8 ms·

Installing and Running a GNU/Linux Environment on Any Android Device

74 points by edtechdev 10y ago

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
shmerl 10y ago
This keeps all Android underneath though. A real way to do it, is to have hardware drivers, but mobile situation is so messed up, that they simply aren't available most of the time. I saw some article a while ago, that Nexus 5 got better support upstream now. With Freedreno for graphics it sounds interesting. And it looks like brcmfmac should work for WiFi. Does anyone know if there are drivers that can replace other blobs there? Here is a list that I found: https://developers.google.com/android/drivers#hammerhead https://developers.google.com/android/drivers#hammerhead
- hd4 10y ago
  Came here to say the same thing, the driver situation is something Google really let slide for too long instead of making life tough for vendors who didn't want to release the source, and yes I know that would have made it tough to get decent hardware on android devices, but you need to start somewhere.
  - shmerl 10y ago
    Did you ever try running upstream kernel on Nexus 5? I have one to experiment, but not sure if it's even feasible at present. I'd try it, if there was a chance of success.
    - hd4 10y ago
      I have a Nexus 6 at present, I assumed that it was too hard/impossible to somehow get it working with an upstream kernel otherwise someone would already have done it, never owned a 5 though.
crims0n 10y ago
Some applications will refuse to run or will crash, usually due to the fact that some resources that are usually exposed on GNU/Linux systems are kept hidden by Android. If your device is rooted, and you use chroot instead of proot, are any of those limitations lifted?
- lutusp 10y ago
  > If your device is rooted, and you use chroot instead of proot, are any of those limitations lifted? On a rooted Android device, beyond chroot you have to take additional steps -- remount the filesystem read/write, then begin replacing system binaries with ones that behave differently than the defaults. So it can be done, but it's more like a game of whack-a-mole than normal system reconfiguration.
- VLM 10y ago
  May as well toss out a specific named request, how about the arduino IDE? I'm sure it'll run, but accessing USB OTG so as to flash arduino boards sounds unlikely. In my infinite spare time I'll set up the arduino IDE on a rasp pi zero and connect to it over VNC or rdesktop. Which would also come in handy for using my chromebook.
lutusp 10y ago
Personally, I think "Installing and Running a GNU/Linux Environment on Any Android Device" is a bit misleading. The GNU/Linux environment is just an application running alongside Android. There are a number of similar apps available for Android, most of them rely on chroot to accomplish what they do. I wrote SSHelper, which does something similar (without using chroot) -- it provides Busybox and a command-line environment, but it's just an application, it doesn't replace Android. Using chroot creates a more complete environment, but all these solutions rely on Android being present in the background.
CaptSpify 10y ago
To me this is just sidestepping the real issue: I want an actual Linux phone, not android. I want a phone that runs debian/ubuntu/rh/whatever. I know Ubuntu makes a phone, but their website says they are currently all sold out. I also think that they just recently started selling to the US.
- jrcii 10y ago
  You want a Neo900
- swiley 10y ago
  I feel like hooking a CHIP up to an LCD and a small modem would do that. I just don't want to spend the time/money on it.
- shmerl 10y ago
  There isn't anything decent out of the box, especially if you want to have a working LTE. You have two options. First, use Android kernel + blobs + libhybris, and on top of that install normal mobile glibc Linux distro. Second option is the same thing, but using upstream kernel and open drivers. If you can succeed in that, it's the best. Some pointers: * https://plasma-mobile.org https://plasma-mobile.org * https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=96932 https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=96932 * https://wiki.merproject.org/wiki/Adaptations/libhybris https://wiki.merproject.org/wiki/Adaptations/libhybris Handsets are harder because of more specialized hardware. Tablets should be easier. I red, that Nexus 7 2013 (flo) should be almost ready to work with upstream kernel out of the box. The impression I get is, that Nexus 5 / Neuxs 7 are closest to becoming usable that way.
mschuster91 10y ago
Does anyone know a good PC-style keyboard for tablets? Especially one that can send stuff like Ctrl+C to terminal emulators or to XSDL?
- hasperdi 10y ago
  Are you looking for software (on-screen) keyboard or hardware keyboard? Hacker's keyboard* is the go to keyboard if you are looking for a soft keyboard and want to work with terminals & SSH clients. * https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard&hl=en_GB https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketwork...
  - mschuster91 10y ago
    On-screen. Very cool, thanks for the hint - the problem is that I don't want that keyboard for all the other apps. Can I pin a specific keyboard to a specific app (i.e. Hacker's keyboard to sshdroid + XSDL, and Google Keyboard to the rest)?
    - ivankolev 10y ago
      Nope, there can be only one active IME at a time: https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/text/creating-input-method.html https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/text/creating-inp...
    - brbsix 10y ago
      I'm not sure how well this works on newer versions of Android (probably not at all), but you used to be able to use a Tasker application context and the Secure Settings System+ module to automatically switch the IME depending on what application was active.
hsivonen 10y ago
Is there a way to use a desktop computer as the tty for the Debian instance and to run the scheduler on the Android device in active mode without keeping poking at the touchscreen? I recently installed Ubuntu Touch hoping that I could turn my Nexus 5 into an ARM dev board, but power-save scheduling when usin the device via ssh made it useless for my use case: http://askubuntu.com/questions/875625/how-to-make-ubuntu-touch-run-at-normal-speed-with-screen-turned-off http://askubuntu.com/questions/875625/how-to-make-ubuntu-tou...
- mschuster91 10y ago
  > and to run the scheduler on the Android device in active mode without keeping poking at the touchscreen? Enable Developer Mode, there is a checkbox that allows you to keep the display powered as long as there is USB power.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
aceperry 10y ago
Cool hack. Although there are already some nice terminals and IDEs on the Play store for Android. I wouldn't want to run Eclipse on my phone even though I like it a lot.
kwhitefoot 10y ago
Looks interesting but it wouldn't install on my Lenovo A7600F 10" tablet. I even went through the Google trouble shooting guide which involved trying to install at least another six times. Error -24 every time. Any ideas?

74 points by edtechdev 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

This keeps all Android underneath though. A real way to do it, is to have hardware drivers, but mobile situation is so messed up, that they simply aren't available most of the time. I saw some article a while ago, that Nexus 5 got better support upstream now. With Freedreno for graphics it sounds interesting. And it looks like brcmfmac should work for WiFi. Does anyone know if there are drivers that can replace other blobs there? Here is a list that I found: https://developers.google.com/android/drivers#hammerhead https://developers.google.com/android/drivers#hammerhead

hd4 10y ago
Came here to say the same thing, the driver situation is something Google really let slide for too long instead of making life tough for vendors who didn't want to release the source, and yes I know that would have made it tough to get decent hardware on android devices, but you need to start somewhere.
- shmerl 10y ago
  Did you ever try running upstream kernel on Nexus 5? I have one to experiment, but not sure if it's even feasible at present. I'd try it, if there was a chance of success.
  - hd4 10y ago
    I have a Nexus 6 at present, I assumed that it was too hard/impossible to somehow get it working with an upstream kernel otherwise someone would already have done it, never owned a 5 though.

crims0n 10y ago

Some applications will refuse to run or will crash, usually due to the fact that some resources that are usually exposed on GNU/Linux systems are kept hidden by Android. If your device is rooted, and you use chroot instead of proot, are any of those limitations lifted?

lutusp 10y ago
> If your device is rooted, and you use chroot instead of proot, are any of those limitations lifted? On a rooted Android device, beyond chroot you have to take additional steps -- remount the filesystem read/write, then begin replacing system binaries with ones that behave differently than the defaults. So it can be done, but it's more like a game of whack-a-mole than normal system reconfiguration.
VLM 10y ago
May as well toss out a specific named request, how about the arduino IDE? I'm sure it'll run, but accessing USB OTG so as to flash arduino boards sounds unlikely. In my infinite spare time I'll set up the arduino IDE on a rasp pi zero and connect to it over VNC or rdesktop. Which would also come in handy for using my chromebook.

lutusp 10y ago

Personally, I think "Installing and Running a GNU/Linux Environment on Any Android Device" is a bit misleading. The GNU/Linux environment is just an application running alongside Android. There are a number of similar apps available for Android, most of them rely on chroot to accomplish what they do. I wrote SSHelper, which does something similar (without using chroot) -- it provides Busybox and a command-line environment, but it's just an application, it doesn't replace Android. Using chroot creates a more complete environment, but all these solutions rely on Android being present in the background.

CaptSpify 10y ago

To me this is just sidestepping the real issue: I want an actual Linux phone, not android. I want a phone that runs debian/ubuntu/rh/whatever. I know Ubuntu makes a phone, but their website says they are currently all sold out. I also think that they just recently started selling to the US.

jrcii 10y ago
You want a Neo900
swiley 10y ago
I feel like hooking a CHIP up to an LCD and a small modem would do that. I just don't want to spend the time/money on it.
shmerl 10y ago
There isn't anything decent out of the box, especially if you want to have a working LTE. You have two options. First, use Android kernel + blobs + libhybris, and on top of that install normal mobile glibc Linux distro. Second option is the same thing, but using upstream kernel and open drivers. If you can succeed in that, it's the best. Some pointers: * https://plasma-mobile.org https://plasma-mobile.org * https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=96932 https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=96932 * https://wiki.merproject.org/wiki/Adaptations/libhybris https://wiki.merproject.org/wiki/Adaptations/libhybris Handsets are harder because of more specialized hardware. Tablets should be easier. I red, that Nexus 7 2013 (flo) should be almost ready to work with upstream kernel out of the box. The impression I get is, that Nexus 5 / Neuxs 7 are closest to becoming usable that way.

mschuster91 10y ago

Does anyone know a good PC-style keyboard for tablets? Especially one that can send stuff like Ctrl+C to terminal emulators or to XSDL?

hasperdi 10y ago
Are you looking for software (on-screen) keyboard or hardware keyboard? Hacker's keyboard* is the go to keyboard if you are looking for a soft keyboard and want to work with terminals & SSH clients. * https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard&hl=en_GB https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketwork...
- mschuster91 10y ago
  On-screen. Very cool, thanks for the hint - the problem is that I don't want that keyboard for all the other apps. Can I pin a specific keyboard to a specific app (i.e. Hacker's keyboard to sshdroid + XSDL, and Google Keyboard to the rest)?
  - ivankolev 10y ago
    Nope, there can be only one active IME at a time: https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/text/creating-input-method.html https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/text/creating-inp...
  - brbsix 10y ago
    I'm not sure how well this works on newer versions of Android (probably not at all), but you used to be able to use a Tasker application context and the Secure Settings System+ module to automatically switch the IME depending on what application was active.

hsivonen 10y ago

Is there a way to use a desktop computer as the tty for the Debian instance and to run the scheduler on the Android device in active mode without keeping poking at the touchscreen? I recently installed Ubuntu Touch hoping that I could turn my Nexus 5 into an ARM dev board, but power-save scheduling when usin the device via ssh made it useless for my use case: http://askubuntu.com/questions/875625/how-to-make-ubuntu-touch-run-at-normal-speed-with-screen-turned-off http://askubuntu.com/questions/875625/how-to-make-ubuntu-tou...

mschuster91 10y ago
> and to run the scheduler on the Android device in active mode without keeping poking at the touchscreen? Enable Developer Mode, there is a checkbox that allows you to keep the display powered as long as there is USB power.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

aceperry 10y ago

Cool hack. Although there are already some nice terminals and IDEs on the Play store for Android. I wouldn't want to run Eclipse on my phone even though I like it a lot.

kwhitefoot 10y ago

Looks interesting but it wouldn't install on my Lenovo A7600F 10" tablet. I even went through the Google trouble shooting guide which involved trying to install at least another six times. Error -24 every time. Any ideas?