least one or two apple hold still valid design patents or other protection mechanisms.

Because lets be honest design/visual wise it's less iPad/iOs inspired but a bland clone of the iOs design on iPad with some/many minor but in the grater picture irrelevant changes.

[+] weare138|5 years ago|reply
Not a lawyer here but have UI design patents ever held up in court? All modern UI is derivative in some way. Apple lost a case to Microsoft on similar grounds.

>The court ruled that, "Apple cannot get patent-like protection for the idea of a graphical user interface, or the idea of a desktop metaphor [under copyright law].

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Computer,_Inc._v._Micros....

[+] viktorcode|5 years ago|reply
This does, but there won't be anyone using this distro for commercial purposes outside of China, so IP rights won' be enforced.
[+] amelius|5 years ago|reply
It's a user interface, therefore it has to be familiar. What if cars all had the steering wheel in a different location?
[+] hjek|5 years ago|reply
Apple has a patent on scrollbars. There's no avoiding that legal nightmare.
[+] runawaybottle|5 years ago|reply
A bland ios clone is still miles ahead of any ui the other distros have.
[+] Hamuko|5 years ago|reply
It looks so inspired that Apple legal might also be inspired.
[+] iFreilicht|5 years ago|reply
The company making JingOS is based in China. Not sure Apple has much legal leverage there.
[+] merb|5 years ago|reply
besides the notification center it more or less looks like a clone.
[+] anaganisk|5 years ago|reply
Well it comes from a chineese company, Im sure they're good as long as apple still has critical assets in china.
[+] throwaway4good|5 years ago|reply
This is great work; absolutely something the Linux world needs.

Only I wish they would divert more from MacOS X / iPad OS in terms of colours and loose the reference to iPad in the marketing copy.

[+] michaericalribo|5 years ago|reply
Awesome! Its exciting to see new applications of *nix OSes that are design-forward and targeted towards modern computing paradigms / platforms.

I’m a grumpy graybeard who likes Arch on my laptop and Debian on my server...but cosmetics and familiar visual vocab and adopting industry ux practices—these are undeniable obstacles that must be overcome before “the year of the Linux desktop “ :)

[+] gh02t|5 years ago|reply
I don't want to be too hard on this project, but is it really "design-forward" when it's blatantly and explicitly copying the look and feel of iOS/iPadOS? Originality seems like an important component of good design.
[+] Bud|5 years ago|reply
"Inspired by"? They've directly copied all kinds of UI.
[+] ibejoeb|5 years ago|reply
I suspect the name is a play on jingoism
[+] janandonly|5 years ago|reply
I am happy to see projects that make Linux look beter or more user friendly.

But to truly catch up with iPadOS one needs to recreate not just the UX but also powerful features that it comes with

* can the Photo app recognize faces? or landscapes ?

* can the Notes app do OCR on pictures and PDF’s?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25805137

* is there an iCloud like function that synchronizes in the background?

It is not just the UX that makes 70+ year olds be able to work with an iPad, it’s the whole package.

[+] hvaoc|5 years ago|reply
For Linux users, we look for credible source for something as important as Operating Systems. Usually from known entity or open source community. It would be great if you can clarify.

Also since it is just getting started, you would be better off not using iPad, Apple kind of words. Instead use neutral terms like Linux OS optimized for Tablets, before it is too late.

Also heavy influence of Apple Marketing on your preview video, it would serve you well if you have the actual working copy of the OS on a tablet shown as demo as well. Hope you are making that video as well.

[+] NiekvdMaas|5 years ago|reply
Looking at the launch video [0], this looks very professional done. Which company is behind this? I can't find any info on the site. Is this team related to Huawei?

0. https://youtu.be/3E0ADUIiFzA

[+] monsieurbanana|5 years ago|reply
> Which company is behind this?

This is the only thing I found with some limited googling:

> Our team is very experienced in making gadgets. They are experts from Xiaomi/OPPO/Google/Ubuntu and other Consumer Electronic Companies. So what we are talking about here is not a low-end tablet for geeks and Linux users. It will be designed just like a tablet for consumers with the best quality we can achieve.

From: https://www.facebook.com/JingOSfb/posts/the-idea-of-making-a...

[+] deaddodo|5 years ago|reply
I don't know if there's any shared code, but it looks like it's related to this Chinese project:

https://fydeos.com/

[+] bArray|5 years ago|reply
> Available from Jan 31, 2021

So, is this going to be a paid for product? I am looking at what looks like is their GitHub page, and it's basically empty? https://github.com/JingOS-team

[+] samwestdev|5 years ago|reply
Why do people put copyrighted words (like iPad) in their copy? Just called a tablet-style OS so Apple won't go after your ass.
[+] txbuck|5 years ago|reply
I'm both hopeful and dubious about this. Can't see this getting very far if it isn't open source, but it seems like something similar could scratch an itch I've had for a while (detailed below).

-----

I love using my iPad to consume content, but damn do I sometimes wish I could just use a real desktop on it. With some caveats, of course:

- Without needing an internet connection/AP - At least some kind touch support* (clicking, scrolling, gestures, etc.) - Consistent, dependable graphical fidelity/performance - Easily portable - Quick to instantiate - Clean-yet-functional UI*

I've tried some wireless AP/bridge setups on a Pi4 and VNCing into it via my iPad, but they've been not-so-satisfactory for a few of the reasons listed above. Haven't given up on it -still researching/fiddling around - but definitely the biggest hurdle is going to be the UI. Gotta find that balance between functionality, simplicity, and aesthetic - preferably out of the box. Not something Linux is particularly known for.

*i.e. simplified desktop/application UI so that I can do most everything using the touchscreen (in addition to the keyboard/mouse), but can still access the advanced functions, even if those specifically are only optimized for mouse/keyboard. Ideally I'd be able to show/hide functions arbitrarily in the simple mode based on if I do/don't use them. Tiled WM or similar for single-app or split-pane view mode.

[+] xwdv|5 years ago|reply
“New Linux Distro” here just means a new graphical environment.
[+] poutine|5 years ago|reply
Apple isn’t going to like this. Good luck!
[+] someperson|5 years ago|reply
Is the project developed publicly? Where is the git repository with sources (under a FLOSS license)?
[+] dr_zoidberg|5 years ago|reply
I found it amusing how on the one side we're being told is a full-fledged Linux under the hood, and on the other side they felt it was worth noting that it comes with a native calculator app.