Android is running a Linux kernel, yes. But, as an enthusiast GNU+Linux desktop user you'll find that you can't do your linuxy stuff on Android - sure, termux does a lot, but it's just not the same.

The Surface Go 2 that the article is about, is an x86_64 device - I recently aquired one and it's really quite nice with Linux in my limited testing. The biggest difficulty with a standard desktop GNU+Linux on a tablet is that most distributions are not optimized for easy tablet use - KDE Neon User Edition e.g. does not come with a virtual keyboard preinstalled.

On Yoga style laptops: Well, they are easier to get started with, but they often are quite a big bigger and having those keys on the back all the time... It's doable, but if you want a "nice 10" tablet" experience these devices are just not what you will want: Too large, too thick, too heavy.

> The biggest difficulty with a standard desktop GNU+Linux on a tablet is that most distributions are not optimized for easy tablet use - KDE Neon User Edition e.g. does not come with a virtual keyboard preinstalled.

Ubuntu 22 on a Lenovo X1 Fold gave me the OSK without installing anything - though the touchscreen was not supported by default, the driver is under work cf https://github.com/quo/ithc-linux

Some distros do, and GNOME has been good to me too on many distributions with delivering a working virtual keyboard OOTB. KDE Neon, however, which I wanted to try after reading that KDE Plasma 5.25 has better tablet support, comes without a virtual keyboard (and AFAIK does not come with an easy option to install one, you need to know that it you have to install maliit-keyboard).

Android is a proprietary OS filled with spyware. Linux kernel is irrelevant.

Is that true even if you compile AOSP from source? (not being sarcastic here, just never looked into this)

You lose the spyware if you use AOSP (except any that’s baked into your OEM’s kernel blobs), but you also lose a lot of functionality. You can regain some by using a community-maintained AOSP-based OS like Lineage, but chances are that a bunch of device-specific hardware/software features will still be missing.

I am writing this from a Fairphone 4 with e/OS installed (AOSP based) and don't miss anything so far.

To add: my wife has a Samsung and can't add a shortcut for locking the phone on the lock screen (needed to enforce PIN) which the Fairphone enables.

I see, thank you for the explanation!

Yes, Android is Linux. That means that you can just install the GNU OS with the kernel that comes with the device, and get a GNU/Linux installation running on top of it.

But by doing that you get to maintain all the malware that comes builtin on the mobile OSes.

The OP wants to replace the kernel. But most mobile devices use very specific hardware that do not have drivers compatible with the standard kernel you get from your distro. Technically, the manufacturer should have to supply you the source of the drivers they use (so you could port them), but good luck enforcing any right of yours against a large company on the legal system (any country's one actually).