Related
I've developed a kernel and base linux system suitable for installation on the HTC Herald / T-Mobile Wing series of phones. This image is for installation of a root filesystem directly to an SD storage card (no need for a root FS image). Several things don't work so far -- this is early development. But it's enough to play with. My hope is that we can use development on this as a jumping point for getting Google Android to run on the wing.
UPDATE (2/10/09):
I've added a Resources section to collect the useful information and links that have been posted here and in the other thread. I've also updated the known issues section for Android to reflect what I've discovered so far.
UPDATE (2/9/09):
I've got an updated kernel config and images for starting Android now! Android will now pull up the boot animation and begin startup. It still does not complete startup, but at least we know we've got the right stuff in the kernel now!
I've added instructions at the bottom for installing these and using them with an already set up linux system (per the first set of instructions).
UPDATE (2/7/09):
Here's some extra files you can grab if you're interested in development: (The patches don't apply cleanly yet against the linwizard kernel)
Kernel .config file I've used (against the linwizard 2.6.25 kernel): http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/linux_wing/wing_config
Android diffs (between SDK android kernel and kernel.org 2.6.27 kernel): http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/linux_wing/android-2.6.27.patch
Contents
Part 1: Linux Base System Installation Instructions
Part 2: Android Installation Instructions
Resources
Part 1: Linux Base System Installation Instructions:
The below instructions assume you have access to Linux and can read/write to your SD storage card.
To start out with, here's what you'll need:
Haret + default.txt + kernel (.zip, 1.4mb)
Root filesystem contents (.tar.gz, 13.1mb)
1. Repartition your SD card.
For this, you'll need to use something like Partition Magic or some other suitable partitioner (in Linux, you can use gparted to resize your Windows partition.) I recommend the following layout:
Partition 1: Primary, FAT16 or FAT32 containing your original Windows files (any size of your choosing)
Partition 2: Primary, Linux Swap, 128mb
Partition 3: Primary, EXT3, >=64mbMy linux partition is 650mb with a 1.2gb Windows partition and 128mb swap -- adjust to preference.2. Format the swap and linux partitions.
In linux, run the following: (I assume your SD card is /dev/sdb -- adjust if different)
Code:
# sudo mkswap /dev/sdb2
# sudo mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb3
I'm assuming the layout in step 1 as well.
3. Mount the new Linux partition.
Run the following:
Code:
# sudo mount /dev/sdb3 /mnt
4. Copy the base linux system into the new Linux partition.
Save the root filesystem .tar.gz file from above to somewhere (I'll assume $HOME). Then run:
Code:
# cd /mnt
# sudo tar -xzvf $HOME/rootfs.tar.gz
# cd ..
5. Unmount the linux partition.
Run the following command:
Code:
# sudo umount /mnt
6. Mount the windows partition and copy the Haret executable + kernel.
I'll again assume you saved the "haret+kernel.zip" file to $HOME. Run the following:
Code:
# sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
# cd /mnt
# mkdir linux
# cd linux
# sudo unzip $HOME/haret+kernel.zip
# cd /
# sudo umount /mnt
At this stage, your Linux base system and kernel should be installed. All that's left is to remove your SD card and re-insert it into your phone, start up HaRET and enjoy.
7. Log in
Once you're booted into Linux, you can log in with:
Username: root
Password: wing
Plug in a USB cord to log in on your laptop. If your laptop runs linux, you'll need to make sure that the usb0 network interface has the right address:
Code:
# sudo ifconfig usb0 10.100.0.2 up
The phone's address will be 10.100.0.1. You should be able to SSH or telnet in to the phone and mess around. Run "startx" to bring up X and such.
What's Working
Minimal X server capable of landscape and portrait video modes (KDrive, using the framebuffer (omapfb))
Touch screen support + calibration software (TSC2046 driver + tslib)
Console keyboard (some characters are difficult / impossible to type due to the limited key layout and driver)
USB gadget support for connecting with my laptop (I can SSH / telnet into the phone, or ssh/telnet from the phone into my laptop)
Full access to the SD card (even the Windows FAT side -- mmci-omap driver)
Known Issues
Bluetooth -- haven't been able to get a working driver, or anything to even recognize that it exists
WLAN -- same as bluetooth
GPRS / Phone -- same. There appears to be a GSM device, but I haven't been able to do anything with it.
Most of the extra buttons don't fire any events
LEDs for the most part don't work
Battery and power stats aren't available, as well as power management
No control of the backlight or display power
Sound not functional -- don't have any drivers / software compiled for sound, so I don't know if this would work or not
No real time clock (RTC) functionality
Part 2: Android Installation Instructions:
For these instructions, the recommended procedure is to copy the files you'll need to the Windows side of your SD card and install using the Linux boot system. Make sure you follow the instructions for getting a Linxu base system installed first before following this.
First off, grab the following files (Required)
Android patched kernel for the wing (same as the below kernel, but with android patches): http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/android/zImage2
Android root filesystem, compiled for the wing: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/android/root.tar.gz
Android /system partition, compiled for the wing: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/android/system.tar.gz
Script for starting Android: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/android/start_android
You can also grab the kernel config file if you're interested in building the kernel (I'll have the android patch set available soon) (Optional):
Kernel .config file for the modified kernel: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/android/kernel_config
1. Copy all files to your wing
From Windows Mobile, download the 4 required files above and place them on your storage card:
root.tar.gz -- Place in /Storage Card/
system.tar.gz -- Place in /Storage Card/
zImage2 -- Place in /Storage Card/linux (overwrite the file that's already there, or re-name the original first)
start_android -- Place in /Storage Card/
2. Install Android
Run HaRET.exe to start Linux. It should boot the new kernel (you most likely won't notice a difference). Once in Linux, run the following commands (you can do it directly with the wing keyboard, or you may elect to use SSH (see instructions above) -- SSH is easer in my opinion):
Code:
# cd ../..
# mkdir android
# cd android
# tar -xzf ../mnt/windows/root.tar.gz
# tar -xzf ../mnt/windows/system.tar.gz
# cp ../mnt/windows/start_android ../bin
# chmod 775 ../bin/start_android
If using the Wing's keyboard, you'll need to use the following key mapping:
'/' --> 'Tab'
'-' --> 'Alt + x'
'_' --> 'Alt + c' (I think -- it's Alt + one of the letter keys)
Numbers -> 'Alt + <top row>'
3. Start Android
At this point, android is now installed and ready to run. Simply execute the following command to start Android:
Code:
# start_android
After a few seconds, you should see the Android startup animation appear.Known Issues
The omapfb driver currently in use does not support page flipping, preventing the Android GUI from being displayed
Resources
WMStorage -- turn your wing into a USB SD card reader (Kudos to Kuff!): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=3263023&postcount=5
Wing Service Manual (kudos to drmidnight!): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=3291171&postcount=132
Google Andriod for Herald and Tmobile Wing -- the thread that started it all: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=398830
Enjoy
If this is based on the linwizard kernel, have you seen the Android kernel that the linwizard crew ported over to the Wizard? It's incomplete, but it might be a good starting point for a an Android Port. When I have time tomorrow, I might try installing this.
Hmm, I actually haven't tried that. My image is based on the Polaris development tree, using htcwizard_defconfig. I added some extra drivers, like the touchscreen and SD drivers from there.
Looks like their download of the android kernel is down, unfortunately.
Hey guy, I can and will help you!
A winrar is you!
I don't know how to work with GSM module, but sound drivers should compile OK
Can't find your SD-card in the partitioning program?
As mostly your sd-card is not seen as a "drive" in Windows and in Linux, you can use the "WM5Storage"-tool to do so.
The .cab is attached. Just install it on you device, reboot and start the program without the device being attached to you computer.
Uncheck "Read-Only" and "Removable Class" en tap "Active".
Now you can connect your device (with the sd-card in it) and go on partitioning.
Hi Guys!
I'm surprised. This is the first image and way thats works on my german herald.
My linux experience is very limited. But i want help to let run Android on herald.
What are the next steps?
Morning, I will try to set up android filesystem.
Thank's a lot,
expone
Glad to hear it works for you!
I've managed to get an earlier version of Android to at least begin to start (I get the red-eye moving back and forth), but nothing happens after that.
My guess is that the video is working based on the ability to get the red-eye, but that either some other driver isn't working, or there's not enough free memory.
The image I used was a modified linwizard kernel (not the one I have here), plus a root filesystem that contained Android as an ext2 fs. I never tried with a swap partition enabled.
If we can get our hands on a copy of the android root filesystem in a form that we can mount with this image, perhaps there's a chance of running it. I saw a link somewhere about someone getting this method to work on a different phone (they copied an android root filesystem image to SD card and mounted it from linux, then started android). I'll have to dig around a bit to find it again. Expone, good luck!
Another thing is that we need lots of drivers. If we can get our hands on a spec sheet of the herald listing all the chipsets used, that might give us what we need to start getting this to work. More than likely we'll need to port (or even write) some drivers from different platforms though, as none of the drivers I compiled into this kernel seem to work for things like bluetooth and wifi. Those are probably secondary to getting android to run though -- more for getting it useful.
Just my thoughts.
darkstar62 said:
Glad to hear it works for you!
I've managed to get an earlier version of Android to at least begin to start (I get the red-eye moving back and forth), but nothing happens after that.
My guess is that the video is working based on the ability to get the red-eye, but that either some other driver isn't working, or there's not enough free memory.
The image I used was a modified linwizard kernel (not the one I have here), plus a root filesystem that contained Android as an ext2 fs. I never tried with a swap partition enabled.
If we can get our hands on a copy of the android root filesystem in a form that we can mount with this image, perhaps there's a chance of running it. I saw a link somewhere about someone getting this method to work on a different phone (they copied an android root filesystem image to SD card and mounted it from linux, then started android). I'll have to dig around a bit to find it again. Expone, good luck!
Another thing is that we need lots of drivers. If we can get our hands on a spec sheet of the herald listing all the chipsets used, that might give us what we need to start getting this to work. More than likely we'll need to port (or even write) some drivers from different platforms though, as none of the drivers I compiled into this kernel seem to work for things like bluetooth and wifi. Those are probably secondary to getting android to run though -- more for getting it useful.
Just my thoughts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw someone with an Elfin who had a similar issue but it turns out that it just took 20 minutes for android to boot.
The full source code of Android is available online.
You're right about the drivers, though. We'll probably have to write some of our own.
Can you provide your android images?
One Idea:
Is it possible to merge this two file systems of android and this Linux File system? We get the working driver from this system and get software of android system.
What problems might occur?
@darkstar62:
Can you get me some tips where I can find the image?
You can find the android source code here:
http://source.android.com/
If you have a cross-compiling toolchain, you can build it up. As far as binary images go, I don't have one yet for the wing that works -- I'll be working over the next few days or so to get one compiled for the arch and installed.
I found instructions here for getting an earlier version of Android to run off SD card:
http://wiki.kldp.org/wiki.php/AndroidPortingOnRealTarget
All the porting sites I've found talk about pulling the Android /system and /data partitions from the emulator. I don't think that's necessary though (especially with the Android source code out now). Browsing around, I think I may need a different toolchain compiler -- not sure mine supports EABI (see here: http://elinux.org/Android_on_OMAP#Compiler)
Hopefully tonight or tomorrow I'll be able to get my toolchain working and build a kernel. I'm going to attempt to compile Android's kernel source with their patches using bits and pieces from my kernel configuration (the one for the kernel in the howto). With any luck all will be well. Then the real fun in building Android begins.
Also, to whet your appetite, someone managed to get Android running on a phone not too dissimilar from the wing -- OMAP730 processor @ 200mHz, 64mb of RAM, SD card:
http://ohawatch.blogspot.com/2008/02/android-running-on-omap-730-200mhz.html
Also, TI showed android on our processor, the OMAP850 200mHz CPU:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=400905
So with a bit of luck I think we'll have a rather nice Android platform on our phones.
I was together with a colleague ever compiled a kernel. We had the ARM GNU / Linux compiler used.
Myself, I need more time to get more information about this topic.
Where will we discuss in the future? In this topic or in the other?
I would say, since this thread is really meant for using an installable Linux image that we keep Android-related discussion on the other thread (since that's what its topic is).
On the other hand, having all the images in one place at the front of this forum with installation instructions makes it very accessible. Perhaps we should rename this thread to something like:
"HOWTO: Multi-Boot Linux, Android and WM6 on T-Mobile Wing / HTC Herald (in work)"
I hate to turn this thread into a spin-off from the other one though...
Anyone have any thoughts?
darkstar62 said:
I would say, since this thread is really meant for using an installable Linux image that we keep Android-related discussion on the other thread (since that's what its topic is).
On the other hand, having all the images in one place at the front of this forum with installation instructions makes it very accessible. Perhaps we should rename this thread to something like:
"HOWTO: Multi-Boot Linux, Android and WM6 on T-Mobile Wing / HTC Herald (in work)"
I hate to turn this thread into a spin-off from the other one though...
Anyone have any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe this a real good since i have little to no time to work on it.
All because of school. UGH!
I'm just glad I inspired you guys in making this happen.
So I will indeed keep the other thread open cause i would have time working on porting android to the wing in a month.
@darkstar62:
Is it possible that you provide me your kernel sources and make-project-file?
So I could even work...
The sources I've been working from come from the linwizard project:
http://linwizard.sourceforge.net
I used a git clone from their instructions using the polaris branch. It's a 2.6.25 kernel (the latest Android is based on 2.6.27...) so we'll have to either port the Android patches from 27 to 25 or port all the linwizard drivers to the android 27 kernel.
I'll post the .config file I'm using when I get home (it's on my desktop there).
A cursory look seems to indicate that it'll be easier to port the android patches to the linwizard kernel, since there's a lot less code involed (and most of the patches apply cleanly against it -- some conflicts need to be resolved though).
I got the patches by git cloning the android source code and diffing their kernel source against the kernel.org kernel of the same version. I'll post that diff when I get home too.
I've got an Android filesystem image compiled for the phone, and it seems to work (I can run the binaries from it using our working kernel -- just can't boot without the patches). So, assuming we get a working kernel, running Android should be a slam-dunk.
More to follow. If things start getting more involved, I'll probably start a sourceforge project for all this so we have some place to put all this information.
As promised, here's the .config and android patches:
Config: (rename to .config): http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/linux_wing/wing_config
Android patches (against kernel.org 2.6.27): http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/198699/linux_wing/android-2.6.27.patch
I've updated the top post as well. The patches don't cleanly apply against the 2.6.25 kernel yet. Hopefully I'll be able to get that working soon.
Good luck.
Unfortunately, I don't have time, nor the crazy Linux experience to be of any help...
But I am way excited and can't wait to see what you can pull off...
Another step in the right direction -- The modified Android kernel boots, and Android will now try and start.
For some reason or another it won't complete starting -- I'm going to install some debugging tools later to try and figure out what else we need (if we're missing something). I've also noticed that Android isn't taking advantage of the swap space we have, so there may be an Android mod needed to allow that -- not sure how much it will help at this point though.
I've updated the top post with instructions on how to install the new kernel and android images to play with on your phone.
Enjoy!
I have a rooted G1. I didnt see a swap partition when I run the mount command. Let me know if you need anythhing else. I'll do my best to help out.
Yeah, not surprised. The G1 has a lot more memory than the Wing (128mb vs. 64mb if I'm not mistaken) so I doubt there'd be a need for one.
My hope was that if memory was tight for running on Android, adding a swap partition would give it some more breathing room. I guess Android wasn't designed that way though.
The Andrinux-Project - bringing GNU/Linuxux to your phone
I've put the whole thing onto github because it's too much for me alone. I need your help: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30207959
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
At first big thanks to dudumomo for hosting the project! I can't thank you enough!
Then big thanks to TylerDurben for the awesome picture work!
Please: Learn to read the whole opening post!
I won't help in cases like this anymore! All informations are given!
Thanks!
Note: it doesn't boot a phony-Linux! This Linux runs on top of Android!
"Hey Nerds!" would Sassibo(o)b say.
But I'll say:
Hey dudes!
Welcome to the Andrinux-Project.
What the heck is Andrinux?!
Andrinux is a project (inspired by LeeDroid) to bring GNU/Linux to your phone!
Started in summer 2011 I now got the first running build for you.
Why should I use Andrinux?
Why are you thinking I can answer this question for you?!
It's your decision!
I use it for things like git and office apps.
trh1341 said:
Just want to prove that this is awesome...the ics rom by me and Jcmaddox...most of that was done using this because my computer has a broken screen
Sent from my HTC Inspire "4G" using Ice Cream Sandwich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are you posting it here and not in the general Android development?
Because I only tested it on the Desire HD and on no other device. But maybe later.
Why aren't you coming to the interesting thing - the download?
Ok, ok. I'm gonna hurry.
Disclaimer:
If something goes wrong or if something gets broken I'm not responsible for this!
Pay for it on your own!
What you'll need:
-phone
-PC or Mac
-unpacker for 7z-archives
-root
-S-OFF
-system read/write enabled (with newest update not needed anymore. If the script fails your should use this app)
-busybox
-SD-Card
-3 GB of free space on the SD-Card
-kernel with loop-support
-time
How to:
Let's get to the real thing.
First download the desired distribution.
Unpack the whole thing to your SD-Card and put it in your phone.
When you got there open a terminal emulator and switch to root mode.
Then you could follow the README-file but I made a little mistake while saving.
Please make sure to mount the system read/write!
So here the instructions:
Type in:
Code:
cd /mnt/sdcard/andrinux/???
sh prepare.sh
boot-???
Codes for the ???:
cd-codes:
debian
fedora
slack
ubuntu
boot-codes
sque- Debian Squeeze- available
whe- Debian Wheezy- not available
fed13- Fedora 13- not available
fed14- Fedora 14- not available
slack- Slackware- not available
nat- Ubuntu Natty- not available
one- Ubuntu Oneiric- available
What you'll get:
The distribution, in most cases with xfce 4 and VNC server.
What you should do after entering GNU/Linux:
Update your distribution and install wanted software like a browser.
I suggest Midori, which you can see in the pictures.
It's pretty fast on a phone.
What you shouldn't do:
rm -r /
Tips:
More than 255 apps on SD aren't possible on our phone in combination with Andrinux, sorry.
If you want an other resolution you can edit the xstart-file in your andrinux/debian-folder.
Then run sh prepare.sh again.
I already added the locate-command and updated the database. So you can simply use it.
For more details see the tutorial in the next post.
Please, don't use the xterm.
Use the terminal emulator which you're running in the background instead. xterm is full of errors on the phone cause it uses the wrong scripts/files/programs.
You don't need to put "sudo" in front of a command. You are always logged in as root.
The browser I use can be installed with
Code:
apt-get install midori
You may use Iceweasel, the Debian-Firefox (better compatibility). Install it with
Code:
apt-get install iceweasel
Use your volume keys to scroll faster on GUI with Android VNC.
You're an Andrinux-User?
Show it to others!
Take this link:
http://andrinux.freelydifferent.com/img/user.png
Want the official Andrinux wallpaper?
Look here!
How it works:
First, it sets the img-file located in the folder andrinux/??? on your SD-Card as a device.
Then it mounts the device.
After that we enter the environment of your distribution.
As this happens, we also switch to the distribution-bash and viola - we got GNU/Linux.
Cause every change is made like in a virtual machine, everything will be saved to your img-file on your SD-Card and your ROM files won't get touched.
The thanks-button is often overlooked.
Please use it if you like Andrinux.
Thanks.
Download section
Please no mirrors! I want to see how many downloads which one gets and want to earn a little amount of money! Thank you!
Everythings right now, have fun.
Debian Squeeze - 12.12.2011:
http://andrinux.freelydifferent.com/downloads/debian/deb-sque.7z - size: 456,7 MB
Mirror (Multiupload):
http://www.multiupload.com/K244AYLM7Q
Debian Squeeze update - 09.02.2012:
http://andrinux.freelydifferent.com/downloads/debian/update090212.zip
Ubuntu Oneiric - 02.01.2012:
http://andrinux.freelydifferent.com/downloads/ubuntu/ubu-one.7z - size: 540,2 MB
Mirror (Multiupload):
http://www.multiupload.com/TEH2Q1JHRH
Ubuntu Oneiric update - 09.02.2012:
http://andrinux.freelydifferent.com/downloads/ubuntu/update090212.zip
Changelog section
Debian Squeeze:
14.12.2011:
-got it working with App2SD up to 99 apps
-SD-Card bind in Linux environment
-no more fail-mounts (mounting / instead of the image)
-tutorial added
-changed resolution for VNC to 800x480
15.12.2011:
-little ad-remove-correction
-added shortcut for SD-Card to Desktop
-corrected nameserver-problem ("couldn't resolve ...) - thx to Floep
24.12.2011:
-new script created from scratch
-up to 255 apps on SD-Card possible
01.01.2012:
-better script structure
-fixed a big which shouldn't appear
04.01.2012:
-more customizable xstart-script (run "xstart 800x600 for example to get this resolution)
-some tests whether mounting was successful
08.01.12:
-corrected the if-conditions
-added /system read-write to script, no app needed anymore
09.02.12
-added ICS-support - thanks to craigkal
-added some things to make it easier for me to edit the script
-added something which should help to get this working on every device (inspired by adwinp)
-added a hidden feature - to find it, you have to use an option.
Ubuntu Oneiric:
24.12.2011:
-initial release
-added Firefox, Midori and Nautilus as Christmas-special
-new method to install the system: when you run the prepare.sh it'll create the image for you and unpack the system - less to upload, less to download.
29.12.2011:
-biggest problem (creation of image failed) fixed
-script is now more friendly for the ones who want to adjust it.
-big security hole (filing your /data partition when the image isn't mounted) got fixed
02.01.2012:
-new release (should now really work for everyone )
04.01.2012:
-more customizable xstart-script (run "xstart 800x600 for example to get this resolution)
-some tests whether mounting was successful
08.01.2012
-corrected the if-conditions
-added /system read-write to script, no app needed anymore
09.02.12
-added ICS-support - thanks to craigkal
-added some things to make it easier for me to edit the script
-added something which should help to get this working on every device (inspired by adwinp)
-added a hidden feature - to find it, you have to use an option.
-new script for Ubuntu by adwinp. Take this for it. https://www.box.net/shared/ncrs2o8i5lc6vj7pgpxy
Credits:
Code:
echo "I: New script from scratch. So only credits to me. :P"
echo "I: Already ad-cleaned by the Andrinux-Project. ;)"
Troubleshooting:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20733038&postcount=107
Any more questions?
Post them here.
If you want the latest updates you can follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/Ditti4
If you have problems and need help:
Gtalk - [email protected]
Please tell me your XDA-username so I can identify you.
Step-by-step guides
Video tutorials:
Debian Squeeze
(Thanks, Peat. )
Written tutorials:
Debian Squeeze:
1. Step:
Download the two files from the download section and unpack them.
2. Step:
You'll see a folder named andrinux and four new files (xstart,xexit, prepare.sh and boot-sque).
Put these four files into the debian-folder in the andrinux-folder by replacing the existing ones.
3. Step:
Put the andrinux-folder to the root of your SD-Card.
To do so: plug in your phone and switch to Mass-Storage-Mode.
Then copy and paste it to the SD-Card.
4. Step:
Let's switch to the phone.
Got busybox installed? If not, look into the requirements.
Got a terminal emulator installed? If not install one from the Market.
5. Step:
Open terminal emulator and type in
Code:
su
to switch to root mode.
Now type in
Code:
cd /mnt/sdcard/andrinux/debian
to change to the Debian directory.
Then type
Code:
sh prepare.sh
to prepare your system.
Got this? Perfect!
6. Step:
Type in
Code:
boot-sque
to power Debian up.
You'll see
Code:
[email protected]
at the beginning of the line.
7. Step:
Wanna see something graphical?
Install "Android VNC" from the Market.
Then go back to terminal and type in
Code:
xstart
and now launch Android VNC.
Now the connect settings:
Code:
Server: localhost
Port: 5901
Password: andrinux
Now the desktop should appear.
Tip:
Want a web browser?
Code:
apt-get install midori
for a lightweight one and
Code:
apt-get install iceweasel
for something Firefox-like (Ubuntu installs the original Firefox with this command).
8. Step:
Want to end your season?
Choose the disconnect-option in Android VNC and switch back to the terminal.
Now type in
Code:
xexit
to stop the desktop and then
Code:
exit
to shut down Debian.
Ubuntu Oneiric:
1. Step:
Download the file from the download section and unpack it.
2. Step:
You'll see a folder named andrinux and four new files (xstart,xexit, prepare.sh and boot-one).
Put these four files into the ubuntu-folder in the andrinux-folder by replacing the existing ones.
3. Step:
Put the andrinux-folder to the root of your SD-Card.
To do so: plug in your phone and switch to Mass-Storage-Mode.
Then copy and paste it to the SD-Card.
4. Step:
Let's switch to the phone.
Got busybox installed? If not, look into the requirements.
Got a terminal emulator installed? If not install one from the Market.
5. Step:
Open terminal emulator and type in
Code:
su
to switch to root mode.
Now type in
Code:
cd /mnt/sdcard/andrinux/ubuntu
to change to the Ubuntu directory.
Then type
Code:
sh prepare.sh
to prepare your system.
6. Step:
Type in
Code:
boot-one
to power Ubuntu up.
You'll see
Code:
[email protected]
at the beginning of the line.
7. Step:
Wanna see something graphical?
Install "Android VNC" from the Market.
Then go back to terminal and type in
Code:
xstart
and now launch Android VNC.
Now the connect settings:
Code:
Server: localhost
Port: 5901
Password: andrinux
Now the desktop should appear.
Tip:
Want a web browser?
Code:
apt-get install midori
for a lightweight one and
Code:
apt-get install iceweasel
for Firefox.
8. Step:
Want to end your season?
Choose the disconnect-option in Android VNC and switch back to the terminal.
Now type in
Code:
xexit
to stop the desktop and then
Code:
exit
to shut down Ubuntu.
Any problems?
Ask me!
Dayummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, neat stuff. I might try it when i have the time to
great job,just in time,i am bored ,what distribution do u prefer ?
evanbigfan said:
what distribution do u prefer ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cause I'm addicted to Ubuntu/Debian and the Ubuntu-arm-port isn't the best I'm using Debian.
But that's totally personal.
And what you see above is the Debian build.
Sent from my loved HTC Desire HD @MIUI Germany <3
Ditti4 said:
Cause I'm addicted to Ubuntu/Debian and the Ubuntu-arm-port isn't the best I'm using Debian.
But that's totally personal.
And what you see above is the Debian build.
Sent from my loved HTC Desire HD @MIUI Germany <3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks,it will be the first then,another thing,when i reboot the device i'll went back to my rom right,and any changes i made to the linux will go or remain ?
evanbigfan said:
thanks,it will be the first then,another thing,when i reboot the device i'll went back to my rom right,and any changes i made to the linux will go or remain ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Linux is on a external virtual partition on your SD-Card. So any change will remain until you delete the .img-file.
And yes, you'll went back to your ROM. Gonna add some more info to the opening post.
Sent from my loved HTC Desire HD @MIUI Germany <3
Great job, I'm waiting for test it.
one question: all part of device ( camera wifi blue 3g) work's or booting only?
Doesn't this open opportunities for other OS's like WP7?
Correct me if I am wrong.
BTW: Amazing job man
homerino85 said:
Great job, I'm waiting for test it.
one question: all part of device ( camera wifi blue 3g) work's or booting only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you misunderstood me.
It's running on top of Android.
You'll get a fully working Android and on top of it a nearly fully working GNU/Linux.
H-Streety said:
Doesn't this open opportunities for other OS's like WP7?
Correct me if I am wrong.
BTW: Amazing job man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, cause it runs on top of Android.
Added a note to the top to avoid questions like this.
But as the time goes by and we'll get a Windows 8 ARM version, we can maybe run this on our phones.
But since Windows Phone 7 isn't open source, we'll never be able to run it on an Android phone...
Sent from my loved HTC Desire HD @MIUI Germany
Ditti4 said:
The Linux is on a external virtual partition on your SD-Card. So any change will remain until you delete the .img-file.
And yes, you'll went back to your ROM. Gonna add some more info to the opening post.
Sent from my loved HTC Desire HD @MIUI Germany <3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that what i thought ,thanks
Just added Debian Squeeze.
Have fun!
Sent from my loved HTC Desire HD @MIUI Germany <3
All those sounds to good to be true
Hope i get some time in this evening to test it.
Is it possible to start backtrack with andrinux?
Did it work with all android roms?
What about ICS?
Cant wait for testing ...... big thx for.making this possible
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
TylerDurben said:
All those sounds to good to be true
Hope i get some time in this evening to test it.
Is it possible to start backtrack with andrinux?
Did it work with all android roms?
What about ICS?
Cant wait for testing ...... big thx for.making this possible
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Backtrack should be possible, give me some time.
Haven't got the fastest internet.
ICS... Good question.
If I get a running Terminal Emulator for ICS I'm gonna test it.
Ditti4 said:
Backtrack should be possible, give me some time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's probably worth mentioning here that even if Backtrack works (and I think it should) it won't be possible to use something like aircrack-ng or anything that needs Promiscuous/Monitor Mode and/or Injection.
This is awesome! I assume it will work on the Inspire 4G as well? If so I can't wait to try it out!
MusikMonk said:
It's probably worth mentioning here that even if Backtrack works (and I think it should) it won't be possible to use something like aircrack-ng or anything that needs Promiscuous/Monitor Mode and/or Injection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This should be worth a try.
gtalum said:
This is awesome! I assume it will work on the Inspire 4G as well? If so I can't wait to try it out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should also work on it but I can't prove it cause I only got the DHD.
Sent from my loved HTC Desire HD @MIUI Germany <3
Ditti4 said:
Should also work on it but I can't prove it cause I only got the DHD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give it a try soon and let you know.
m getting an error in terminal emulator ..
here is what i did
su
cd /sdcard/andrinux/debian
sh prepare.sh
then got an error (screenshot attached)
riteshbendre said:
m getting an error in terminal emulator ..
here is what i did
su
cd /sdcard/andrinux/debian
sh prepare.sh
then got an error (screenshot attached)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please always read the opening post carefully.
From "What you'll need":
Ditti4 said:
-/system read/write
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are some apps out there to do this. Search on the Market for "remount".
Sent from my loved HTC Desire HD @MIUI Germany
[Q&A] How to build/modify your own linux image for eMMC install Debian sample inside
This thread is for help and support with all linux distributions instalable in eeepad asus transformer. I will explain how to build your own image file or modify existing one in order to use lilstive OLife script.
As ubuntu is the most popular distro, please, all de questions related with ubuntu post them in lilstevie's thread.
You can install any distribution with arm architecture support, but you'll need to make some tweaks in the image in order to work propperly. As my experience in linux is most of it related with debian is the distro i will give the best support, but i'll try to answer every question you ask.
I've chosen debian armHardFloat port instead of debian armel fore many reasons, you can read about this port here:
http : //wiki. debian.org/ArmHardFloatPort
This port is still young so right now there are packages still unaviable to install but they are entering in wheeze day to day. If you preffer to use armel instead or armhf you can always do, you will loose improvement but you will have (at the time of writting this) less packages aviable. In the future (not far away) it will be the best option.
Building your own image:
There are many ways to create a image file but because we are going to need qemu in order to debootstrap the instalation the easiest way to create it is with qemu-img
Code:
qemu-img create debian-armhf.img 400M
I have only given 400M of space because is going to be a minimal instalation without desktop enviroment, it could be smaller but, just in case, that's the size i've chosen. The transfer with OLife it will be faster if the image is smaller.
When you boot for your first time you will find an error because there is no valid MSDOS partition table, this is ok, nothing happens because of that but if you want to avoid it use fdisk to create a partition table
Code:
fdisk debian-armhf.img
we need now to give format to the filesistem:
Code:
mkfs.ext4 debian-armhf.img
It will ask if you really want to do because it's not an ordinary partition and you have to type "s" to proceed
Now whe have ready the image and we have to mount it in some folder to install debian in it:
Code:
mount -o loop debian-armhf.img debian
asuming debian as the created folder for that.
We are ready to debootstrap de instalation:
Code:
debootstrap --verbose --arch armhf --foreign --include=btrfs-tools,locales,kbd,wpasupplicant wheezy debian http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian
this will make the first step to install wheezy armhf, --foreing parameter is because the target architecture is different from the host one and it's going to stop before de second-stage, it will include the packages btrfs-tools locales and kbd, you can add as many as you want but it will be always faster if you install them manually once installed in the transformer. I didn't install ssh server because i have a dock, but if you don't have it will be needed to complete the instalation with a remote shell, but you can also install packages later with chroot after the second stage.
In order to be able to chroot we will need qemu-user-static, with armhf it's needed 1.0 version with armel it's not necesary, it can be any version not too old. Also if you have an i386 system it's recomendable to install an amd64 kernel to do chroot or debootstrap will fail configuring cron. Actually i think in this sample image there is anacron instead of cron because there was an issue i thought it was related with that but later twb found out the problem was another different and now it's solved.
we will add qemu-arm-static to the instalation to be able to chroot
Code:
cp /usr/bin/qemu-arm-static debian/usr/bin/
we chroot to the new enviroment:
Code:
chroot debian
and execute the second stage of debootstrap:
Code:
./debootstrap/debootstrap --second-stage
After finish the instalation we will set the root password
Code:
passwd
and now it's ready, you can make tweaks, install packages (as ssh if you need it) or whatever you want, but you will have to add a repository to /etc/apt/sources.list in order to install any packages.
In this image and debootstrap proccess i've used german repositories because are the fastest for me, but you can use another one, right now it's neede also experimental repository to have working touch screen, but as soon xserver-xorg-input-evdev with full multitouch support enters sid as it won't be necesary
example of /etc/apt/sources.list
Code:
http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian unstable main contrib non-free
http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian experimental main contrib non-free
I have already installed in this image necesary packages for that and experimental repositories won't interfiere unless you pass the parameter for apt-file so you can forget about this if you want, but if you are building your own image apt-get install -t experimental xserver-xorg will do the work.
we have ready now our image but it need some files and tweaks to make everithing work in the eepad.
From here you can apply this to any arm image you want to test.
(all the files needed are in the attached file files.tar.gz in the rigth folders)
we need to add modules and firmware, i've extracted them from lilstive ubuntu.img
strictly necesary are:
Code:
/lib/firmware/nvram.txt
/lib/firmware/brcm/*
but you may need another ones if you are going to use external hardware, that's on you.
there are also two folder in /lib/modules one is for the asus kernel and the other one for chrome os kernel, i suggest to add both of them because it's just a bit space and you will be able to use the image with both kernels.
In order to make wifi work i've made /etc/modprobe.d/options.conf file with some parameters found in one of the threads of lilstevie and /etc/modules with the modules to load.
You will also need to configure /etc/network/interfaces and /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf all this files are in the attached files.tar.gz but wpa_supplicant.conf is not because it depends of each ones wifi, but there is a wpa_supplicant.conf.example and you can always google for it a bit. If you don't have a dock make sure you do this correctly or you won't be able to connect to the internet and ssh device to continue instalation easily
if you want to be able to use adb (wich is really usefull if you for example did not correctly configure wpa_supplicant) you will have tu add also "/usr/bin/adbd" and /etc/init.d/adbd"
I've modify the original init.d script to avid LSB tags missing warning error, it's not really necesary rsyslog as previous service started but ... it works.
In order to make adb service start automatically we will execute (inside the chroot of course)
Code:
update-rc.d /etc/init.d/adb defaults
This may be different in non debian based distributions, but you can always ln manually to rcX.d
Finally, there is the "bug" it has made me think something was wrong and change cron with anacron, when you boot it appears to stop booting starting a service (cron, dbus, deppending what you have installed) but it isn't you can login pressing ctrl + alt + F2 (touchpad key),
we think it's related with the bootloader and default tty as 7 or something like that.
As workaround add in /etc/rc.local "chvt 1" (without quotes) just before exit 0 line
Because there is not oem-installation like in ubuntu after the first boot there are a couple of things to do, we have to resize the image to fit the partition, change password, configure locales and xorg keyboard-layout (if you have more than one locales) add an user and include in relevant groups and maybe more in the future so i've made a postinstalation.sh script included in /usr/bin:
Code:
#!/bin/sh
echo "Making online resize of the root partition"
partition=`mount -l | grep " / " | awk '{print $1}'`
resize2fs $partition
echo "changing root password"
passwd
echo "configure locales"
dpkg-reconfigure locales
echo "configure xserver keyboard layout"
dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration
echo "configure localtime"
dpkg-reconfigure tzdata
echo "Please anter a user name"
read username1
adduser $username1
echo "adding user to relevant groups"
adduser $username1 audio
adduser $username1 video
adduser $username1 netdev
adduser $username1 plugdev
adduser $username1 bluetooth
adduser to bluetooth will fil because there is not installed any bluetooth manager so there is not bluetooth group yet, and remeber tu use OLife script to inject bluetooth firmware in order to have bluetooth working.
And that's it i think i haven't miss anything but i will update this when needed. You can now install your image with lilstevie's OLife script, you will have to rename it to ubuntu.img from now. If everithing went ok you can now install the desktop enviroment you prefer, on screen keyboard or whatever you like.
I haven't test network manager and i've only tested kde-netbook, but there are still broken dependencies and it's a bit slow. This will improve as soon as we have hardware acceleration (if we ever do), and armhf port goes ahead.
Lilstevie is going to host my images and maybe OLife script will have more options in the future, but from now you can download from here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60048492/debian-armhf.img.tar.gz
(md5sum inside)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60048492/files.tar.gz
All credits and many thanks for lilstevie and twb for all the help they gave me.
I will apreciate any correction not only in this process but also in my english grammar/ortography
Please, any mod or admin can correct the word modufy in the title?
reserved
Thanks
Following your instructions, I can finally replace ubuntu with debian, which resides my home laptops, office desktop, and now, on my tablet as well. Unfortunately debian has no "onboard" package... and it's rather inconvenient without a dock.
Thanks anyway for bring debian to this tablet.
boseliquid said:
Following your instructions, I can finally replace ubuntu with debian, which resides my home laptops, office desktop, and now, on my tablet as well. Unfortunately debian has no "onboard" package... and it's rather inconvenient without a dock.
Thanks anyway for bring debian to this tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What has onboard that haven't other onscreen keyboards? i haven't ever tried onboard and i just tried a couple of onboard keyboards in debian, i also did managed to load it automatically in login screen, But i did never went deeper, like "only appear if the focus is in textbox" or something like that.
Anyway i has to be easy to rebuild that package for debian or just install it from ubuntu. What do you exactly need?
onboard onboard
Onboard has keys that simulate middle-click and right-click of mouse. I tried to install ubuntu's deb file, but runs into problem with dependencies. Compiling the source on the tablet led to error related to gdk/gdk.h which i couldn't figure out how to resolve.
Onboard respond better than others, e.g. xvkbd and florence both have run-away key presses, i.e. a string of letters appear even for a quick single tap on a key.
Also, onboard integrates nicely with lightdm. I used xdm plus florence to log in (the screen keyboard hides most of xdm's GUI).
With fluxbox, debian seems faster than ubuntu+fluxbox on the tablet. That's why onboard is nice since fluxbox menu requires right-clicking on the desktop. Fortunately, fluxbox keys are easily configurable, so i still can shutdown by pressing some key combination.
Hopefully lilstevie has the time to work on hardware acceleration, which would then allows to dump android completely.
boseliquid said:
Onboard has keys that simulate middle-click and right-click of mouse. I tried to install ubuntu's deb file, but runs into problem with dependencies. Compiling the source on the tablet led to error related to gdk/gdk.h which i couldn't figure out how to resolve.
Onboard respond better than others, e.g. xvkbd and florence both have run-away key presses, i.e. a string of letters appear even for a quick single tap on a key.
Also, onboard integrates nicely with lightdm. I used xdm plus florence to log in (the screen keyboard hides most of xdm's GUI).
With fluxbox, debian seems faster than ubuntu+fluxbox on the tablet. That's why onboard is nice since fluxbox menu requires right-clicking on the desktop. Fortunately, fluxbox keys are easily configurable, so i still can shutdown by pressing some key combination.
Hopefully lilstevie has the time to work on hardware acceleration, which would then allows to dump android completely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, i'll give it a look and if i can i will build a debian package in order to include it in the image
I've managed to build a couple of packages for onboard. You can't imagine how much crap it's in building dependencies, mono, unity and so many things, so i've removed appindicator dependency because i don't think it's going to be really necesary. The true is that i don't have so much time right now so,
Can you please test it and tell me if you have any problem? I can try to rebuild another older version in order to avoid unity crap and those things without messing the code, but if this works well it's the eassiest solution.
You have to install both packages, the other dependencies are instalable from debian oficial repository, at least i haven't got any problem installing it in my building environment.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60048492/onboard_0.95.1-1_all.deb
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60048492/python-virtkey_0.60.0-1_armel.deb
arch of python-virtkey is armel instead of armhf
Almost there... but obtained the following error msg:
Unpacking onboard (from onboard_0.95.1-1_all.deb) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of onboard:
onboard depends on python-virtkey (>= 0.60.0); however:
Package python-virtkey is not installed.
onboard depends on python-gconf; however:
Package python-gconf is not installed.
dpkg: error processing onboard (--install):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Thanks again.
boseliquid said:
Almost there... but obtained the following error msg:
Unpacking onboard (from onboard_0.95.1-1_all.deb) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of onboard:
onboard depends on python-virtkey (>= 0.60.0); however:
Package python-virtkey is not installed.
onboard depends on python-gconf; however:
Package python-gconf is not installed.
dpkg: error processing onboard (--install):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
python-virtkey is provided in my previous post, just install it, after that
#apt-get install -f
will resolve and install automatically pending dependencies.
I've already tried and it works.
EDIT: i have been working in the suppose you are runnin debian armel and not armhf
To get bluetooth working, you need an armhf build of brcm_patchram_plus.
Thankfully it's GPL'd, so here's a copy.
Hi,
I'm having a bit of trouble getting Debian on my TF101 using OLiFE.
I'm forced to use the android/Ubuntu dual-boot option, but that's another story.
Basically, there's a kernel panic and I can't see the entire screen without it rebooting one second later. I am able to flash my TF101 properly without bricking (it's a B60), but everytime I boot it up as my default OS, I get that rebooting screen.
NothingMuchHereToSay said:
Hi,
I'm having a bit of trouble getting Debian on my TF101 using OLiFE.
I'm forced to use the android/Ubuntu dual-boot option, but that's another story.
Basically, there's a kernel panic and I can't see the entire screen without it rebooting one second later. I am able to flash my TF101 properly without bricking (it's a B60), but everytime I boot it up as my default OS, I get that rebooting screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kernel panic kinda implies the problem is with the kernel, not with Debian. If you're using the 3.1 kernel, try the 2.6 one by lilstevie. Whichever kernel you're using, you're better off seeking help in one of the kernel-specific threads.
rdnetto said:
Kernel panic kinda implies the problem is with the kernel, not with Debian. If you're using the 3.1 kernel, try the 2.6 one by lilstevie. Whichever kernel you're using, you're better off seeking help in one of the kernel-specific threads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could or couldn't it may also be a problem with initramfs and boot parameters. I now because i experienced it. So if you give us more information, better, try to record a video of the bootloop and pass it slowly to see the error, i did that and it worked for me
Franks Tools-new modified Ubuntu install
Hello i dont know if this is right thread,i like to ask you advanced users for some help.I wanna install ubuntua via new modified Franks tools by kenshin,released few days ago,i cannot find exact answer what i need to progress.
My questions are: How can i made nvflashable files system.img boot.img recovery.img and others to use franks tools? how to obtain these images?
2.) and if i will use those images that can be found here on forum can i then just flash for example Revolution HD rom? ,or does it destroy my installation of ubuntu via franks tools?
because i know that there is little play with partitions so i am not sure if i can flash any rom after use of franks tools dual boot option.thank you for help
shaola said:
Could or couldn't it may also be a problem with initramfs and boot parameters. I now because i experienced it. So if you give us more information, better, try to record a video of the bootloop and pass it slowly to see the error, i did that and it worked for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did everything stock and did exactly what you said to do for Debian, though I used the armel architecture and the adb wouldn't work with an error.
By everything stock, I mean that I didn't alter anything from the OLiFE folder except adding the ubuntu.img file.
NothingMuchHereToSay said:
I did everything stock and did exactly what you said to do for Debian, though I used the armel architecture and the adb wouldn't work with an error.
By everything stock, I mean that I didn't alter anything from the OLiFE folder except adding the ubuntu.img file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The original kernel from OLiFE didn't work for me - I had a boot loop. Try manually compiling the lilstevie kernel, or using a kernel from Jhinta's kernel thread.
The packed kernels (CWM zips) for Ubuntu will work exactly the same under Debian. (or at least in the direct mount case - I don't know about loop mount)
i can't get wifi up ... could someone help?
it is shown in iwlist wlan0 scan but i can't find an network ...
while boot it sends many intervals and abort this progress with givin' up.
i just copied li/firmware file from olife.img und files from this thread over it ...
anyone could help please?
NoDiskNoFun said:
i can't get wifi up ... could someone help?
it is shown in iwlist wlan0 scan but i can't find an network ...
while boot it sends many intervals and abort this progress with givin' up.
i just copied li/firmware file from olife.img und files from this thread over it ...
anyone could help please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what are you uing to scan? this driver ony supports wpasupplicant, not iw nor iwconfig
hi,
i installed the ubuntu image with olife on my transformer. i don't like ubuntu very much, i prefer debian which i run debian on my computer as well. i stumbled over this thread so i wondered what's the status of debian on our transformer.
can anyone tell me whats currently working.
hanswurschtus said:
hi,
i installed the ubuntu image with olife on my transformer. i don't like ubuntu very much, i prefer debian which i run debian on my computer as well. i stumbled over this thread so i wondered what's the status of debian on our transformer.
can anyone tell me whats currently working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The same as in ubuntu. But you may need some tweeks. Depends of the kernel you are using. nvidia has released also a beta of the nvidia drivers for armhf and not only armel so you may use armhf or armel with jintha's kernel and have almost everithung working.
Notice (4/16/14): I'm no longer here. I've said "goodbye" to AT&T and their locked bootloader schemes. I'm voting with my wallet - I've sold my I337 and switched to T-Mobile. My apologies to the community, but you're now on your own here.
Intro/About/Requirements:
This thread started as a guide for people who wanted to run Ubuntu in a chroot, and then connecting to it locally with a VNC client. This method has been used countless times on other devices, with many thanks to @zacthespack and his his group, LinuxonAndroid. Unfortunately, this method did not work out-of-the-box on my device, so I tweaked things to work with the Galaxy S4 and posted them here in this thread.
However, the most people immediately noticed that with this method the performance is not great, and some applications can't work in a headless environment. With a comment made by zackthespack, I began researching what it would take to get Ubuntu to write directly to the device's framebuffer. After a few months, I not only managed to accomplish this, but also developed a way to get the Galaxy S4 to boot directly into Ubuntu. As far as I have seen, both of these are a "first" for this handset.
All of these methods require root. The VNC Chroot does not require a custom kernel, but the other methods require a custom-built kernel. For the I337 (AT&T) handset, this can pose a problem if you have bootloaders that are MF3+. If you're using MDB/MDL bootloaders still, you shouldn't have a problem with this and you can Loki the custom kernel without issue.
Depending on your ROM and/or Kernel, you may also need a new version of BusyBox installed, even for the VNC method. You'll find a few apps on the Play Store that can do this for you. Beware that some of them are not easily reversible (such as TinyBox), so if you're stuck on MF3 with no way to create/restore a nandroid/system backup, you should be careful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disclaimers:
Following this guide and/or flashing anything I've provided to your device is your own responsibility. If something breaks, you break your device, or something explodes, I can't be held liable (I'll help correct any situations you may put yourself in, however). I claim no rights to any proprietary software or intellectual property included in this post or the packages contained herein. By using any of this software, you agree to whatever licenses/agreements that the creators may have included with their software. If you use any of this stuff in your own project, please provide credit where credit is due. For example, if you take my u.sh script and adapt it to some new device (i.e. Galaxy S 5), please at least mention where it came from.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
VNC Chroot Method (original):
This method is loosely based on this thread for the Galaxy S3 and the ubuntu.sh script there. It didn't work for the S4, but I've made several tweaks to it, simplifying it a ton, and otherwise getting it to work perfectly on my S4. I've tried this using my AT&T Galaxy S4 (SGH-I337) on both the MDL build and the MF3 build - both seem to work great.
Instructions:
Download the Ubuntu 13.04 Small v1 image here.
Create a folder on your sdcard labeled "ubuntu" by whatever means you want to.
Extract the ubuntu.img from your downloaded zip into this folder.
Download my version of the ubuntu.sh and place it on the root of your sdcard.
Open the script in a text editor and read through it. Never run a script like this on your android without first knowing what it does - especially when the author is telling you that you need root. If you're happy with it, proceed.
Install an terminal emulator of your choice. I personally used this one, and technically an adb shell will work too (but you'll be tethered to your PC...).
Install a VNC Client of your choice. I personally used this one, but there might be better/faster ones out there.
Open the terminal emulator, and execute the following commands:
Code:
su
sh /sdcard/ubuntu.sh
If you see a bunch of errors and get dumped back at the "[email protected]:/ # " prompt, then something went wrong. Report your errors in this thread. Remember, this requires root (and the "su" command to get there, of course).
You'll be prompted for some setup parameters, which you can save at the end for later. Just answer each question and press Enter after each:
You'll need to provide a new password for the "ubuntu" user. A simple passwords like "ubuntu" works, unless you want some security.
Start VNC server? (y/n) - always choose "y". We need this to interact with the device.
SSH server? Optional. If you use it, you should enable it.
Screen size: Enter whatever you want. I personally used 960x540 (one quarter of the S4's screen size) so that I could actually interact with things using the touch screen.
Save settings as defaults? - You might not want to do this until you have a screen size that works best for you.
Once you see the prompt, "[email protected]:~# " - you're in! You now have Ubuntu running in a chroot. As the on-screen instructions suggest, type "exit" at this prompt to end the chroot and Ubuntu. It is recommended to do this when you are done so that the ubuntu.sh script can clean up after itself (unmounting things, etc.).
Leave your terminal emulator app running! Use your Home button to return home and leave it running.
Open you VNC client and connect with the following settings:
Nickname: (whatever you want)
Password: ubuntu
Address: localhost
Port: 5900 (default)
Username: (leave blank)
Color Format: 24-bit color (you can use lower if you want better performance)
Connect. For the VNC app I used, I had to zoom in to make the screen fit correctly (use pinch-to-zoom, and then use the "+" button on-screen). Also, you can play around with the Input Mode some if you wish.
Enjoy Ubuntu!
As you can see, it's not terribly complicated to get this up and running. Once you have set it up the first time, it's a lot smoother from then on out. The script is designed to allow you to use the external SDCard if you wish. Just use place the ubuntu.img in an "ubuntu" folder on your external SDCard, drop the ubuntu.sh on the root of the external SDCard, and use "sh /mnt/extSdCard/ubuntu.sh" instead (don't forget "su"!).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Freedreno Chroot Method (NEW):
This long-winded tutorial will explain how you can setup Xubuntu-desktop in a chroot. Before attempting any of this, you should read through all the steps and be sure you're comfortable performing the steps needed.
This requires roughly 2GB free space on your /data partition - the actual finished install is about 1.4GB, but it will require some extra space while it installs Freedreno and other components. HINT: Keep in mind that your /data partition is shared with your internal sdcard (your internal sdcard gets whatever space is leftover at the end of the /data partition), so you can get an idea how much free space you have by looking at how much space your internal sdcard has available.
Instructions:
Step 0 (option A) - Build Custom Kernel
You will need to install a custom kernel that has specific options enabled in the configuration, along with a few patched files in the source code. This list of changes is based on a delta from the stock I337 MF3 kernel, available at http://opensource.samsung.com/. You should be able to apply these changes to "any" kernel that you can build from source, so this documentation may apply to devices other than the I337.
Kernel Mods:
Required config changes:
Code:
CONFIG_DEVTMPFS=y
# CONFIG_DEVTMPFS_MOUNT is not set
CONFIG_DRM=y
CONFIG_MSM_KGSL_DRM=y
# CONFIG_KGSL_PER_PROCESS_PAGE_TABLE is not set
# CONFIG_MSM_KGSL_PAGE_TABLE_COUNT is not set
CONFIG_FB_MODE_HELPERS=y
CONFIG_FB_MSM_TRIPLE_BUFFER=y
CONFIG_FB_MSM_DEFAULT_DEPTH_BGRA8888=y
# CONFIG_FB_MSM_DEFAULT_DEPTH_RGBA8888 is not set
Fix for Wi-Fi problems when using MF3 kernel on UCUAMDL bootloaders (i.e. "unadulterated" or "neutered"):
Code:
CONFIG_PROC_AVC=y
Required Patches to kernel source code:
https://github.com/freedreno/kernel-msm/commit/4c0281745f8c85707be88acebb557aca0b8f1dba
https://github.com/freedreno/kernel-msm/commit/228f65d48d4855d903e3b4642179dfa14eedd040
https://github.com/freedreno/kernel-msm/commit/54b510b2e6bccf08fdf3a8ad00a62b27c2f8c1e6
Additional changes required for sudo to work (added 10-25-13 in v4):
Code:
# Samsung Rooting Restriction Feature
#
# CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_ROOTING is not set
# CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_SETUID is not set
# CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_FORK is not set
# CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_ROOTING_LOG is not set
Additional changes to the initramfs required for sudo to work (added 10-25-13 in v4):
Edit fstab.qcom, remove the nosuid, part of the line that references userdata.
Step 0 (option B) - Download Custom Kernel Instead
Don't want to compile your own kernel from source? If you have the I337, you can use mine! As mentioned above, this kernel is based on the original MF3 source from Samsung, with the modifications listed above. If you are stuck with MF3+ bootloaders on your I337, you will not be able to install this kernel directly (at the time of this writing). MDB/MDL bootloaders are fine, but you will need to flash loki-doki afterwards (this kernel is not pre-lokified!). This kernel might work with other similar variants (such as the M919), but I haven't tested this on anything except my own I337 daily-driver. YMMV. If you run into issues, you might need to wipe cache/dalvik. This will likely only work with TouchWiz-based ROMs (I have not tried it with AOSP). Here's some downloads for you:
mf3-freedreno-android-boot-v4.zip - CWM/TWRP flashable zip.
- Boots to android, allows Ubuntu with Freedreno to work in a chroot.
- Compiled with the original (slightly modified) MF3 initramfs and "mf3-freedreno-minimum-zImage-v4" (below).
- Includes minimal configuration changes described above, plus the WiFi fix part.
mf3-freedreno-minimum-zImage-v4 - Just the MF3 kernel itself with minimal changes to get the chroot to work.
mf3-freedreno-minimum-config-v4 - Yeah, that's right. I'm providing the .config files I used for all of this.
Step 0.5 - Install the Kernel
Before you can start up the chroot properly, you'll need to have the custom kernel installed. You don't want the "ubuntu-boot" version right now, because you don't have an Ubuntu install to boot to. If you're using my pre-built kernel, first flash mf3-freedreno-android-boot-v4.zip and then flash loki-doki.zip.
Step 1 - Companion Files
Download this file: mf3-freedreno-companions-v4.zip - Non-flashable zip. This includes the script files, which you should promptly read through both u.sh and launch.sh. It is always good practice to read through any script file you get from the internet, making sure it's doing what you would expect it to. Also check out CREDITS.txt, which includes information about the included upstart-dummy.tar.gz and start-stop-daemon files.
Extract the companion files .zip and place its contents on the root of your internal sdcard (/sdcard/). Don't extract the contents of upstart-dummy.tar.gz. This is your $src directory. You can change this if you wish (see script for details).
Step 2 - Install/Configure Ubuntu
Install an terminal emulator of your choice. I personally used this one, and technically an adb shell will work too (but you'll be tethered to your PC...). At the console/shell, type the following two commands:
Code:
su
sh /sdcard/u.sh bash
The script will download Ubuntu Core and install Freedreno, upstart-dummy, and lubuntu-desktop. Total download size will be around 425MB. Total install time will vary, but count on it taking at least 45 minutes to install and configure everything. At the very end, you'll be prompted to enter a password for the new user "ubuntu".
Step 2.5 - Exit ubuntu
When you see the message "Type 'exit' (without quotes) to leave ubuntu," the install is complete. You'll notice that your prompt changed to "[email protected]". This is the easiest way to confirm that you're actually inside the ubuntu chroot. Type exit and hit Enter to get back to android.
Step 3 - Fire it up!
From now on, you can start Ubuntu using u.sh in any of these three ways:
sh /sdcard/u.sh - This will make initial prep, STOP android (black screen), launch the chroot, install/configure if needed, and will execute "service lightdm start". This will give you the greeter and you can login as "ubuntu". If the lightdm service stops for whatever reason (see info about the home button below), the script will continue by exiting the chroot and rebooting your device.
[*]sh /sdcard/u.sh bash - Same as above, except that it will not stop android, not startx (will give bash shell instead), and will not reboot your phone when you exit the shell.
[*]sh /sdcard/u.sh destroy - This will do exactly as it sounds - destroy your ubuntu installation. This will unmount your /sdcard from ubuntu (if still mounted somehow) and then recursively delete your ubuntu installation. If you change the source or destination directories in the main script, you should be careful deleting things.
NOTE: Remember to ALWAYS run any these from a root shell, whether via terminal emulator, via adb shell, or using SManager (or similar).
Step 4 - Note the Home Button and Touchpad
Take note that any time you have X running via lightdm, the hardware Home button will kill the X server. This is intentional, and will exit the chroot and reboot your phone. You'll also notice that currently, the touchscreen acts like a giant touchpad (like on a laptop). Use two fingers to right-click or scroll. Direct touchscreen input is not available at this time due to a segmentation fault that evdev causes when used on this device in a chroot.
Step 5 - (optional) Make Changes and Do it All Over Again
Customize the crap out of it! Edit my u.sh, launch.sh or xorg.conf and have fun. If you find great improvements, please post them in this thread! In future revisions, I might include them. Things should be well documented within the scripts. You might even change the bit at the end of launch.sh that starts "service lightdm start&" instead of "startx" - this would give you the greeter and let you login as the user "ubuntu" if you want. Also note that those three files are the only ones that must remain in your $src directory if you wish to continue to run this as a chroot. By the way, booting directly to Ubuntu after it is installed does not require any of the companion files anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Native Boot Method (NEW):
This part of the tutorial is for those who wish to take things a step further and boot your device directly into Xubuntu-desktop. This will require that you setup the Freedreno chroot properly, and then you'll be installing a new boot.img. While this doesn't replace your /system partition, you won't be able to boot directly into Android while you have this boot.img installed.
Instructions:
Step 1 - Install Ubuntu
Basically, you need to perform all the steps for the Freedreno Chroot method, and get that up and running first. All you're doing here is swapping out your kernel.
Step 2 (option A) - Build Custom Kernel
You'll need all of the kernel customizations included in the freedreno chroot method, plus these listed below:
NOTE: You will need some proprietary blobs, which can be found on your device in the /etc/firmware directory.
Config changes to enable booting directly into Ubuntu (beyond replacing the initramfs...):
Code:
CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE_="audience-es325-fw.bin a300_pm4.fw a300_pfp.fw vidc_1080p.fw"
CONFIG_CMDLINE="console=tty0 fbcon=vc:0-3"
# CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTLOADER is not set
CONFIG_CMDLINE_EXTEND=y
# CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE is not set
Optional config changes to enable the framebuffer console when booting directly into Ubuntu - useful for debugging.
Code:
CONFIG_VT_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_VT_CONSOLE_SLEEP=y
CONFIG_VT_HW_CONSOLE_BINDING=y
CONFIG_DEVPTS_MULTIPLE_INSTANCES=y
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_DETECT_PRIMARY=y
# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set
# CONFIG_FONTS is not set
NOTE: You will need to grab some .ko files that are created, which must be loaded in the following order:
Code:
insmod /ko/font.ko
insmod /ko/softcursor.ko
insmod /ko/bitblit.ko
insmod /ko/fbcon.ko
I recommend that you include these four lines into the init script that is included in the ubuntu ramdisk. These can go pretty much anywhere after the ". /scripts/functions" part, but before it calls out to run-init. Also, don't forget to drop those .ko files into a new /ko directory in the initramfs. If you want to load these with modprobe, I'll leave that up to you (good luck).
Replace the entire ramdisk/initramfs:
At this time, I'm not going to provide instructions on how to do this. You'll need this mako boot.img straight from Ubuntu, repacked with the zImage created here. For what it's worth, the re-pack tool I'm using includes --cmdline 'androidboot.hardware=qcom user_debug=31 zcache', but I'm not sure if that's needed (especially considering our kernel seems to use qcache?). Anyways, good luck.
Step 2 (option B) - Download Custom Kernel Instead
Again, if you don't want to compile your own kernel from source, you can download mine and use it. The same warnings and restrictions apply as they do in Step 0 (option B) of the Freedreno Chroot method. And here's your downloads:
mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot-v4.zip - CWM/TWRP flashable zip.
- Boots to Ubuntu directly, but only if your Ubuntu install is located at /data/ubuntu (Default).
- Compiled with the original MF3 initramfs and "mf3-freedreno-everything-zImage-v4" (below).
- Includes all configuration changes described above.
mf3-freedreno-everything-zImage-v4 - Just the MF3 kernel itself with all changes for both chroot and direct booting to Ubuntu.
mf3-freedreno-everything-config-v4 - Yet again, I'm providing my complete .config file for this.
Step 3 - Install the Kernel
Here's the easy part. Flash your completed boot.img, flash loki-doki, and reboot. If you're using my pre-built kernel, first flash mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot-v4.zip and then flash loki-doki.zip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashable Zip Method (NEWEST):
It's finally finished: a flashable .zip that you can use to dump a pre-built rootfs onto your data partition. This will still require that you flash one of the two custom kernels (whether for chroot or native booting), but it will allow you to skip the whole build/install process.
ubuntu-install-v4.zip - CWM/TWRP flashable .zip. Requires approx 2GB free space on your data partition during install, and the final install size is approximately 1.3GB (may want more free space to add your own programs/etc.). Output folder is /data/ubuntu. This can be changed in u.sh, but heed the warnings within!
Instructions:
Instructions for Chroot-style Ubuntu:
Download the "companions" .zip and extract its contents to the root of /sdcard.
Download the "ubuntu-install" .zip to your internal or external SDCard.
Download the "mf3-freedreno-android-boot" .zip to your internal or external SDCard.
Make a nandroid backup of your phone, and store it on an external SDCard or your computer. Always a good idea to have this.
Install the "ubuntu-install" and "mf3-freedreno-android-boot" .zip files, followed by loki-doki.zip if you need that for your device (e.g. I337).
Restart and resume with Step3 of the Freedreno Chroot Method.
Instructions for Native Boot Ubuntu:
Download the "ubuntu-install" .zip to your internal or external SDCard.
Download the "mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot" .zip to your internal or external SDCard.
Install the "ubuntu-install" and "mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot" .zip files, followed by loki-doki.zip if you need that for your device (e.g. I337).
Restart and let it start into Ubuntu!
NOTE: The username is "ubuntu" and the password is also "ubuntu" - it is highly recommended that you change this ASAP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Known Issues/Bugs:
Below is the list of known issues that I can think of, from the top of my head. This will probably be updated later as everyone points stuff out. Some issues only apply to some of the methods, so the applicable methods are listed in parenthesis after each.
Sound has not been tested (freedreno/native)
3D graphics or OpenGL support has not been tested (all)
Some applications don't work in a headless environment (vnc)
Some applications don't like to run as root, such as chromium (freedreno) lightdm is working in companions-v3, so no need to login as root anymore
Onboard is not working (freedreno/native) fixed in companions-v3
sudo does not work (all) fixed in kernel-v4 for freedreno/native, but problem remains for (vnc) if you are not using a custom kernel
A few kernel Oops's (native)
Shutdown menu doesn't always work (freedreno/native) fixed partly in companions-v4 - proper locale settings seem to allow the shutdown menu to work once you are logged in
Performance issues due to VNC connection (vnc)
No 3G/WiFi/network connection that I'm aware of... (native)
No control over 3G/WiFi/network/bluetooth yet (all)
Xorg's normal touchscreen driver evdev causes segmentation faults (freedreno/native)
Working on a possibly trying to get fbdev to work natively without Freedreno for simplicity (freedreno/native)
Anything you'd normally expect from a phone does not exist (freedreno/native)
Screen rotation (with or without accelerometer) doesn't work yet (freedreno/native)
HDMI/MHL output remains untested at this time. I got it to briefly work once, but I need to revisit this. (freedreno/native)
Many more to come, I'm sure...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To-Do:
Add mirrors to the download links.
Add a CWM/TWRP-flashable .zip that just dumps a clean Ubuntu install onto your data partition. This should be easy enough. completed!
Fix some of the bugs above.
Simplify the launch.sh and xorg.conf files. The u.sh script seems pretty solid.
Develop a method that works with only fbdev. This method might eliminate the possibility of 3D acceleration, but should enable screen rotation and other nifty things.
Possibly look into getting kexec (or similar) to work on the Galaxy S4 to offer a dual-boot option. Low priority at the moment, because flashing a kernel back and forth is pretty easy stuff.
Get Ubuntu Touch to work. This would eliminate a lot of bugs. I mostly need to just buckle-down and build CM10.1 from source, and then slowly visit each step of the Ubuntu Touch boot process.... Ugh.
Rebuild Freedreno to try to get Mesa/Gallium3D working properly. I'm probably going to need a lot of help from Rob Clark on this one!
More to come...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Revision History:
[11-13] mf3-freedreno-companions-v2.zip - Updated launch.sh: added some error checking and fixed the Freedreno build process.
[11-15] mf3-freedreno-companions-v3.zip - Updated launch.sh to include onboard and English language. Removed florence and xvkbd. Removed .keyb script. Added sudo. Simplified upstart-dummy, and included new upstart-dummy.tar.gz. Prepped for new flashable .zip method.
[11-26] mf3-freedreno-companions-v4.zip - Updated launch.sh: included fix for onboard so that it should work anytime lightdm is launched, added some bits for sudo to work, and home button now kills lightdm (not just the Xsession); Updated u.sh: Added check for root, added notes about sudo and nosuid.
[11-26] mf3-freedreno-android-boot-v4.zip & mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot-v4.zip - Finally fixed sudo! See kernel mods sections for details.
[11-26] ubuntu-install-v4.zip - rebuilt with new companions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aou said:
Check out this app: SManager (Script Manager). It makes running the ubuntu.sh or u.sh a whole lot easier, plus you can send it into the background (vnc method only). Just remember to jump back into SManager later, use the Menu Key and open the console to be able to kill the ubuntu.sh. You can also add "bash" as an additional argument (freedreno method only). This seems to be an effective replacement for the Terminal Emulator. Don't forget to choose the "su" option to run either script as root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have literally spent hundreds of hours working on this project, and many more hours documenting it thoroughly - just so that I could share it with all of you. If you found this guide, custom kernel or scripts to be beneficial, please hit the THANKS button on this post.
This mostly works, but I think I may have made an error. I see it starting the sshd, but not VNC server. I can call vncserver, but when launching the vnc client app I just get stuck at "Establishing Handshake" until it times out. This differs from when I don't call vncserver, where I get immediately connection refused.
I'm going to redownload the image and start from scratch, but the image isn't very friendly when I'm trying to figure out how to rerun the initial configuration script...
On my S4 running OTA-MF3 with root, this didn't work for me until i used Busybox Installer from the market. Tried internal and external without it, neither worked. Only thing that looked like an error after that was
Code:
chown: cannot access '/external-sd/': no such file or directory
but this only showed the first time I ran it. Opened VNC connection just fine from my computer to the phone, and though there was slight graphics glitching (orange and red boxes on desktop) it worked just fine and they didn't interfere. Thanks for this!
Tsaukpaetra said:
This mostly works, but I think I may have made an error. I see it starting the sshd, but not VNC server. I can call vncserver, but when launching the vnc client app I just get stuck at "Establishing Handshake" until it times out. This differs from when I don't call vncserver, where I get immediately connection refused.
I'm going to redownload the image and start from scratch, but the image isn't very friendly when I'm trying to figure out how to rerun the initial configuration script...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not, I agree. I found that the easiest way to clear the configuration and start anew is to do the following from the "[email protected]" prompt (that is, within ubuntu):
Code:
rm /root/DONOTDELETE.txt
rm /root/cfg/linux.config
DeadlySin9 said:
On my S4 running OTA-MF3 with root, this didn't work for me until i used Busybox Installer from the market. Tried internal and external without it, neither worked. Only thing that looked like an error after that was
Code:
chown: cannot access '/external-sd/': no such file or directory
but this only showed the first time I ran it. Opened VNC connection just fine from my computer to the phone, and though there was slight graphics glitching (orange and red boxes on desktop) it worked just fine and they didn't interfere. Thanks for this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I looked through the image's init.sh, and found something that's relatively new (wasn't in beta):
Code:
# Fix for sdcard read/write permissions by Barry flanagan
chown ubuntu /external-sd/
As far as I can tell, that message is harmless. It's only included in the initial configuration, as it's in the section:
Code:
if [ ! -f /root/DONOTDELETE.txt ]
As for the need to download/install the BusyBox installer, that's not surprising at all. I've had so much trouble BusyBox ever since I switched to MF3. I might include this as an extra step in the OP - thank you.
You kidding right...does this really work? To cool, thanks Aou. Great work.
TheAxman said:
You kidding right...does this really work? To cool, thanks Aou. Great work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yessir, it does indeed work! The S4 handles it very nicely with the extra RAM & CPU it has to spare, so the only limiting factor is VNC. If someone could devise a way to get Ubuntu to draw directly on the screen from within that Chroot, that would be perfect. I don't think it's really possible by design, but this might be the closest we get to running native linux on the I337 until we see some unlocked bootloaders.
Thanks
Aou said:
Yessir, it does indeed work! The S4 handles it very nicely with the extra RAM & CPU it has to spare, so the only limiting factor is VNC. If someone could devise a way to get Ubuntu to draw directly on the screen from within that Chroot, that would be perfect. I don't think it's really possible by design, but this might be the closest we get to running native linux on the I337 until we see some unlocked bootloaders.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In fact I am currently working on getting xorg to write to androids frame buffer which will mean no more vnc
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
zacthespack said:
In fact I am currently working on getting xorg to write to androids frame buffer which will mean no more vnc
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You, sir, are the man. thank you so much for working on this! I threw $10 at you to help fund the skittles/cheetos/carrots/beer/pizza/whatever it takes to help you along.
Added a couple things to the OP. Looks like pure-stock roms will indeed need BusyBox installed, by some means or another. Also, found SManager, which makes executing the ubuntu.sh script much, much easier.
The second script that allows me to launch ubuntu, but the first that allows me to get a real X server on my vnc. Thank you so much !
PS: Why am I unable to install wine ?
"Package wine is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source"
This is working pretty good, slow though, do I have it setup right, or did I miss something?
TheAxman said:
This is working pretty good, slow though, do I have it setup right, or did I miss something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found it to run a bit slow, and with regular crashing of GUI programs too. Is it just slow or unusable? You can always try closing other apps besides terminal and VNC, or try to VNC from a computer even.
tboss1995 said:
The second script that allows me to launch ubuntu, but the first that allows me to get a real X server on my vnc. Thank you so much !
PS: Why am I unable to install wine ?
"Package wine is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you're not the only one. Check out this thread on the LinuxOnAndroid site:
http://forum.linuxonandroid.org/index.php?topic=268.0
TheAxman said:
This is working pretty good, slow though, do I have it setup right, or did I miss something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DeadlySin9 said:
I have found it to run a bit slow, and with regular crashing of GUI programs too. Is it just slow or unusable? You can always try closing other apps besides terminal and VNC, or try to VNC from a computer even.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the slowness comes from interacting with it via VNC, it would seem. Hard to compare to anything else, considering VNC is all we've got at the moment. I wonder if @zacthespack can shed some light on this. As he mentioned before, he's working on getting it to draw directly to the Android screen. I'm certainly not going to ask for any status updates, but I'm wondering if he can confirm that we'd see a speed increase without VNC...
EDIT: Also, as I use it more, I am noticing the app crashes too (such as Chromium). Could just be something in the 13.04 image, but also could be because we're running this all on ARM architecture.
Aou said:
Looks like you're not the only one. Check out this thread on the LinuxOnAndroid site:
http://forum.linuxonandroid.org/index.php?topic=268.0
Most of the slowness comes from interacting with it via VNC, it would seem. Hard to compare to anything else, considering VNC is all we've got at the moment. I wonder if @zacthespack can shed some light on this. As he mentioned before, he's working on getting it to draw directly to the Android screen. I'm certainly not going to ask for any status updates, but I'm wondering if he can confirm that we'd see a speed increase without VNC...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RE installing WINE, sure you can install the ARM verson but Wine is not a emulator (infact WINE stands for Wine Is Not a Emulator) so you can only run ARM compiled windows software.
Yest there is a good speed increase, as with VNC xorg writes to the vnc server and passes it to the vnc client to then render on the screen.
With the new method xorg just writes to Androids frame buffer, no inbetween man.
And it can get even faster once we have graphics accelerations although not all chip sets will get that.
zacthespack said:
RE installing WINE, sure you can install the ARM verson but Wine is not a emulator (infact WINE stands for Wine Is Not a Emulator) so you can only run ARM compiled windows software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point, forgot about that. It's really just a big package of Windows dependencies, responding to API calls, etc. The software that Wine runs is still sending stuff to/from the processor directly, therefore it would have to be compiled for ARM.
I wonder what Windows8 programs are available that are compiled for ARM (because of the Microsoft Surface and all...).
Aou said:
Good point, forgot about that. It's really just a big package of Windows dependencies, responding to API calls, etc. The software that Wine runs is still sending stuff to/from the processor directly, therefore it would have to be compiled for ARM.
I wonder what Windows8 programs are available that are compiled for ARM (because of the Microsoft Surface and all...).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's plenty or ARM software within the built in app store, but I'm not sure where they install to or how one would go about extracting them. I have it on desktop and it shows what processors it runs on. Can't wait for the straight to screen function though
Also, I'm going to see if a different image is more stable. Chromium was the most obvious crashing for me and others generally crashed.
DeadlySin9 said:
There's plenty or ARM software within the built in app store, but I'm not sure where they install to or how one would go about extracting them. I have it on desktop and it shows what processors it runs on. Can't wait for the straight to screen function though
Also, I'm going to see if a different image is more stable. Chromium was the most obvious crashing for me and others generally crashed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed that with 12.04, it doesn't seem to connect to Xorg or something, because when you use VNC, it only shows a grey screen with a cross cursor. Same for both "Lite" and "Full" packages. Haven't tried older (10.x) packages of Ubuntu.
The other Linux images should work just fine. Optionally, you can edit the ubuntu.sh script to be more appropriate, but it should theoretically work the same (unless the init.sh is located elsewhere inside the image...).
I tried the Ubuntu 10 image and the Debian image but ubuntu didn't run vnc (vncserver not found or something) and debian kept saying I didn't have permissions.
It appears chromium is incredibly unstable on this image, so I've uninstalled it.
I'm currently working on trying to get Minecraft to work, but ever since 1.6.2 and this new launcher, it's incredibly difficult to modify the client files and such. Something is going wrong with liblwjgl.so. I can get the launcher to work correctly, but when it goes to load the game, it can't find liblwjgl.so and says that it might be because of 32bit vs ARM. I did get lwjgl installed correctly, and pulled the ARM version of the .so and stuck it in [what I believe was] the right .jar file, but it still has the error.
I'll keep you all posted. If I can get this to work, and if zacthespack can get xorg to draw on the android screen, ... :good:
EDIT:
Found out that every time the launcher runs minecraft, it downloads several libraries and other crap to run the game, to keep itself current and to support multiple versions, yada, yada. Unfortunately, this means that it downloads https://s3.amazonaws.com/Minecraft..../2.9.0/lwjgl-platform-2.9.0-natives-linux.jar every time you click Play, and overwrites any custom one you might have (i.e. one with ARM libraries inside). I tried revoking write access to the file, but then the launcher aborts the launch because it can't overwrite the file.
Any suggestions?
EDIT #2:
Well, the easy solution was to modify the file, run the launcher, disconnect mobile data temporarily, and then launch the game ("couldn't connect to server .... have local copy of file .... assuming it's good...."). No more errors about that stupid library file. However, the game immediately crashes now with an error report. Investigating this now. PROGRESS!
Problem
I'm aware I may need to modify the script in order to accommodate my setup, but I figured I'd post here first before changing anything in case someone else had a similar problem and came up with the solution.
I followed all the instructions, except I want to boot from an external USB stick (mounted using StickMount).
I reviewed the script, dropped it on the root of the USB stick, and copied the unzipped image to a folder named ubuntu.
Here is the output when I run the script:
Making mount points and mounting to them...
mount: mounting /dev/loop20 on /data/local/ubmnt failed: Operation not supported
mount: mounting devpts on /data/local/ubmnt/dev/pts failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting proc on /data/local/ubmnt/proc failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting sysfs on /data/local/ubmnt/sys failed: No such file or directory
Connecting to /sdcard...
mount: mounting /sdcard on /data/local/ubmnt/sdcard failed: No such file or directory
Putting in some settings...
net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1
/sdcard/usbStorage/sda1/ubuntu.sh[19]: can't create /data/local/ubmnt/etc/resolv.conf: No such file or directory
/sdcard/usbStorage/sda1/ubuntu.sh[20]: can't create /data/local/ubmnt/etc/resolv.conf: No such file or directory
/sdcard/usbStorage/sda1/ubuntu.sh[21]: can't create /data/local/ubmnt/etc/hosts: No such file or directory
ubuntu is configured with SSH and VNC servers that can be accessed from the IP:
(You will see an error about wlan0 if your WiFi is disabled. Safe to ignore.)
----------------- OKAY, starting Ubuntu! -----------------
chroot: can't execute '/root/init.sh': No such file or directory
----------------- Ubuntu has exited! -----------------
Cleaning up - unmounting everything and removing what we made...
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt/dev/pts: No such file or directory
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt/sys: No such file or directory
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt/proc: No such file or directory
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt/sdcard: No such file or directory
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt: Invalid argument
Welcome back to your android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am running as root, BusyBox free has been installed. My terminal app has been granted root privileges. The path to the USB stick is sdcard/usbStorage/sda1.
Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated! :fingers-crossed:
Hello friends! I'm a year long follower of the LinuxOnAndroid project. I have always wanted to install ubuntu on my sdcard instead of using image files. I waited a long time for an instruction to crop up somewhere on the internet about how to do this, and in the meantime, learnt a lot of things. Then I decided to experiment with the idea a few days ago and also managed to get satisfying results. There was a significant performance boost compared to using a linux image.
While writing this tutorial, I have assumed that you are already quite familiar with the LOA project and that you have already managed to run a linux distro on your android device.
Please note that while this tutorial aims to be applicable for all distros released under the LOA project, I have only run Ubuntu 12.04 small, Ubuntu 13.10 small and Debian small images. I have never had any experience with the other distros. But I'm pretty confident that the instructions can be applied to other distros without any problem. If you encounter any problem while applying the instructions for your device and distro, I'm willing to help you as much as I can.
Warning: I've never bricked my android devices while rooting, modding or hacking them and I hope you will be as lucky. But please remember that I will not be held responsible for any damage or losses suffered by you or your devices while following the instructions given in this tutorial. You will do so at your own risk.
Let's begin.
First of all, Things You'll Need:
Root access on your android device
Busybox
An sdcard of optimum storage capacity. You decide what's optimum for your case. I have a 16GB card with a 4GB partition for ubuntu small image.
Init.d script support for auto-mounting second sdcard partition on boot. You can skip this if you want to mount the second partition only when booting up linux.
Attached zip containing bootscript.sh and 03ubuntu files.
Step 1: Partitioning the sdcard
WARNING: This will erase all data on your sdcard!
Use MiniTool Partition Wizard for windows, gParted for linux or aParted for Android to create the two partitions on your sdcard. I reccomend that you do the partitioning on your PC. Note that you cannot partition your sdcard by connecting your device to your PC my USB. You need to use a card reader. If you have a USB modem with built in card reader, you can use that too.
The first partition will be used by your android device for mass storage. Make it FAT32 or exFAT or vFAT. Note that if you make the first partition exFAT, custom recoveries like CWM will not mount it. This can cause problems, for example, when you are trying to restore a nandroid backup from your sdcard.
As for the format for the second partition (let's call it the linux partition), it depends on what linux filesystems your device supports. You can't use (ex/v)FAT(32). You can only use linux filesystem for installing a linux OS.
If you are using aParted to partition the sdcard, not every format will work. My tablet supports mkfs.ext2 and make_ext4fs but
Code:
mke2fs -t ext3/4
doesn't work. So I used aParted to format the second partition as ext2 and ran
Code:
make_ext4fs /dev/block/mmcblk0p2
in terminal emulator. So my linux partition is ext4. You need to unmount your sdcard to use aParted.
NOTE: Before creating your second partition, make sure your device is able to mount the format that you want to use. Run the
Code:
cat /proc/filesystems
or
mount
command in terminal emulator to check for supported filesystems.
STEP 2: Mounting the sdcard partitions
WARNING: If you are using the Link2SD app or any other app2sd app, you might be prompted to create mount scripts for the second partition. DO NOT CREATE THE MOUNT SCRIPTS. Our linux partition is not meant for app2sd.
In this tutorial, we will be mounting the linux partition automatically on startup. For this, you'll need init.d script support on your device. You can use Uni-Init to check/enable init.d easily. If your device does not support init.d and you've failed to enabled it, you could go for more advanced methods like unpacking your boot image and editing init.rc to mount the linux partition. You could also try the Script Manager app. You can also choose to mount the linux partition only when you boot up linux. Let me know if you'd like instructions for this.
Assuming that you already have init.d support, let us proceed.
Download the attached 03ubuntu script and using a root explorer copy it to /system/etc/init.d/here. I use ES File Explorer. Set file permissions to rwx-rwx-rwx or 777(? I'm not very familiar with numerical permissions). rwx-r-xr-x might also work. You can also use terminal to copy, set file permissions, etc. It's up to you.
EDIT: WARNING! Depending on your device, your MicroSD card might me mmcblk1. You can check using the mount command or from the aParted app. It is mmcblk1 on one of my friends' phone. If this is the case you must edit the 03ubuntu script to replace mmcblk0p2 by mmcblk1p2
The 03ubuntu script mounts the linux partition as ext4 at /mnt/ubuntu. The mount options in the script are meant for the maximum performance but may reduce reliability. I haven't had any problems yet. If your linux partition is not ext4, edit the script accordingly. Some of the mount options used in the script are meant for ext4 filesystems only. Google "best/optimum ext(whatever your linux partition is) mount options" to learn more. My linux partition is mounted with noatime option but becomes relatime sometimes after shutting down linux. Somebody please tell me why this happens.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
After placing the script in the init.d directory, reboot your phone.
After rebooting, open the /mnt folder. If you see a folder named ubuntu, congratulations, the init.d script worked. But is the linux partition mounted? You can check by opening the /mnt/ubuntu folder. If you see a lost+found or LOST.DIR folder, the partition is very likely to be mounted. Confirm it by running
Code:
mount
in the terminal. Look for the line
Code:
/dev/block/mmcblk0p2 /mnt/ubuntu ext4 rw,noatime,user_xattr,barrier=0,data=writeback 0 0
If you see that line, we're ready to move to the next step.
STEP 3: Copying the files from linux image to linux partition
Now, we install your linux distro on the sdcard. Place the image (a fresh one or the one that you've been using) in your sdcard and run the following commands. Note: You might need to make changes to the commands according to your image location and format.
Code:
su
mkdir /data/local/mnt
mknod /dev/block/loop255 b 7 255
losetup /dev/block/loop255 /mnt/sdcard/ubuntu.img
mount -t ext2 /dev/block/loop255 /data/local/mnt
cp -dpR /data/local/mnt/* /mnt/ubuntu
## wait till copy is complete ##
umount /data/local/mnt
exit
So that was it. You have your favorite linux distro installed on your sdcard now.
But before you go ahead and press that BOOT LINUX button, we still have some things left to do to make it possible to boot from sdcard.
STEP 4: Editing the bootscript.sh and init.sh files
Actually, I did the bootscript editing part for you. I made all (and only) the changes that are required to boot from the sdcard. The modified bootscript is based on the latest (v8) version. Things like sdcard and external sdcard mounts and binds are unchanged. I added comments in the script with my name to mark places where I made the changes. You can look through it if you like.
So now copy the modified bootscript.sh file inside /data/data/com.zpwebsites.linuxonandroid/files/here and set file permissions to rw-------.
After that, comes init.sh. Although the bootscript is common for all distros, it may not be the case for init.sh. You'll find it in /mnt/ubuntu/root/init.sh.
Copy it to your sdcard and keep a copy somewhere safe. Open the script in a text editor (I use Jota+ text editor) and find the following lines and remove them.
Code:
if [ $# -ne 0 ]; then
cfgfile=/root/cfg/$1.config
if [ -f $cfgfile ]; then
echo "Using config file $cfgfile"
else
echo "Config file not found, using defaults!($cfgfile)"
fi
fi
The original permissions for the init.sh file are rwx-rwx-rx
After that, place the modified init.sh file back inside /mnt/ubuntu/root/here and don't forget to set correct file permissions.
STEP 5: Final steps and booting linux
Everything is in place and now you can boot up your linux, or can you? Nope. The Complete Linux Installer app won't let you boot if it does not find an image file.
For this, create an empty file inside /mnt/ubuntu/here and name it ubuntu.img.
In the app, enter the location of linux image as /mnt/ubuntu/ubuntu.img and tap on the awesome boot button.
Voila! You've now successfully installed linux to your sdcard and managed to boot it up too! Well done, my son.
Aaaand...Just a reminder: Don't Update Script if you want to continue booting from thee linux partition.
If you have been successful in achieving the goal of this tut, please leave a feedback with your device name and any modifications that you had to make, if any, to the whole process. That will be of great help to others.
EDIT: RISK OF DOUBLE BOOTING!
In case of booting from linux image, when you (accidentally) tap on the boot widget or the boot button while linux is already running, the app would display a confirmation dialog to chroot into the mounted image. This may not happen when you are booting from the second sdcard partition.
To prevent errors when you accidentally tap on the boot widget/button, add the following code into the bootscript right after the error_exit() function at the beginning of the script.
Code:
echo "Boot up Linux? Make sure it is safe to boot before proceeding!"
read answer
if [ $answer != muchfunny ]; then
error_exit "Aborted"
fi
Replace "muchfunny" with y or yes or any word of your choice.
When you try to boot, you'll have to enter this word to proceed. If you type in the wrong word, it won't boot. This way, you will have a chance to prevent errors when you accidentally tap on the boot widget while linux is already running.
Any user of LOA, not just those who are booting from linux partition, can benefit from this. You could replace "muchfunny" with a secret code to prevent anyone from messing with your linux installation. So it's like implementing password protection.
I'm using this on my tablet.
hello david,
Looks nice and clear, haven't had the chance to try yet but will post my results when i do.
Just wanted to say big thanks for the write up.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
joesnose said:
Looks nice and clear, haven't had the chance to try yet but will post my results when i do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you do a factory reset in CWM (probably also in other recoveries), the second sdcard partition is wiped.
So it's best to store the backups in the internal sd and remove the sdcard before performing a reset.
If you don't already know, and if you have not run "apt-get clean", you can back up any packages that you downloaded on ubuntu (if you're using it) by keeping a copy of the contents of the archives folder in /var/cache/apt/. In case your linux installation gets corrupted or the partition gets wiped, you can restore the backed-up packages later. So you won't have to download them again.
I have used this thread to install Archlinux using LinuxonAndroid on a Samsung Epic 4G's SD card. I have some issues to sort out with using VNC to access the Archlinux installation but the commandline environment on the Epic 4G works fine.
If you're trying to use this with Ubuntu, there are several issues. First, the image hosted by the LoA project for Ubuntu 13.10 doesn't work for this application: you'll get errors when you try to mount the image for installation to the SD partition. Second, you might try the 13.04 image: it will mount and install but the repositories are all gone because 13.04 is no longer supported.
If you're trying to install this in order to use a specific program (in my case, I'm wanting to use this device as a Prosody server), it's probably best to see which available distro hosted by LoA has up-to-date packages for that program and use that to guide your decision. Based on this logic, I chose Archlinux.
If you aren't using Ubuntu, the bootscript.sh file included with this post becomes problematic as it is littered with Ubuntu-specific calls. It isn't overly difficult to edit: open it in Notepad+ (or similar) and read through it, changing $mnt and $ubuntu to whatever you've named your partition mount folder as. In my case, my mount folder is /archlinux/ and the fake image file (used to spoof the LoA app as detailed in OP's post) is /archlinux/archlinux.img, so this meant simply replacing $mnt and $ubuntu with $archlinux. There are a few instances of $ubuntu that I didn't mess with--in the comments, David has mentioned that they refer to the "usermounts feature" and that he left these alone because he didn't understand it. Are these the usermounts that are defined in the LoA app? I don't know and I haven't tried defining a mount yet (such as partition 1 on the SD card). In short, bootscript.sh will need to be edited to account for a non-Ubuntu installation.
(If you're using Archlinux, LoA hosts a modified bootscript.sh that contains a Archlinux-specific change to mounting /dev/pts, whatever that is. I used this as a base script to work with, then added and deleted the areas that David has edited in his bootscript.sh.)
Accounting for the differences, Archlinux works at the terminal on the device. However, if you try to connect to the automatically configured VNC server, things start to get weird for a Linux noob (which I am). For starters, there isn't a desktop environment defined so when you first connect, you're gonna see a blank gray screen and a cursor. Right-clicking brings up a menu. Almost none of the apps on the menu work, because they aren't installed. I think what you're looking at is the openbox window environment. What you need is a terminal to install something that works better but here's the catch: the terminal isn't installed/working, either (in VNC, not at the device). What I did here might have been a mistake compounding an error: I used the terminal on the device (which is logged in as root) to install a desktop environment using Archlinux's package manager, pacman. Then, I edited the (hidden by default) /home/$yourinstallhere/.vnc/xstartup.sh to boot the installed desktop environment; add a line with the command appropriate to your chosen DE: e.g. gnome-session; startxfce4; startlxde. You can comment out most anything else as those lines are loading the openbox environment and a terminal session. Alternatively, leave those in place as a backup environment and place your DE load command after those, so if your DE doesn't load, you still have the nearly useless gray screen to look at.
Okay, so that got a DE going (after the xstartup script was executed again and possibly the Linux install rebooted). Now what? Well, as mentioned before, terminal still doesn't work. It will open but there isn't a prompt and no keyboard input is shown. Without terminal, Linux is crippled, DE or no DE. This is where I am currently. I can still manage the Archlinux installation from the device's terminal as root but access from VNC is effectively unusable. I don't know why: is it because the DE packages (including a terminal emulator) were installed by root and therefore the VNC user doesn't have the permissions to access them?
In any event, I would like to thank David for posting this thread. The LoA project has little to no documentation or discussion so this has been very helpful to me. Please let me know if you have any ideas regarding VNC access of the installation.
Edit: Additional installation-specific information:
My Epic 4G is running the Cyanogenmod 10.1 stable release. The init.d mount script for the second partition will not automatically run at boot, despite CM supporting init.d and having installed the Universal init.d app. However, the script can be manually executed from within the Universal app and that will mount the partition. I tried adding a 50-second sleep to the script to see if it was just bogging down but that had no effect so I gave that idea up. The test script that the Universal app uses to test if the device has init.d support also doesn't work, which indicates that the Epic 4G CM port may be at fault here.
Using Archlinux's systemctl to manage services from the root terminal on the device is not working as expected. For instance, if I try to restart the vncserver service (systemctl restart vncserver) the terminal returns, "Running in chroot, ignoring request."
Edit #2:
Installed xterm from the device terminal and now I can access xterm from VNC /facepalm (why does the xstartup script call something that isn't installed by default?).
When my device's screen powers off, the VNC session drops because the server apparently kills itself. I have Android set to keep wifi on during sleep. How do I keep VNC active while the device's screen is off?
I seem to have succeeded with having my Epic 4G run an XMPP server (Prosody) within Archlinux on Android. I don't want to take this thread too far off-topic but there were some aspects to my project that would be useful to know for someone installing LoA.
http://sourceforge.net/p/linuxonand...do-users-and-groups-work-under-linuxonandroid
https://android.googlesource.com/pl...r/include/private/android_filesystem_config.h
This is pretty key knowledge to know if you're going to install anything that's going to need to gain control over the Android hardware (e.g., opening sockets). Root at the terminal is probably in all of these groups but the default user (ubuntu or whatever you named your installation) might not be; if your software installs its own user, it definitely won't have these group memberships so you'll have to add them. In my case, Prosody creates its own user and group and refuses to run as root, so I had to give the Prosody user membership in the 3003 group so it could open listening ports (I also had to modify all of the files that should have belonged to Prosody with chown because root took ownership by default). I figured this was something to keep in mind, if you're a fellow Linux noob.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1585009&page=24
Speaking of the "everything as root" problem, I came across this that purports to make the default ubuntu user more typical of what you'd encounter in a Linux distro. I haven't tried it yet but I may need to in the future, if I expand the services offered by my Epic 4G. I still haven't figured out why the VNC server drops when the screen is turned off, though; I probably need to switch servers. The default is xVNC and I have been using Win7 x64 TightVNC Viewer to access it.
Hello there! Thanks for your posts! After encountering problems while trying to get LAMP to run on Ubuntu 12.04 and 13.10, I had given up LoA, until today. I've been using Linux Deploy instead for the past few months. Everything works fine on it. Have you tried it?
Anyway, I've decided to install LoA Debian as image from now. I think dedicating a 4 GB partition to a Linux installation is costly when you have just 14.7 GB of available storage.
Hello David,
I gave up on Linux on Android because I couldn't get it to stay connected to wifi with the screen off. I went back to using an XMPP server on my OpenWRT router instead.
Thank you for the suggestion regarding Linux Deploy. If I have some time, I will try it.
Does your LAMP stack manage to stay constantly connected with the screen off?
hammmy said:
Hello David,
I gave up on Linux on Android because I couldn't get it to stay connected to wifi with the screen off. I went back to using an XMPP server on my OpenWRT router instead.
Thank you for the suggestion regarding Linux Deploy. If I have some time, I will try it.
Does your LAMP stack manage to stay constantly connected with the screen off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Linux Deploy has options to keep screen on and to keep wifi on while the app is running. I'm not sure if this will help with accessing LAMP when the screen is off. BTW, I found other problems with LoA Debian. So I'm back to Linux Deploy Debian. I'll test LAMP with screen off and let you know how it goes.
Instead of running the web servers through a linux installation, I suggest you try the various web server apps available for Android, if you haven't already, that is. I use Palapa Web Server which is free and has a nice interface.
Unfortunately I was unable to get Apache to work. Anyways, like I said, the Android web server apps might best serve your needs.
davidheis said:
Instead of running the web servers through a linux installation, I suggest you try the various web server apps available for Android, if you haven't already, that is. I use Palapa Web Server which is free and has a nice interface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a good suggestion but unfortunately the XMPP server apps that I've tried didn't work out. I don't recall exactly why as it's been awhile since I tested them. They are bare-bones and lack configuration options.
hammmy said:
This is a good suggestion but unfortunately the XMPP server apps that I've tried didn't work out. I don't recall exactly why as it's been awhile since I tested them. They are bare-bones and lack configuration options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, okay. I highly recommend Linux Deploy as the distros are downloaded directly from the official sources. Installing to a second partition is very easy too. And it also allows running of custom scripts during startup of your distro. So if you manage to have XMPP working, you won't have to open a terminal to start the service (which is necessary for apache - have to run "service apache2 start").
Let me know if you have any success with Linux Deploy. I may be working with XMPP in the near future, so having a 'take anywhere' server might prove very useful.
Hello David can you make a brief guide on how to install Kali on sdcards second partition. I'm stuck I don't know how to install the linux.IMG on the ext2 partition, I partitioned my SD card using minitool the problem is when I hit install on Linux deploy the IMG will be installed on the SD card but on the fat32 partition not the ext2, which is the path to ext2 ? I can't find it using file explorer maybe you can help me
EDIT: i need to mount the new ext2 partition right? which is the easiest way to do it?
hi... can you provide me a method to access the filesystem (eg. var, etc....) because in the old ubuntu version is no longer supported. i got 404 not found when try to get update(apt-get update). only one solution is modify etc/resource.list file....but ubuntu cant access the filesystem via termimal
Cifs mount on start? I've added it to fstab and mount -a works fine, but it seems that fstab is not being run on start-up? I tried adding the same line I used in fstab to the custom mount points but it does not like it "skip"' it's probably simple syntax, the mount cmd seems to change dep. on where you run it, anyone know the right way to get a cifs mount on start in ld? thanks..
this is what works in fstab/mount -a
//192.168.1.65/media/Cifs /Public/Video cifs username=user,password=pw,iocharset=utf8,file_mode=0777,dir_mode=0777,noperm 0 0
Well hello everyone.
I am going to try this now cause Linux deploy failed for me and it also messed up my external sd card (cause my xperia e3 doesn't have that Much internal).
Then i tried complete linux installer normal installation method but that also didn't worked so now i am going to try this.
I know this thread is very old but that's my only chance left for installing Ubuntu in phone
If anyone can provide any advice or any guidance i will be grateful to him
Thanks In Advance