--- title: "Abandoning my own tablet OS" date: 2021-01-14 language: en topics: ["Freedom", "apple", "experiment", "iPad", "linux", "pencil", "tablet", "work"] source_url: https://willem.com/en/2021-01-14_abandoning-my-own-tablet-os/ --- # Abandoning my own tablet OS *Why I moved back to iPad and the Mac* > The past year I have been experimenting with creating my own tablet operating system using Debian GNU/Linux and the i3 window manager on a Microsoft Surface Go 2 with LTE. After months of intense use I have now decided to abandon the experiment to move back to iPad Pro and the Mac. Read along to find out why. ## Building "WillemOS" using Debian GNU/Linux on Microsoft Surface After being fed up by the umpteenth bug in Apple Photos, I got serious about leaving the Apple ecosystem. I thought that I could do things better. How hard could it be to make your own OS.., *right*? ![WillemOS in optima forma: Debian GNU/Linux on Surface GO 2 ](https://willem.com/global/images/a311f5097a11.webp) It turns out that you can actually achieve a lot, if you have some spare time and a ton of dedication. It's amazing what you can learn if you simply try things. It led to some interesting posts and findings over the past months: - Making_my_own_tablet_OS (https://willem.com/en/2020-03-09_making-my-own-tablet-os/) - Free_from_iCloud_escape_Apple_Photos (https://willem.com/en/2020-08-31_free-from-the-icloud-escaping-apple-photos/) - Syncing_files_seamlessly_between_tablets_and_smartphones (https://willem.com/en/2020-09-16_syncing-files-seamlessly-between-smartphone-and-tablet/) - And finally: Refining_my_tablet_OS (https://willem.com/en/2020-09-28_refining-my-tablet-os-experience/) ![Writing and reading blog posts using my own tablet OS ](https://willem.com/global/images/a89149613f88.webp) But then something happened, I had an opportunity to use a Windows laptop for a while, the Surface Laptop Go. It_is_a_jolly_simple_laptop (https://willem.com/en/2020-11-03_the-joy-of-a-simple-laptop/) and I liked it for precisely that: no hassles. The laptop just worked in a predictable, reliable way that - apparently - I was missing in "WillemOS". ![A plant, a laptop and some coffee - the joy of a simple system that works!](https://willem.com/global/images/fbf1ade29b85.webp) ## The problem with my own OS Building your own OS is great for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because *you* get to decide how things will work. You're the architect, the master, the one that decides. You're god. The flip side of that great power is that you're also *responsible* to make things work! Very often things worked fantastically, especially when I spent some time finetuning the experience. But even with all my knowledge and experience, there were times when things broke down, sometimes badly. Mainly this happened because: - I run software on unsupported hardware: the Surface Go tablet is designed to work with Windows - Most GNU/Linux software is designed for keyboard and mouse: using it on a tablet with just a touch screen is nearly impossible (try entering your disk encryption key without a keyboard) - I prefer the cutting edge software versions from the Debian unstable repositories, which sometimes have 'breaking' changes... - I created my own weird mix of free software in WillemOS: combining packages and apps that were not necessarily designed to work together Over the past 6 months (when I used my OS as daily driver) there where at least 3 occasions when the OS broke down at critical moments. Usually after waking up the tablet from hibernation, things went bad... For instance, one time I had to respond to a service outage, a customer called and they where in *direct* need for support. Precisely at that moment I ran into trouble getting my networking online after waking up the tablet. I lost precious time, but most of all I felt like an amateur not being able to respond instantly because some stupid networking bug. People pay me big time to help solve their problems, I'd better be ready! ![In this "Cloud age" you'd better have a working internet connection - all the time: no time for amateur hour!](https://willem.com/global/images/b45e0aec3a05.webp) Another annoying example is when I had this super great idea for the next big unicorn IT concept... I was ready to use the tablet's pen to capture this spark of creativity when all of a sudden the tablet's digitiser failed to respond. My pen didn't work and the touch screen was all over the place. I was able to fix it by restarting some system services, closing and opening a few apps. But, by the time I was ready, the magical idea was gone! ![Pen input is great if it works - but good ideas can be lost if it fails!](https://willem.com/global/images/d72bcced9787.webp) ![You know you're digital pen is lacking trust if you grab for old fashioned pencil and paper...](https://willem.com/global/images/1c010a7e0303.webp) ## Lessons learned Besides getting comfortable with Debian GNU/Linux in a deep, hardcore fashion, I learned a thing or three about the reality of building a system that you want to use on a daily basis. First of all, reliability is incredibly important. This goes hand in hand with predictability (but they are not necessarily the same). It is not a problem if things break down, but only if you expect them so. This is extremely hard to get right, I have gained huge respect for all the good work that commercial software/hardware vendors have achieved. The performance of a critical tool that you plan to use on a daily basis must be extremely predictable. Second, to achieve this you'd better use supported hardware and common software concepts. Use a conventional PC with standard components with a normal mouse and keyboard if you plan to use free software (like Debian GNU/Linux). The frictionless tablet experience using free software isn't ready yet. Third, and this is probably the most important thing: when it works it is magic! All the problems that I encountered were manageable and do not take anything away from the fact that when my OS worked, there sometimes_was_some_true_magic (https://willem.com/en/2020-12-31_working-with-special-hardware-from-china/). ![When everything comes together there is magic: WillemOS doing things no iPad can do](https://willem.com/global/images/c29221027bf4.webp) ## Conclusion You really have to be a little bit crazy to try to build your own operating system. You're a special kind of crazy if you make your experimental operating system your daily driver! That's what I did... and I am glad I survived to tell the story. I will try again some day, because the taste of freedom is hard to forget once you have experienced it! ![Back to iPad Pro (right) after some an incredible time with WillemOS on Surface Go (left)](https://willem.com/global/images/6125494a73dc.webp)