[Q] Android App Emulator - WebOS Software and Hacking General

I'm much like several of the people who bought TouchPads in the recent firesale. I absolutely love WebOs and the device in general but the thing that's bothering me is that the app selection is absolutely horrible! I know that there is an Android App Emulator on the PlayBook, is it possible for something like that to show up on the TouchPad? I love WebOS and I don't really want to give it up for only Android. I'm sure tons of people would really like something like this on their new Touchpads. Thanks!

Sounds like a great idea hmm...

I agree. I think that porting Dalvik to WebOS might be the best move to give us the Android apps and still let us easily use Linux, including ubuntu apps.

Well the problem would be the license..

lol...good point

license issues?
I thought it was opensource/freeware? How else could Cyanogen, etc., do what they do?

is it possible to port alien dalvik to the TouchPad? We should get some developers on this.

FAILHARD said:
is it possible to port alien dalvik to the TouchPad? We should get some developers on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You took the words right out of my mouth!!
I'm actually trying to find developers for the exact same thing. It should be doable. Alien Dalvik was made in Qt which was ported to WebOS so in theory it's entirley doable. the only question is if there are any developers free to take it on that aren't currently working on a full Android OS port.
I'd really like to get a development team set up for this because alot of people would like to keep WebOS and just have a larger app catalog.

Yeah, exactly what I was thinking. We should look for a dev who could possibly have experience it Qt, though that's not completely necessary. If we gain more support, I'll post a dev thread.

I can't offer anything other than Beer/Pizza money but this is a great idea. WebOS is generally well reviewed and not looked at as a problem so much as a benefit. The OS is solid. The App Catalog is not.

Android Emulator :-D
I would love see a emulator on my TP. I would like to be able to place Android on the device I still much prefer the UI and design on WebOS even though Android is far more capable.
I'm happy to donate to this cause should someone take it up

alien dalvik is not open source, however, dalvik in general as well as the whole android os is under the apache license, this can be modified, forked and reworked (such as myriad turbo/alien dalvik) without having to release the source, its obviously possible... But you know what would be easier, porting android as a whole... Even dual booting would be easier.

Well the allure of this is having the superior Android app selection on the arguably better tablet experience of WebOS. If that were made possible - I wouldn't care about having Android on the device.

I couldn't agree more. As an OG Pre owner I love webOS but couldn't fight everything I can do with Android.
If I could get all my Android apps and keep my TP the way it is would be perfect.
The problem with porting Android right now is we have to use 2.3 which is for phones and not 3.2. I would rather either wait for ICS/4.0 for a port or just get the app market working.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium App

That settles it there are enoght people interested in having a standalone WebOs android app emulator without having full android.. I'm starting a development thread, doing some preliminary work, and going to look for a few interested developers to work with on getting this going. My touchpad comes tomorrow so then i can really get into it..

Thanks Roto I was just about to do the same.

also, Roto post a link

Up. Beer on me

Here is the link to the development thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=16904876#post16904876
Failhard since you and I were the first to put in work on this idea i'd like you to help me head the project and find volunteer talent if you're up to it.
I took a look into what goes into a Dalvik port... it's TOTALLY doable just a matter of time and effort..
Unfortunately after i return to college in a week time will be in short supply for me so ALL help is appreciated!

I had never used WebOS before getting a tablet this last weekend. I have been an android fan for smartphones for now (I am willing to move to something better when it is available, otherwise stick to what works). I am a web designer/user interface designer and since starting using WebOS this last weekend, when it comes to the OS and its default apps that come with it, it is clear WebOS has the best user interface of the tablets (I used both iOS and Android OSes 1.5-3.2, Windows 7 tablets don't really count as a tablet OS and that is clear when using it on tablets).
The Android Emulator would be a great idea, but if you want quick development specifically for WebOS, we need to get a program created that can easily and painlessly port android apps to WebOS apps. Also it will take HP courting and reassuring the big players like Netflix, Hulu, Corporate IT Software Development companies that WebOS is viable and have continued support.
HP/WebOS only has a short amount of time to really establish itself. Next summer is rumored to be Windows 8 release and Windows 8 tablets coming. If Windows 8 can create a good tablet interface (WebOS is the one to beat imo atm as it has the number 1 interface), plus it's strong backing of games, program/application support and being able to integrate phone, xbox, tablet, and PC (Desktops and Laptops). Windows 8 is the biggest threat to anyone in the tablet market at the moment imo and they have been very successful in many of their endeavors as of late ("don't poke the sleeping giant" comes to mind, google and Apple have done that).
Due this short Window of time (pun partially intended), we have to establish WebOS as a main competitor to Google and Apple and prepare it for the onslaught of Windows 8. We need to work as a community to get things rolling and we need to push HP to court the big players in the industry to produce apps and content for WebOS and to continue further development on the operating system on their end. If we as a community and HP execute right, it will be a very exciting year coming up.

Related

Samsung SGH-i600 Android...???

Hello. I am new here. I saw you helped some guy running Android on his HTC touch dual. I have a SGH-i600 Windows Mobile 6 Smartphone(No touchscreen). It is the European version of the Blackjack 1. Since it is in the same category as the white "Gphone" prototype shown in An Android Demo Video...I thought I could try Android on my phone. For now, I would like to know if it is possible to run it from within windows. Later(when it will be more stable), I would like to remove WM and put Android on it as main OS. Or maybe Dual-Boot??? That would be very awesome!
Any help? Is it possible?
dude, android on any phone right now is almost impossible- i think only kaiser users are lucky enough to get some sort of unofficial OS of it working.
android is not actually out yet and when it does come out it will only be available for phones coming out then and the only hope youl have is if someone cooks a version for your blackjack or you get a phone which it supports.
hope this cleared things up
It did.
Yeah. Unfortunately, it did clear things up very well. I wish somebody could hack it to work with the SGH-i600. If not, I am getting a Kaiser or a touch-pro if the price will go down. I will not pay more than $600 on a phone.
Sorry for necro!
Sorry for necroposting, but now that Android has been released, is there anything I could do to port it to other phones. Especially my sgh-i600!
I don't much get excited by operating systems, but I'm intrigued here.
My suggestion to you would be to 1st get two sheets of paper, then write the benefits of WinMo on one and the benefits of Android on the other. And then do an HONEST comparison.
Now don't get me wrong: I have nothing against the Linux crowd, but I have a problem with tech-weenies that think it's cool to write M$ instead of MS and who believe Firefox is better simply because it isn't from Microsoft. Please don't think this statement is aimed at you - I DON'T think this of you, but instead see you as a member of the because-we-can brigade!
WinMo offers many benefits, least of which the maturity and stability, the number of devs coding for it and the number of apps available. In userland there are things like Exchange integration and more.
In my limited perspective I don't see Android matching WinMo, so aside from the because-we-can approach I see absolutely no point in migrating to it even if it was available to me right now. In fact, Android to me is of less consequence than Symbian. I see it as a Phone OS, while my device is a PDA that just happens to have phone capabilities, but is used for so much more. A bit like XP Home - pretty-ish, but outside of home usage it is mostly useless.
I will ask that you post your comparison of Android and WinMo here for all to see, but please don't get emotionally attached to either. Just stick to the facts.
let's see!
I also hate it when people bash something for no reason. I am not bashing Microsoft, nor Windows mobile. It's just that I prefer getting the most out of everything. WinMO smartphone edition freezes on me like a ***** every day, but that is not the main reason for which I would like to install Android. Android has a very easy to use SDK and I can easily port my Desktop apps to Android Platform. I am unable to understand the WinMO's sdk.Android just works for me, while WinMO doesn't. I have to say I love the phone. I could get a G1, but it doesn't suit my needs hardware wise. I just love the i600 and love the Android OS. S60 is still better than WinMO in my opinion. Easier to use(SDK) and faster(OS). I think there is a much higher chance of porting s60 as they have the e71 similar to i600.
Any luck for me? None?

What do you think about the new WinMo 7?? Like or Not?

UPDATE: Thanx for participating in the poll but kindly leave a small comment along with it. Thanx
When we say Windows Mobile, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Emmmmm…
Extensive Customization!! - True
Multi Tasking!! - True
Copy Paste!! - True
External SD Card!! – True
Humongous Application and Easy Installation!! - True
Boring but we got UI replacements!! - That is true aswel
And we love that don’t we. That is because it has something that no other Mobile OS had before.
Well lets hear it from you people..
Was this what you were looking for? Or is it no where even close?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To read more go here - Windows Phone 7 might really die before its even Out?
Lets hear what you guys have to say.
what about love it hate it..u should add a poll but im getting 1 when they come out
It has new **** so i might as well love it.
hmmm. lets see how much we can crack open this os..
looks outdated visually boring like all things microsoft lately. The official statement appears to be Manufacturers will also be restricted to the smart tile user interface so not a smart move when you compare with the Android System.
I'm not worried about losing the freedom that we have on WinMo - I'm confident that the community here will find a way - and a great way, at that - to allow everyone to get what they want out of WP7, or the way I put it to my friend: I'm sure XDA-Devs will have there way with WP7.
I like the look and feel alot!!
But somehow I fear we will loose all our custimisazion possibilities...like custon ROM's simple apps, Registry tweaks, etc...
But lets see...
Like it quite a bit, seeing some great potential there.
I'm happy to see Microsoft used the Zune interface as guideline as many, including myself, liked the interface and where "hoping"/"seeing" the possibility of a phone entry to the Zune's menu structure. In this case Microsoft went further even and expanded on that UI just like i feel the Zune interface is an expanded/further developed titanium UI. Thank god we get rid of Touchflo/Sense finally, always hated it, but that's just my personal opinion ofc.
Next to that the new zoom/rendering/cleartype is very nice and a great addition to any OS.
Personally i dont care too much about all the social networking features as i hardly use them myself and suspect europeans overall use these less than americans. However i like the widespread intergration of these things, from the photo app, the Me tile etc. to the automatic selection of contact information.
Hope our great dev's and myself here at XDA will figure out the inner workings of it and be able to polish it to our liking.
my two cents for now
Wait to see how much the new OS is far to customizations, I belive that here at XDA we can hack again but why the no Power user can't? I don't complain with this new Apple/like orientation.
Hope it's not like it seems
[email protected]
Looks good to me. It is what I was expecting from a new OS. It isn't just rehashing and repackaging old ideas. I just hope there will be a call manager available for it
It looks good and advanced.
The only fear is that microsoft will go the apple way and cut the developments........
If m$ has not done that there is not better company !
If m$ has done that ( and done successfully ! ) its a sad day for XDA community.
Hope for the best be prepared for the worst !
Jump over to android if m$ has backstabed us
OS is just an OS. The application is more important.
If all the application needs to rebuild, I will simply go for android.
Why should I pay for an OS, when the efforts in the industry is now to be open source? What makes the os distictive are efficiency, multitask, free of dead lock ....But not UI.
If windows phone could make application runs on my HD lighting fast, I might go for it.
It is definetly the end to charge for a mobile OS. Will the greedy M$ make it free for us? If not, it is likely the end of wm.
Good UI, but too sad if we loose all stuff cooked over this forum....
windows 7 plays around microsoft services! buy only if u need these services
Now i understand why microsoft is not completely burying their 6.5.x series development
WM7 at its present state is not for me or for business people.
It is for Iphonish common consumers.
I was expecting WM7 to be an OS with same functional menus & functionalities as previous versions but UI but built on silverlight with zune & Xbox integration. Such a thing would have made WM7 to appeal all types of customers.
Its sad that micrsoft has decided to go in a rather commercial way as apple.
Unless WM7 supports custom skinning like Sense or Mobile shell, i don't think microsoft is going to win here.
They Need You
Years ago, in the dark ages, I was given a prototype computer from Europe to work with and redesign it if necessary. It was necessary. With some skill and a lot of luck I rebuilt a great computer for its time. The American company who owned the European rights to this computer was sinking $200 million into making this machine work for the US market. I was an independent designer (who had already upgraded this computer) and this large company did not want to listen to me or even give me anything for my work. So I never turned over the secrets to them but I wrote software for it for my software company. They worked on this computer for another 8 months and finally solved the problems. In the end, because other companies (like Commodor) beat this computer (that was way ahead of the others) to market, this great machine never caught on. The other computers weren't better but they were first and now were being used by the public. The company who would not sign a contract with me, lost their shirts in their computer division. The company was Timex.
I feel this may be the same problem with Windows mobile. Yes, they have terrific engineers but they should also look to you all on sites like this one to really get new ideas and advice. Because of this site and the programmers on it, my WM 6.1 OS has blown away even phones with snapdragon processors. I hope WM doesn't become a third rate OS because of their not listening to people like you on this site.
too little is revealed on the presentation, to me at least. i dont use social networking nor LIVE service (i do have XBOX360). i need a good organizer, customizable layout, multitasking, and NOT iphone alike!
WP7S seems to be too stripped down, compared to current WM versions. The press conference didn't go into detail, but I fear the highly customizable OS we came to know is a thing of the past - which is a bad thing imo.
But luckily Android is becoming a nice alternative.
the problem for ms is that so far most apps since pocketpc2000 works on our devices so if we can suffer the UI there are tons of apps free and paied you can use
leaving that would mean that android and even nokia n900 (also linux based) are already way ahead of ms in terms of apps and getting fancy games running also a thing ms say is not the aim of wm7 from the rumours i read say and if thats the case the no good gaming options
then iphone / ipod touch are also ahead of them
so far ms had pretty good development res for their mobiles being .net and microMFC as core techs
where iphone / ipod touch required you to buy a mac to make apps which given apples market % few developers had
not sure about how good the symbian/android/n900 development tools are
as an sdk is not really enough to make a good IDE
to be honest i find it pitifully bad.
as i was expecting it too be as soon as the words "stop, thinking off it as a pc, its a phone" came put right near the start.
no matter how much bull and spin and pr hype they put on it its a list based os. list after list after list...
this isn't really what people want is it?
I was really hoping for innovation instead its gone back 8 years.
forget windows phone, its gone windows dumb phone

Samsung rumoured to buy HP's webOS division.

Came across a short article today:
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/will-samsung-buy-hps-webos-50004917/
What do you think about this?
- Will it be good for webOS?
- Will Samsung fill it with bloatware, normalize it and make it just like Android, thus removing the slick interface we love?
I myself think it is a bad thing for webOS, because Samsung's OSs have a history of being less classy than others, and because webOS is the classiest OS I've ever seen, it would spoil the charm.
My thoughts:
I don't want to see anyone own HP's OS. I think it would be somewhat of a Utopian world if it became 'the OS of the people'
I would like to see no large corporation privately developing the OS, and so the hackers who have made Android so famous would openly do so. If some manufacturer such as Samsung took over the business, I think they should do nothing other than manufacture phones and tablets which run the OS.
I think that as soon as a 'standard' OS is loaded onto the phone/tablet, it would be root enabled, allowing people to edit it easily. Known, trusted developers such as the ones on this forum would be supplied some free handsets/tablets to get the ball rolling, and after that there would be regular software updates and custom ROMs ready to download whenever you feel like visiting the xda forums. Because it would be openly developed, it would be hugely successful with the people who love to tweak, edit and customize everything about their phones. I think that, if this happened, that the OS would be quickly adopted by many, as there would be more custom ROMs, apps, themes, hardware tweaks and, after some time, accessories.
I say this because the fact that Android is open source, easy to develop on and fairly cheap means that it has become the most popular smart phone operating system in the world.
This would make webOS hugely popular with thousands, even the people who don't read these forums on the basis that:
- As soon as you find a bug or something that you don't like on IOS or others, there is nothing you can do, but wait. On this "OS of the people" you would be able to come here and someone would already have a fix or a modification.
- If you don't like the appearance of other OSs, you have to root/jailbreak your phone to edit it. With a pre-rooted phone you would not void your warranty just to install a theme. You install all modifications at your own risk, however, so if you do so, you risk your warranty, but do not void it.
These are just my opinionated opinions, feel free to criticize.
while it'd be nice if HP were to release webOS as open-source, that is very unlikely to happen. That is the sad reality. I think if anyone were to pick up webOS, I'd rather it be HTC, just because they have proven to be very hacker friendly. Even if htc were to put sense over webOS, it has proven to be easy to modify anyway.
Samsung is so lagging with updates to their hardware. This is what scares me about them dropping the ball with webos.
I love webos and it is such a hot topic right now, it could really blow wide open if played out correctly- like simply supporting it and not mucking around with it. It just needs some big dollars behind it, get it noticed and get some solid hardware to run on- like the touchpad- ha-i actually like it a whole lot. That's it, just let it spread out from there. Don't try and tweak it, brand it, or otherwise piss all over it. Sorry bout the rant, but I agree with the above/ previous posts.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Better samsung then nobody at all I mean face it HP pulled the plug besides homebrew there is no more development for it unless they went ahead and release it open source which they won't so I welcome if samsung did take over as mentioned better then nothing i'd say sure would I prefer other companies no doubt but that's the current rumor. Haven't heard any other company willing to take it over.
Ideally if you can mash up webos frontal interface with the backend application support of android hell that would be a match made in heaven.
HP just acquired a European based software company to further WebOs
Tecnica001 said:
Ideally if you can mash up webos frontal interface with the backend application support of android hell that would be a match made in heaven.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that's an interesting thought. Make the Android for Touchpad "look" like webOS and use the android market apps. Whoot!!
Am I the only one who agrees?
Hp should license webos with specs to make sure it runs smooth like Palm or touchpad or whatever. If such a thing is possible. Believe it or not I don't know if I'd trust webos with anyone other than hp. Ha. In there lack of support for it, they've somehow managed to keep it in this sweet virgin like state.
Let someone else take on the burden of hardware production and os brand recognition and then produce some more tabs/ phones for the newly established fan base following.
Just sayin!
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Endgadget just reported that Samsung has stated that they are not interested in webOS. Take it for what its worth...

Which OS?

Hey guys! Which OS you all foresee that will become the next trendsetter in few years to come?
Sent from my SGPT13 using xda premium
Odp: Which OS?
Windows Phone and Windows 8 are getting more and more popular but personally i don't like the new metro interface and these OSes.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using xda app-developers app
Ubuntu! It's already gathered a lot of dev attention! Soon it will be a good competition for android!
LIFE! Live it to the best!
Android
----------------Read If You Have Time----------------
Send From My Samsung Galaxy Note 2 N7100,
HIT thanks if I did Helped you.
LIFE! It's what you make out of it!
Ubuntu
Sent from my Micromax A50
I guess I'm going for android or ubuntu. I'll probably start using ubuntu on my nexus but I may switch back to android. Hopefully we see easy porting of android apps.
Well they say that a mobile is has 10 years in it, and android may be the first to break that unless apple hire the next Steve jobs. Android has a decent push to keep momentum though I think that it will once again retract to being "the geek phone" is, which I Dont mind... I don't like android becoming so popular because future models will be dumbed down for the masses rather than suped up for us...
I think Ubuntu has a nice idea on paper and some eye candy but I think it isn't practicle in as application to be as widely accepted as iOS for the mainstream or as open and moddable (although it should be really, as its from Linux) to attract us nerds or devs beyond the initial "wow its Ubuntu on a phone" factor. It also relies on webapps rather than more mature os tactics of moving away from web apps, can't blame them though as they want lots if apps asap to compete.
RIM should change their name to RIP
I don't know enough about tizen or Firefox to comment but I think Firefox os is DOA tbh.
That leaves the mighty windows phone, building up a catalogue of Apps and mind share, original and beautiful design reflecting windows 8 and Xbox, as fluid and intuitive as iOS with more functionality, slowly becoming more and more open, Nokia are driving it... I believe that wp can do it! I think that by wp9 there will be a lot more openness to the is for devs but not as much as android, but enough to feel free, it will catch on to people moving away from ios or people with Windows 8 tablets and ultra books and it will be a big thing. I love android to death but I believe wp8 will be the big thing of the future.
I think a route android may go is like Linux, different builds rather than just different skins, android touch wiz os could be potentially a different os to motoblur android for example... That could be a goood or a bad thing if it does.
-------------------------------------
Sent from my Nokia 3310
Windows phone is ok, but Microsoft has always been so restrictive, I cant see it taking off and storming the market. Android, because its open for the world to develop, hone and improve. Microsoft cant keep up, they are too interested in money and not what the consumer wants. Heck just look at how fast android has evolved. Compare that to the backwards step taken by Microsoft with the introduction of Vista, a few years back.
storm_chaser said:
Windows phone is ok, but Microsoft has always been so restrictive, I cant see it taking off and storming the market. Android, because its open for the world to develop, hone and improve. Microsoft cant keep up, they are too interested in money and not what the consumer wants. Heck just look at how fast android has evolved. Compare that to the backwards step taken by Microsoft with the introduction of Vista, a few years back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was vista really a backwards step or were people (me included) complaining that a brand new GPU/ram-heavy OS was running slow and buggy on our 7 year old computers?
Both Android and windows (inc windows phone) have made huge advances in the last 2 or 3 years, and I've seriously considered sueing apple for false advertising with "most advanced operating system" lol not that its a bad system but no software of apple is particularly advanced... But I wouldn't win because 'advanced' us not quantitative enough and only really subjective (though on the back of that they should not be allowed to claim that, either)
-------------------------------------
Sent from my Nokia 3310
I think BB10 OS will have a chance in the future
till now android is best, windows 8 is catching up lately, then we have ubuntu and mozilla os coming up head..its so exciting, and then recently bb10 is launched which got good reviews.

[Q] Ubuntu or Android for a 3rd world tablet-based education project?

Hi all
MY QUESTION
How much work is it to get Ubuntu working on a cheap tablet, (in terms of weeks and stress/reliability)? I'm about to spend a year writing tablet software that needs cheap hardware. If I find a capable Android tablet going cheap, is it reasonable to consider getting Ubuntu working on it, instead of restricting myself to the Android OS to use cheap tablets? Would Ubuntu C++ apps still kill performance? (Ubuntu will save me lots of development in other ways.)
ALL comments pleease, however brief and knee-jerk.
BACKGROUND (all feedback gratefully received)
I'm at the design stage of a project to use tablets to improve education in poor countries. Extremely briefly, the tablets will use elements of social media to enable children to collaborate remotely and asynchronously on projects, and game aspects to get the kids excited, who have probably spent the day working on the fields, and to welcome kids with special needs. The system will enable education to continue in complex emergencies, such as droughts and conflicts. Currently most kids drop out after grade one as the education they're offered is so poor. Tablets can support teachers and enable kids to get more out of their classroom and homework time.
The system needs some clever back-end engineering to operate a local social network if there is no internet connection. (I'm thinking something like NodeJS acting as both a p2p client and a server.) It also needs to run on cheap devices, if it is to be adopted by third world Ministries of Education.
I am currently torn between Android and Ubuntu for tablets. Android will presumably be the cheapest platform for the foreseeable future - tablets now go for as little as $40 wholesale. However Ubuntu for tablets now offers the ability to bring a proper IT education to these children, as they can learn office software, desktop OS, etc. Ubuntu also provides source code I can customize, eg, GCompris, Tux4kids, KDE and Epoptes. I can see Ubuntu on other tablets here, but it seems the Nexus 7 is the cheapest tablet I can currently get Ubuntu on and performance is still an issue. Is that fair to say?
I can write everything using C++ and OpenGL to squeeze as much as possible out of every processor cycle. I have been a developer for 15 years, but am pretty ignorant when it comes to hardware/OS level.
My alternative is using something like Titanium and Unity, (I don't think HTML5 will perform well enough), so I have a bit more platform flexibility, at the price of having to develop everything from scratch, and using technologies for the back-end stuff that aren't as ideal, (such as Android Java and/or Titanium JS). But perhaps that keeps more options open for me?
My feeling is I should go for Ubuntu, but the price needs to reliably reach considerably below $100 to become a nationwide system in a poor country.
Obviously any comments or thoughts on any aspect very gratefully received. Don't restrict your comments to my question - I want all your wisdom!
Huge thanks for reading all this and any contributions
Chris
Re-post
perhaps you would get more of a response if you made this a bit shorter, and re-posted on ubuntu.stackexchange.com, android.stackexchange.com, and programmers.stackexchange.com
Also, perhaps a little off topic, but have you considered using coffeescript? :cyclops:
Thought it might be a stackoverflow question, this forum is amazing for tablet OS dev though. As ever I blather on too much...people have complained in the past.
All three? Wouldn't that be bad netiquette?
That's kind of a tricky question because technology is always evolving and prices fluctuate so much that in a year you might be able to get a device for half the price. I'm not knowledgeable about the new Ubuntu options but if your gut says go Ubuntu, than do it.
Thanks, I'd love to say gut instinct served me well, and I'm all for intuition, but I wouldn't trust it enough to dedicate 6 months of development on its hunch. However these replies and the act of writing the question has crystallized my view a little so I now have more targeted questions.
found this excellent guide on the hassles of porting an OS to a new device...
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/Linux-For-Devices-Articles/Porting-Android-to-a-new-device/
and this
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/...droid-kernel-porting-from-one-device-to-other
So looks like a month, best case, with expert developers and a device well-known for being hackable. So to port ubuntu to a $40 device, I'm thinking three+ months, plenty of risk, and much pain.
Some other interesting posts:
A little gritty detail on porting kernels: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/...droid-kernel-porting-from-one-device-to-other
A tutorial on building (compiling, not developing) a kernel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2110842
The best post I found on porting ROMS: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1941239
Porting modules from within kernels: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1751966
Porting cyogenmod, (a ROM, not a Mod, as anyone on this forum probably knows): http://forum.cyanogenmod.org/topic/15492-general-cyanogenmod-porting-discussion/
A new kernel developer: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2173411
A vocab for noobs like me: http://www.talkandroid.com/guides/beginner/android-rom-and-rooting-dictionary-for-beginners/
I was wrong. Ubuntu Touch is based on the CyanogenMod kernel, which is widely ported.
From Canonical's FAQ on the bits of CyanogenMod used: "The kernel and a few low level drivers for network, video, audio and some other hardware features are taken, all the higher level parts have been taken out. On top of this the whole Ubuntu is started in an chroot environment." ( https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/FAQ#How_is_Ubuntu_Touch_connected_to_Android.3F)
As a result it has already been ported to about 40 devices, and porting to a further 30 is work in progress, listed here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/Devices
CyanogenMod officially supports 172 devices, and unofficially supports another 59.
Officially supported devices: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Devices
Unofficially supported devices: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Unofficial_Ports

Categories

Resources