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Microsoft’s Windows platform has been the single most widely-used desktop OS for decades, only recently sliding to second place behind Android as the most popular operating system used to browse the Internet. As popular as these two platforms are, unfortunately there are still intercommunication issues that can frustrate any user who owns a Windows computer and an Android phone (which is millions). These issues are especially prominent when dealing with ADB and Fastboot. Android enthusiasts, being no strangers to tinkering, have sought to remedy this in a variety of ways. But sometimes, no matter how many times you boot into safe mode, reinstall your drivers, install new drivers, or mess with system settings, you just can't get your Windows computer to recognize your Android phone. To that end, XDA senior member steadfasterX released "Forget Windows Use Linux" (FWUL) - a bootable GNU/Linux ISO geared specifically towards Windows users who need to communicate more reliably with Android.
Odin and Heimdall were pretty badass gods in the Nordic mythology. But to Samsung device owners, these are important and powerful tools designed to flash stock ROM files, much like Flashtool on Sony phones. In short, they are an essential part of Samsung Android development here at XDA.
The release version of Heimdall Suite 1.4.0 is now available after an epic wait. You may remember hearing about this version of the suite way back in October when the release candidate was first announced. That's quite a slow pace for the last steps toward a stable release, but it sounds like the time was well spent. XDA Recognized Developer Benjamin Dobell cited problems with packaging and squashing outdated content as the main cause of delay. He hopes that the work he put in here will mean shorter development cycles for future versions.