[XPERIA X1 Android Development] matejdro:
As i see, more and more people are asking, how to install Android. And since previous tutorial is outdated, i will create new one.

So, first some theory. There are two types of releases: ones with ext2 partition and ones without. Second ones are much easier to install (just copy files to SD card), but ones with ext2 partition are faster and works overall better. All newer releases are with partitions.

So, how to install Android?

1. First we must prepare our SD Card. You will need 1GB+ Card. Some users are reporting that there are problems with several cards, so i suggest you stick to card you got with your X1 (it works 100%).

Now it's time to hook SD card to your computer. You can transfer files via X1, but I recommend getting a card reader, since file transfers will be more reliable then.

Before you begin, backup all your files on SD card. When partitioning, all data on your card will be deleted.

So, let's begin. Partitioning is fairly easy, but instead of writing this in text, i will show you video guide of creating partitions (thanks to user e334 for making this tutorial):

[YOUTUBE]oyO6DOS1leQ[/YOUTUBE]

(Program in the video is Minitool Partiton Wizard. Grab home version from their page.)

2. After we properly make partition, it's time to download android build. Beware, that root of your SD card will be messy. There is a method to run it in folder (Andboot), but i didn't manage to make it right.

In the time of writing, (my opinion) best release is neopeek's SuperFroyo + v2c kernel. But releases are changing rapidly, since Android is still under development. I will try to update that page, but i suggest you always check the forums for some new releases.

As you can see, this release is in two parts (main release + kernel). But most of the time, there are releases with kernel included, so you don't have to download it separately. So anyway, download and extract main release, kernel and modules into root of the SD card (leave modules in .tar.gz file!).

After copying, use safely remove hardware before disconnecting SD card.

Now it's time for big final. Open file explorer on your X1, navigate to StorageCard\npkinstall folder and click install. If you have done everything right, your phone should go into "text mode" (black screen with bunch of text) and after about a minute, it should start displaying long list of files. That means it's installing android to EXT2 partition. When installation finishes, it will automatically reboot.

Your X1 Android is ready to use now. To launch android, open file explorer, navigate to \StorageCard and tap HARET. Again, it should start displaying text and after that logo should appear. When android appears to be loaded (start wizard pops up), leave it for another several minutes, so Android can initialize all background stuff it needs to.

Happy Androiding!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to return to Windows Mobile?

Simply restart your device. Android won't alter Windows Mobile or on board storage at all, so your windows mobile stays intact.

So, now my Windows mobile is running in background?

No. HARET will shut down Windows Mobile, so Android can have all the memory for himself.

Battery life is very short

Yes, android power management is not very good. But it's getting better, especially last days there were some major improvements in that area.

Camera/FM Radio/Something don't work

Android is still under development, so not all features are working yet.

I can't see my new EXT2 partition in windows

That's OK. Only linux sistems like Android and Ubuntu can see EXT2 partition. Although, you can install 3rd party software, that can add ext2 support to windows (google for "ext2 windows").

How big should i make ext2 partition?

EXT2 partition is system partition for Android. It needs to be big enough to fit all android system files in, but there is no point to make it too big, since data is stored to SD card anyway. Somewhere between 300 and 500MB should be fine. Make it 512 if you have space to spare or 300 if you are really low on SD card space.

I can't enter my SIM PIN!

PIN is currently not working in Android. Turn off PIN in Windows Mobile.