Is This The Worst Linux Front End System In The World?

adiv

Junior Member
Nov 22, 2018
3
0
OK guy's and girls, you are going to hate me.
I am 64 years old, called Ivor and I had a very good computer business for 10 years, I made, upgraded and solved problems on hundreds of real computers (windows only). I have tried lots of linux variations, never liked it but then I bought a cheap 7" tablet. Right away I could see that it was crap, the android system 4.2 (linux) was the worst version of linux that I had seen. It is obviously restricted by MS copyright and patents etc.
Now this is my problem, (hopefully someone will make me start to like android) My partner is stuck in hospital with serious brain damage and I need to give her some familiar entertainment, so I got this cheap Chinese tablet out of a draw and tried to put some of her favourite TV programs and films on it.
Now the problems. I was able to DL and put lots of BBC plays and Youtube vids on a SD card and they work on the tablet, but they can only be accessed from file manager or ES explorer and I can't find a way to put those individual files on the tablet desktop, but the worst thing is, when I DL I Player progs from BBC or ITV (UK) and add them to the SD card they do not show up anywhere even though they play great on VLC on the PC and they show up on the PC. I have tried just about all the video formats but nothing works. I really want to snap this cheap Chinese tablet in half and buy a Windows tablet that has a proper professional OS. Please someone make me save this tablet and save me some money now that my partners wages have gone.
BTW. with no seat belt and driving at high speed she drove into a wall, turned the car upside down and had to be taken to hospital by helicopter for an emergency brain operation, but I love her and have to try and make her comfortable.
Can anyone help with these probs? I do have other questions but lets see if we can cure this one.
Have a great night everyone and thank you for reading this.
Ivor
 

Traveller

Administrator
Staff member
Jun 16, 2012
2,858
982
Hello Ivor. Welcome.

Your first impression of Android is understandable, given that Android 4.2 was released in 2012 (latest version is Android 9.0, and it looks nothing like Android 4.2). But, I need to dispel a notion here that you came to this forum with: Android is not Linux. It uses the Linux kernel just as iOS for Apple devices uses the Linux kernel, but like iOS is never referred to as Linux. All portions of Android are open source; specifically, the kernel uses the GPL while the rest is using the Apache license. Apps all have their own licenses and may be open or closed source at the author's discretion; for example, Google apps are not open source at all. This mixture is allowed by the Apache license.

Things in Android are sufficiently different that any Linux knowledge you have may actually cause problems. If you approach Android as its own OS, rather than a Linux derivative, you might appreciate it more.

Regarding your audio and video files, VLC is available for direct download to Android devices here. That will eliminate having to look for the files in ES File Explorer. As for the BBC iPlayer, they also have an Android version available for direct download here. Install that and you will have access to the BBC videos, however the app apparently does not have the capability of playing iPlayer video downloads; it can only stream videos from the BBC. The inability to play iPlayer downloads is likely a decision made by the BBC themselves, and not a limitation of Android.
 

adiv

Junior Member
Nov 22, 2018
3
0
Thanks for the reply Traveller, I already have VLC on the tablet but just like file manager and ES explorer the files just don't even show up which I can't understand, ok, they may not play, but they should surely show up at least. Another problem is that this tablet only has 4gb and has 133mb free, and I do not know what apps that I can safely delete and none of them highlights the option to move to SD of which I have 30gb free. Also when I access the I players through browser (bbc and itv) none of the programs have play buttons. Anyway I just installed the I player app from the link you kindly gave me but it won't play it says I have to update the app and when I press update it takes me to play store and it says not compatible with my device. Well Traveller I have come to the conclusion that there was a reason I threw this thing in a drawer in the first place and I will try and get hold of an old laptop that runs a professional OS instead of a free one.
Have a great night.
Ivor
 

Traveller

Administrator
Staff member
Jun 16, 2012
2,858
982
I believe Google would be insulted by that characterization. The entire problem here is that the tablet is simply too old and too limited for what you wanted to do with it. 4GB is not enough storage, and the firmware too old.

Android simply is not for you, especially with how urgently you need the tablet up and running. Farewell.
 
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