iLIVEx Brings Linux To Your iPad

If you're a Linux guy living in an Apple world, don't fret (and don't sell your iPad out of frustration either), you can now turn your iPad into an X terminal for your favorite operating system. Working over WiFi and 3G, iLIVExlets users connect to Unix and Linux desktops and applications running on their respective servers.

iLIVEx uses secure SSH tunnels, running what the developer calls a "persistent connection." What this means is that even in the case of a loss of network connection, the app will just reconnect when it finds the next network and not lose data. This ability lets users switch in and out of the app, and lets users run applications on the server even when the workstation is turned off.

Not leaving anyone in the dark, iLIVEx provides a remote desktop to access a free Linux desktop account on iLIVEx's StarNet hosted Linux server. The free account is great for running Open Office and using the desktop version of Firefox, which indeed allows the use of Flash. Linux also offers a far more advanced multitasking system than the iOS, letting users quickly switch between apps on a single desktop or between the four desktops that Linux offers. If you're an Apple user, the Spaces feature in OSX is based on the virtual desktop system, so they are basically are the same thing.

If you find yourself longing for Linux on the iPad or are just looking to give a free desktop OS a try (it's fun!), be sure to pick up iLIVEx from your neighborhood App Store today.