Root [CDMA] Ubuntu Linux on the 3vo

[EarlyMon]

I am so tempted to try this -

[Guide] How to install Ubuntu Linux on your phone - xda-developers

Because it is there.

EDIT - And I did. Results and how-to are at posts 7 and 13, diagram showing how it works in post 18.

 

[ardchoille]

I am so tempted to try this -

[Guide] How to install Ubuntu Linux on your phone - xda-developers

Because it is there.

I've been contemplating that for a while and I'll try it if I can ever force myself to put my theming aside for a bit. I bet LXDE or IceWM would look great on the Evo 4G.

 

[EarlyMon]

Ok.

So I picked up netarchy's latest OC'd kernel (go netarchy! ) and I am way liking that - even tinkered with it set to on demand from 384 MHz to 1512 MHz (and ran the stress test in setCPU for quite a while to feel comfortable about that).

The kernel is required by the technique.

And - I'm running the stock rom.

So - I got as far as launching ubuntu and failed on the setup looping device step (in the bootubuntu script).

I was going to do this as a throwaway, as I'm not sure what the heck I'd actually need this for.

Now - I'm starting to believe that I really need this just because the install didn't go right off the bat.

Note the advice on the first page -

Step 17 should be "apt-get update && apt-get upgrade"

Note also they claim there's some mysterious keyboard glitch that will require the use of a Bluetooth keyboard.

Pish posh. If I follow through with this, I'm going to use RemoteDroid via wifi for this whole affair - and possibly consider running it into my HDTV. And that will run the Java server on the 3vo and keyboard and mousepad on that Evo I've got.

Because god only knows I just need terribly one more way to surf the web in my living room.

Honest.

Srsly.

 

[EarlyMon]

Had a few apps on my SD card and forgot that.

Moved to phone.

Ladies and gentlemen, I can run Ubuntu on 3vo.

I'm simply using a console, courtesy of Terminal Emulator - but it's Linux, and I'm in.

Early - doing the happy dance.

 

[novox77]

Sorry, but the coolest takeaway from this thread for me was that netarchy has a custom kernel for the Evo 3D. Checking it out now

 

[EarlyMon]

I am way liking it.

 

[EarlyMon]

Screen shot of Jolly VNC on my Mac laptop connecting to my HTC Evo 3D Android phone running Ubuntu as a virtual machine courtesy of netarchy's kernel and device looping.


Large image - 960x540 plus window border -

Spoiler

So - that was neat.

I think I'll take you up, archoille, on using your experience and exploring IceWM, Fluxbox and so forth.

At this point what's interesting me more than VNC is just launching good old X11 to my laptop and doing away with the VNC lag.

I'll lose the Ubuntu desktop in favor of my own - but I'll gain all of the all of that sweet Ubuntu power running on my phone now.

 

[ardchoille]

Good job EarlyMon! The fact that you can actually do this says so much about Android. Yeah.. I need to put theming aside for a day and get this done on my Evo 4G

Oh, and Netarchy's kernels ROCK!

 

[jerofld]

So...with ubuntu installed on your phone...do you still have the capability of it being a phone? Or is it like when people installed red hat onto a xbox 1? Totally worthless outside of the coolness factor?

Side note: Of all the devices I've ever modified, the Microsoft Xbox was probably the most fun. That thing was like legos for adults.

 

[ardchoille]

EarlyMon, Looking good! Yeah, I figured that color problem was the fault of the VNC app you were using.

So...with ubuntu installed on your phone...do you still have the capability of it being a phone? Or is it like when people installed red hat onto a xbox 1? Totally worthless outside of the coolness factor?

Side note: Of all the devices I've ever modified, the Microsoft Xbox was probably the most fun. That thing was like legos for adults.

Ubuntu sits on the SD card and runs via a terminal app and you can switch tasks out of the terminal app as normal.. Android is still.

 

[thelonewizard]

EarlyMon, Looking good! Yeah, I figured that color problem was the fault of the VNC app you were using.


Ubuntu sits on the SD card and runs via a terminal app and you can switch tasks out of the terminal app as normal.. Android is still.

So, if I were to get a 32GB Micro SD card and install Linux on it, I could go back and forth between Android and Linux at school if I wanted?

 

[jerofld]

Interesting. When I get my 32GB SD card, I'll check it out. Although, I'm mostly a linux newbie.

 

[EarlyMon]

So, if I were to get a 32GB Micro SD card and install Linux on it, I could go back and forth between Android and Linux at school if I wanted?

Android never stops.

You'd get to Ubuntu by using an app in Android to window into the virtual machine running parallel to your Dalvik VM.

Because of the small display, I'm content with a simple terminal window (I like Terminal Emulator, it's the blue windows you'll see below) - but yes, you can window into the desktop as well - again using a Android app (androidVNC).

Here's the Ubuntu login and vncserver startup from my phone, note the terminal is still interactive:



There's really nothing requiring you to make the vncserver start by default, this was simply their way of doing things. That could be left to an interactive script.

They say restarting your phone is required, seems to me only thing required is a vncserver process kill on the Linux side and a clean exit from the virtual machine (hint: type exit).

Anway, don't exit just yet, Home out to your homescreen (don't back out, Home out). Then launch androidVNC.

androidVNC will have a startup kinda like this -



Almost forgot - make sure you set up androidVNC like this -



Next you'll see the desktop - just set it to native resolution, 960x540 in Ubuntu, not other suggestions in the instructions, unless you plan to need a better desktop size for your external VNC access.

(Hint - if you think to, write a little shell script that will let you choose the resolution when you start vncserver interactively, rather than building it in as an auto-start.)



Play with the mouse, you'll get a zoom tool - let's just pick something included -



Here we go, zoomed out - because this is downsized rather than on Flickr you can't see it, but all of the Office menu stuff is actually clear (a little scrunched, c'mon, it's 960x540 - but it's clear) -



They say that unlike the Evo, this setup has some famous keyboard glitch and the keymappings on-screen don't work.

Either I got lucky, or they're talking about another problem - or they forgot that androidVNC is an older app and maybe is just a good idea to use Spare Parts Plus, free in the Market, and uncheck Compatibility Mode.

Anyway - it looks like the keyboard works for me -



Pffft - geez.

I don't know about you guys, but I think SwiftKey X looks just wrong when I use Linux.

After all, I do want the environment to be right - how 'bout Hacker's Keyboard, free in the Market? Yeah - that's the ticket!



The rest is just boring stuff, like zooming in and out, navigating the screens, playing with Ubuntu on my phone.

Anyways - all good things must end, at some point I'll make an alias for the shutdown (vncserver -kill :1) -



Don't sweat the failed part and message about losetup - that's how the poor man's virtual machine exits out.

I found these instructions pretty handy for setting up LXDE (also tell you how to get another Window manager):

Android - LXDE.org

I guess nano is some sort of editor, wouldn't know - I've only used vi for over 20 years as my unix editor, so - you know.

Anyway - it's a fun project, worthy for having access to full Linux as a learning tool for the OS, to cheat around on getting things a few things done. (Can you say webmail access with Firefox and then using a full Office tool to manipulate documents? Like all of my tricks in unix - primitive, but effective.)

That's all I can think of - hope this was helpful, entertaining - or whatever-something anyway!



PS - Oh yeah - to go between Linux and Android, I just used the Home key when in Ubuntu to back out to Android, and then just re-entered androidVNC to get back in (I used QuickDesk for that, suppose you can re-enter however you want).

PPS - Your storage budget for this is 2.3 GB + your nandroid to start. I'm actually still on my 8 GB card that came with the phone. But - that's me.

 

[ardchoille]

I guess nano is some sort of editor, wouldn't know - I've only used vi for over 20 years as my unix editor, so - you know.

Nano is similar to vi, but would be a huge step backwards if you've used vi for that long </opinion>.
I prefer vi myself.

I can't wait to see how GIMP fares in this

 

[EarlyMon]

Yeah - I knew you were going to ask about GIMP.

So - when I started this, I had no idea how richly supported this was. My intention was to bootstrap build gcc - on the phone, not the emulator - then do as required for X11, and then build GIMP.

Just to give myself something useless to do.

I had no idea that this was all so well-supported!!!

Anyway, as I reported at XDA -

For me, using vncserver resolution at 960x540 and Compatibility Mode off, I can confirm that the following keyboards work:

• SwiftKey X
• Hacker's Keyboard
• Swype (included revision on stock phone)
• HTC stock 3vo keyboard

Flex T9 had working return and delete keys, that's it.

For me personally, Hacker's Keyboard seems to make the most sense.

Oh yes - I'm running LXDE.

I'm not clear why I'm going to this effort other than because it is there - this is an awfully fun tinker, tho.

If I don't find something original to do here, I'm going to feel like the monkey pushing the button - these guys writing guides and helping (you included) are just making being a monkey too much fun in it's own right!

 

[M5Rahul]

Been following the thread on xda. However, at this point, I'm just basking in the bloatless ViperROM with Netarchy's Test5 glory

 

[ardchoille]

Yeah - I knew you were going to ask about GIMP.

Was there any doubt?

So - when I started this, I had no idea how richly supported this was. My intention was to bootstrap build gcc - on the phone, not the emulator - then do as required for X11, and then build GIMP.

Just to give myself something useless to do.

I had no idea that this was all so well-supported!!!

Anyway, as I reported at XDA -



I'm not clear why I'm going to this effort other than because it is there - this is an awfully fun tinker, tho.

If I don't find something original to do here, I'm going to feel like the monkey pushing the button - these guys writing guides and helping (you included) are just making being a monkey too much fun in it's own right!

Well, Android is Linux so it isn't surprising that this type of project is as supported as it is. I would even be willing to bet there wouldn't be much trouble in getting Ubuntu to run native. If I remember correctly, there is already an ARM release of Ubuntu.

Indeed.. sometimes you just have to do something "because it's there" and have fun with it

 

[EarlyMon]

I wanted to try to kinda explain the relationships because the whole thing seems to be confusing people.

In this diagram, your user interfaces into Ubuntu are through Android's Terminal Emulator or androidVNC (or equivalent-funtion apps that may or may not exist yet) - on the phone, that's strictly how it's done.

To view it from the outside world, you network in to the Ubuntu side and still interface with the vncserver.

In both places on the diagram, VM means Virtual Machine.


Hope it's somehow helpful.

 

[jerofld]

I could see this being really cool on a tablet. Could have a fully functional netbook computer, but in the form factor (and touch screen) of a tablet.

 

[ardchoille]

I could see this being really cool on a tablet. Could have a fully functional netbook computer, but in the form factor (and touch screen) of a tablet.

Exactly.. and I'm predicting that this will become more popular as well as make Ubuntu more widely known.

 

[EarlyMon]

List of Linux Running Tablet PC – OS Edition Comparison 2011

 

[ardchoille]

List of Linux Running Tablet PC

 

[EarlyMon]

Well I did some further tinkering.

I think the people with keyboard issues on this solution are trying to use the default desktop for this distribution and I highly recommend against it. Besides the keyboard problem, it won't launch Firefox - I'm guessing that's a memory issue.

I like LXDE, it reminds me of the early KDE desktop from around 2000.

I am having trouble launching other X tools besides xterm. When you get this on your Evo, we can compare notes.

 

[EarlyMon]

Both lxterminal and gimp work, but I can only run one thing per vncserver session. Probably with limited memory, I don't care.

Anyway - GIMP. On a phone. Yep.

 

[EarlyMon]

I played around with window managers to fix the one-tool problem, ended up going back to icewm. Must be my phone/androidVNC/memory because I can access multiple tools from my laptop vnc client.

I couldn't think of a quick way to access my /sdcard from within the virtual machine, so I simply installed SwiFTP, free in the Market, for my ftp server and used Firefox on the Ubuntu side as my ftp client. I downloaded a random picture from /sdcard/DCIM/100MEDIA and opened it with GIMP with Firefox still running.

Picture or it didn't happen: