yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Adam Android Development] willverduzco:
Thank you for showing the initiative, tillum, but unfortunately I am going to have to move the other thread into General for the time being. When any actual active development gets under way, PM me and I will gladly move it back here immediately.

I also believe webs05's plan for this thread to become a "one stop shop" for Ubuntu on the Adam, regardless of method, is a great idea. Perhaps if/when your way of running Ubuntu natively gets fleshed out, yours can remain as the actual development thread for native Ubuntu installation technique and webs05's can be the overall sticky describing how to do it either way.

Designating the threads in this manner will make them more useful for the community at a glance, with less searching required and less clutter in the dev section (until there's reason to warrant the space used--active development). Plus, lets face it. Many users under-utilize the search function, so the more efficiently that the information can be disseminated, the better.

If anyone disagrees with taking this direction for the threads, please PM me and we'll sort it out. :)
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
Me either... at least for another few weeks. There are images within the L4T project on the tegra developers website. Apparently they work, but are based on 9.04. No indication they'll be updating this version yet. I wonder if it's possible to use this version as our base image, update to a later version using apt-get, then run rootstock to create another image. Seems a bit convoluted, but might work. Happy to learn, but my experience with an Arm plaform using Ubuntu is close to nil.

According to the tegra info though, installing Ubuntu on the 250 chipset seems very possible, but their image isn't yet optimized for Arm. For what it's worth however, the 250 chipset seems to be a current standard for tablets. I doubt it will be too long before Cannonical and the Ubuntu project puts out a script for relatively easy installs. I'd like to help however I cab with that.

Re a separate thread, whatever. I think it's useful, and created one last night, but am not fussed. Can you point me to the other comment space (thread?) you reserved for native installs? Happy to stick with this one if you feel discussion about native installations is relevant. Cheers.
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
That's fine willverduzco, but please delete my other thread, it will just get too confusing! Much happier with just using this one. Thanks for your consideration, but I'm not attached to any method, and have no claim over it. Cheers.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
@ willverduzco, that makes sense to me.

@ tillum, thanks for your hard work and ability to jump in and help. I really appreciate it and the community will too. I'll be counting on your experience for getting Ubuntu running natively.

In the meantime, hopefully I will have some files ready for testing by the end of this week for running Ubuntu on Adam.

I'm assuming people following this thread want to get this working. But before anyone starts testing, make sure you are 1) rooted with Titanium Backup (TB) and Busybox installed 2) comfortable and knowledgeable on how to recover your Adam and get it back to stock 3) actually have practice restoring to stock and restoring backups 4) comfortable with backup and restore methods (using whatever method you are comfortable with) 5) prepared for some headaches and have patience for my inevitable mistakes.

That said if you have an Adam, want to help out, and are okay with the 5 items above than stay tuned. I am hoping to have files to test with by the end of this wee. I am pretty free this week besides tomorrow and have most of the weekend to dedicate.

:D
[Adam Android Development] willverduzco:
and

Wonderful. I look forward to seeing what the two of you come up with!
[Adam Android Development] darethehair:
New guy here, very interested in this topic (and have been since Jan 2010)...with a bit of a tricky question, that I hope one of you can answer (or guess at):

Will your ultimate success at running Linux (Ubuntu or some other distro) within Android (if that is the best approach for now) on the Adam imply that *any* tablet running Android could then easily do the same thing? In other words, how 'generic' would this solution be?

The reason I ask this question is this: if I find some other Android tablet -- other than an Adam -- will I need to find some parallel/successful effort going on there in order to achieve the same goal? Might the Adam be the *only* tablet that ever is able to satisfy hard-core Linux users in this way?

I am concerned about having all my 'eggs' in this single 'basket', as it were :)
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
Hi darethehair. Good question. The main issue with the adam is the tegra 250 chip it's running, which amongst other things is an arm processor. Until recently, Ubuntu hasn't been able to run on arm. Nor would you have wanted it to, as arm wasn't powerful enough. Times have changed, and now arm processors are being used extensively for tablets, smartphones, netbooks, etc.

The Ubuntu community is making a huge push towads mobile computing. You can see this in the more recent support for several arm boards, as well as the redesigned touch-centric ui coming out with the next release. While this development is moving very fast, some of the newer arm platforms aren't supported yet.

Our hope with this thread is to work on Ubuntu support with the adam, which uses the tegra 250 chip. Most tablets set to launch this year also use this same chip, so I would hope much of the work we do will carry across. That will always depend on the manufacturers though, particularly how many 'blocks' they put in place to stop you from doing this in the first place. (Motorola has a particularly bad track record)

So to answer your question, yes, much of what we do here will support other tablets, providing they have a tegra 250 chipset. The actual image we use will probably transfer across with little hassle. How you root them and actually install Ubuntu on them is a different matter, and beyond the scope of this thread.

Cheers.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
The answer is no. This method will apply to specifically the Adam. That said, it is possible that this method could apply to any Tegra based tablet. But there are no guarantees. There will not be a one shoe solution until some Linux group starts compiling a version of Linux specifically for mobile architecture..

But if I knew how to do that I would.
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
Next month....lol
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
I wish! But I tell you what, if I could quit my job, get paid to do this, and find a way to keep wifey happy I would have a solution for sure!!

So I think I have all the files ready to go, just doing some more checking. I think its realistic to say we can do some testing this weekend barring no major disasters.
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
I hear you brother... currently I'm looking for work, and managing some house renos before I start a Masters this March. So I've got some time on my hands currently, though that's about to change. Or should change anyway ... pity I don't have my adam yet. Oh well, looking forward to some testing when it comes.
[Adam Android Development] darethehair:
Well, that provides some optimism for lots of other Android tablets, including the other one I am keeping my eye on i.e. Toshiba 'Antares' (new rumored name).

The other thing that gives some good vibes are the mostly-successful hacks to run Ubunutu ("L4T", etc.) on the Toshiba 'AC100' smartbook.
[Adam Android Development] darethehair:
I am sure that whatever you guys will be able to accomplish will be extremely appreciated -- I am just so glad that efforts like this don't depend on someone like me :)

Is 'L4T', or 'Debian Arm', one of the 'mobile architectures' that you are alluding to? Sorry for my obvious ignorance of stuff like this...
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
That's a possibility. Mostly i was referring to a project like "MobileUbuntu". it doesn't exist yet but something like that would be needed to get to where you want this to be. I think that will eventually be an attainable goal.
[Adam Android Development] Kadilov:
Hello,

Maybe you have already read russian post about installing Ubuntu on Toshiba AC100 (Tegra 250). I`m not permitted to use links, but it can be found at wikipedia page about Nvidia Tegra, reference number 8.

I`m from Russia, and I can summarize this post like this: Ubuntu was installed, but a huge number of features were malfunctioning (sound, CPU clock control, brightness control, etc).

There are some links at the end of the post, maybe it will be useful for you.
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
Have been reading about that myself. Looks interesting, particularly as they have implemented a dualboot setup using external medium with Ubuntu, as well as Android. Could be awesome for us. I don't have time to follow ot up, but link is here: http://kotelett.no/ac100/README/

Also, Compulab frkm Israel is coming out with a desktop pc (3 watts) running a tegra 250 board. They haven't announced their system yet, but have said it's open source. Would be worth contacting them. I'll try and do it over the next few days.

Re the ac100, I'm interested in the image they're using, as well as modifying the bootloader to recognise booting from external medium. This should be possible with Adam? We need some clever people on board who understand the bootloader, as well as some willing testers.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Got all the files. I'm now trying to extract the Ubuntu kernel and put in our own. Running into memory errors on my setup. Lol, I think I need a bigger swap. But I am close and wanted to give an update. Hopefully I will have files soon.

Thankfully for me, not anyone that bought one, the latest shipment of Adams has been delayed. :p
[Adam Android Development] Lord_alias:
please say its the remaining shipment from PO1 that is delayed? if the second lot is already delayed i will start shooting people :(
[Adam Android Development] archanox:
I've managed to get a Linux image from the galaxy s forums working. It was pretty cool at first, but I'm not too into using the hobbled vnc client interface.

I might be asking for a bit much but I'm looking forward to a native Ubuntu boot.

Anyways, I'm going to mess around with the image tonight, perhaps rebuild it from scratch with the tegra2 goodness that's linked above.
[Adam Android Development] joshua.lyon:
Have you guys checked out the ViewSonic G-Tablet General threads? They have a WORKING Ubuntu on G-Tablet *UPDATED With Files* thread going that includes files for a working Ubuntu setup on the G-Tab... maybe they can help point you in the right direction for getting things working on the Adam.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Josh, thanks for that link!! Can anyone try the G Tablet method and post back if it works?
[Adam Android Development] archanox:
I'll try it when I get home, fingers crossed!

UPDATE: I tried the G Tablet method using the external sd card and modifying the mmcblk3p1 in the boot.img. But no luck =[
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
Wow, awesome all the work that's being done on this. Unfortunately I have nothing much to add, as apart from being away the past few days (no research time), I haven't received my Adam yet either.

Seems to me that there must be a happy medium with booting using the Gtab dual-boot method, and modifying the bootloader like the crew working on the ac100. Is anyone reading this thread clearer about what we need to do to modify the bootloader on the Adam, and/or what we need to look for? The Nvflash Utility seems to be key... wouldn't mind a comment or two from Notion Ink to point us in the right direction.

Ideally, would be great to have a setup where we could choose at bootup (or from recovery mode, which my guess is more likely) either Eden or Ubuntu. Ubuntu is getting there, but my guess is we're a good 6 months to a year off full support for the Adam.

Cheers.
[Adam Android Development] xthakila:
So is anyone still working on this
[Adam Android Development] archanox:
I'd love to know too.

I've been messing around with chroot-ing a image using the loopback technique here http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=8534555#post8534555

but it seems to be a once off affair without any easy or apparent way of unmounting the file system.

Connecting via VNC isn't the best. I'm really keen on dropping android and replacing it with a full blown ubuntu 10.10 distro with gnome or unity.

So perhaps a reflash using the reflash method provided by NI would be ideal to allow full flash memory access.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Sorry guys, I'm still pushing. Update:

Had to rebuild my Linux environment, but now it is running strong!

I have all the files, but I need a way to pull out a kernel from Ubuntu and put in my own zimage.

I have scripts to do this, but they are old and probably weren't kept up.

My next steps are to look at these scripts and also see if there is another way to do what I'm trying to do. If anyone has some links or knows how to do what I'm trying to do let me know. But near as I can tell the last step is getting this kernel in the Ubuntu.img build.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Great work Stefan on the bootlegger front and getting Ubuntu to run directly on the Adam.

My work it's still coming along, slowly. I have some new methods to try this weekend.
[Adam Android Development] no6969el:
Wow some great work going on here.. its good to see progress.. unlike honeycomb porting.. seems like the only info ever is news on how we arent gonna get it soon..lol

I hope that this comes together soon so I can have some ubuntu in place of a froyo rom.
[Adam Android Development] archanox:
I've still been at the rootfs method. I've managed to build a image from scratch using root stock as set out here.

http://blog.coralic.nl/2010/08/12/creating-chroot-for-arm-on-ubuntu-with-rootstock/

and

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/RootfsFromScratch

But unfortunately there's an issue with mono working so therefore I cannot create a fully fledged ubuntu-desktop.

So I started looking around, found this.

https://code.google.com/p/linux-on-android/wiki/BasicSteps

And then I got thinking, why can't we use a generated rootfs and just overwrite the entire filesystem of android? Does anyone have any insight in how this would work, could it work?

EDIT: I've found another link that may be useful to some, unfortunately I wouldn't know what to do with it https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/OMAPMaverickInstall
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Good news, I have the files packaged up and I think we are ready for our first chroot attempt. I'll be posting files in the next few days. If anyone has any way to host a large file let me know. I'm going to look into my options...

Also Rayman at Notion Ink Hacks states he has Ubuntu running on his Adam. I'm attempting to get in touch with him so I can post some of his info here. He is not working on the same method I am so any info I get from him will be in post #2.

tldr: more to come stay tuned, files coming shortly for chroot method.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Great info archanox! I think I have all the chroot files needed at this point. But I might need to get in touch with you if my files are completely borked... I will hopefully post them in the next couple days for people to try. The zip is 611 some mb so I need to find a good place for it right now. Once I do we can hopefully test.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Triple dipping, but this is important to mention... uBoot is an option, but unfortunately it is only compatible with USB devices right now. Meaning, assuming you could get uboot to function as your bootloader, both Android and Ubuntu would have to be on a USB drive and run from there.

While some may be fine with this setup I think ultimately we want a solution more aligned with what was done on Windows Mobile with haret.exe. Where you run haret and then boot into Android. Only in our case we will run some haret-esque program and then get Ubuntu running on top of Android.

Or even better, if uboot will eventually support SD cards and other flash storage options maybe we can leave Android where it is installed on the Adam and choose to boot Ubuntu off an SD card.

But either way the methods to get Ubuntu running right now are pretty dirty.
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Files and process added to the OP. Everyone have at it and let me know what happens.
[Adam Android Development] Gkar3:
Can't download img ....
[Adam Android Development] Gkar3:
Download in progress ... will try it soon on Adam 3G + Pixel Qi
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Great! Please let me know how it goes...
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
Rayman from Notion Ink Hacks has just posted the boot image files to get Ubuntu running from an external sd, natively, on the Adam. He's still working on the image though, could we use the maverick one webs05 has posted? Still waiting for my adam... though potentially good it hasn't arrived, as my postgraduate assignments due shortly might go out the window for a few days. Link is here: http://notioninkhacks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=1651
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
LOL Tillum, I feel the same way. I have a lot going on so its probably good I don't have an Adam.

My image might work, but keep in mind Rayman may have tweaked his image. So I would recommend using what he has to start and then trying other images after that.

I also have some lofty goals that I'm not sure I can reach down the road, but I would like to tweak either the bootloader or boot process to allow for dual booting. I think I have some ideas of how to do this, just not sure if we can get it to work.
[Adam Android Development] archanox:
I can confirm that building an image for the chroot method will work for rayman's technique.

Unfortunately, he hasnt opensourced much like the boot.img or the techniques used to get his touch interface working or any other tweak he has done.
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
I suspect rayman is busy with other things, and hasnt gotten around to it. I could be wrong though. Can we pull apart the boot.img to see what he's done? Much of the things he's done are in that image (wifi drivers, etc) rather than a filesystem image. Would imagine it to be both though.

His method uses either the adam partition where the stock bootloader lives (no eden) or the recovery partition ... no idea how to hack it so you can boot either, would make since though. Could this be tied in with a modified recovery image?
[Adam Android Development] EmilianM:
Full Ubuntu Running On The Atrix(also Tegra2)

http://www.xda-developers.com/android/full-ubuntu-running-on-the-atrix/
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Awesome find! Here is the link to the forum posting...

If someone can run these commands:

su
/bin/df -h /data

We can find out if this process would work on the Adam.
[Adam Android Development] no6969el:
This is what u get

sh: /bin/df: No such file or directory
[Adam Android Development] rayman:
What would you like to know?

My touch modification changed the touchscreen driver in kernel so it sends single-touch events instead. Since source is not out yet, it's pretty hard to share :(

Wrt, the boot.img, anyone can unpack that and look at exactly what i've done :). But to make it short, all I did was: custom kernel (SteveH ftw!), add in wifi drivers in boot.img, and setup a suitable cmdline in the boot.img.

I also changed a few files in the rootfs image, but that was mostly minor things such as setting up the usb networking and fstab/resolv.conf. Other than that it's a simple rootstock setup.

Anything else? :)
[Adam Android Development] rayman:
The basic idea for it definitely works, but a lot of it seems to rely on a special bootloader they have in there that doesn't exist in adam. What does work however, is storing a loop image on data partition (or rather, on the internal usb disk accessible through android on the host computer) and booting from that!

Basically all that's needed is to grab my boot.img, change cmdline to "root=/dev/mmcblk1p1 loop=linux.img and then put linux.img (rootfs image) on the root directory on the fat32 partition on the adam :)
[Adam Android Development] aspilot:
i have installed ac100 image on my adam. Can anyone tell how to calibrate the touchscreen?
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
So we know there is enough room on the Adam to store the entire img? If so than what you specified should work fine.

On another note Rayman, instead of using a special bootloader, what about modifying init scripts that load up on boot. In other words, let the normal bootloader load up but modify the init script (can't remember which one off the top of my head) to work in our favor. I can speak more specifically about what I'm thinking in irc if you want?
[Adam Android Development] rayman:
I'm talking about putting the image on the 8gb flash (not data partition, but the fat32 partition).

Also, yes, I've been considering that method. There is some issues wrt making a kernel that works nicely with both android and linux, but it was certainly my plan to attempt to make a special ramdisk that checks the hardware back button and optionally boots linux (or optionally android). I'm not sure if it will work yet though. I've been busy trying to get acceleration working (it works, but breaks sd card access and the resolution is currently pretty ****ed up)
[Adam Android Development] tmckenn2:
I am running Beast rom with the sdcards switched... idk if that has anything to do with it though (shouldnt) anyways this is the error i got, not i tried to change permissions on the files but i couldnt with either adb or root explorer, all files have a permission of ---rwxr-x which sucks... here is what terminal pumped out:

C:\androidsdk\tools>adb shell

sh-4.1# cd sdcard/ubuntu

cd sdcard/ubuntu

sh-4.1# sh ./ubuntu.sh

sh ./ubuntu.sh

modprobe: chdir(/lib/modules): No such file or directory

←[H←[Jrm failed for -f, No such file or directory

rm failed for -f, No such file or directory

rm failed for -f, No such file or directory

rm failed for -f, No such file or directory

rm failed for -f, No such file or directory

mkdir failed for /data/local/mnt, File exists

←[H←[Jrm failed for /system/bin/fsrw, No such file or directory

rm failed for /system/bin/bootubuntu, No such file or directory

rm failed for /system/bin/unionfs, No such file or directory

rm failed for -/system/bin/mountonly, No such file or directory

cp: can't stat 'fsrw': No such file or directory

cp: can't stat 'bootubuntu': No such file or directory

cp: can't stat 'unionfs': No such file or directory

cp: can't stat 'mountonly': No such file or directory

Unable to chmod bootubuntu.txt: Operation not permitted

←[H←[J

Ubuntu Chroot Bootloader v0.1

Ubuntu Bootloader is now installed!

This process does NOT damage Android OS!

Original Installer by Charan Singh

Modified for Ubuntu Chroot by Max Lee at NexusOneHacks.net

To enter the Debian Linux console just type 'bootubuntu'

sh-4.1# bootubuntu

bootubuntu

sh: bootubuntu: command not found

sh-4.1#
[Adam Android Development] webs05:
Give me some time tonight and I'll look at the scripts again...
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
Anyone following this thread? The gtab, also with a tegra 250 chipset running Ubuntu 11.04. Apparently touch screens are supported by default in Natty.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=989576
[Adam Android Development] pspminor:
Maybe you could adapt Exceller's Android Bootloader to be able to boot off usb and microsd

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=737001
[Adam Android Development] tillum:
Thanks for the link, but looks very windoze centric. I don't think that would work within android, I would love to be corrected though. My Adam STILL hasn't shipped, and seems delayed even further. I don't mind it being delayed, but I hate not having heard much from the company as the why it's not here yet. Oh well, I guess they are still sorting out the kinks in their system. Haven't decided to reverse the credit card transaction yet, but am tempted...