Jaunty under Android.
Posted by Paolo Sammicheli on May 3, 2009
About one month ago I bought an HTC Dream aka G1. I started to play with Android and I think it’s pretty cool.
After few hours I had it in my hands I started to look for information about how to hack it, and I found a lot of useful sources. I got Root on it, and then I installed the Jesus Freke’s version of Android. I was also able to install Debian on the Micro SD Card, and it was a lot of fun. Now Jaunty is out, and we have ARM port available, so I was wondering if it’s possible to install Ubuntu under Android like Debian does. With an useful explanation about how to build an ARM image using debootstrap with Debian I started to build mine with Ubuntu repository.
IT WORKS!
Warning: I suggest to try it only if you’re an experienced user with Android Hacking.
What you need:
- You need a Rooted G1 with a community build of Android.
- I tested it with JesusFreke’s v1.50 but it should works with any Apps_to_SD version
- You need an Apps_to_SD version. In other words you need to make an ext2 partition on your Micro SD Card. Further info.
Go on my site and download the two files: http://paolo.sammiche.li/android
unpack the tar.gz on your ext2 partition. If you have a JF or an Haykuro version it should be mounted on /system/sd
Now you will have a /system/sd/ubuntu folder with a Jaunty ARM image. That Ubuntu image is built with ubuntu-minimal package.
Then copy startubuntu script in/system/sd folder. Umount SDCard from computer and move on the phone keyboard.
With terminal emulator type:
- cd /system/sd
- su
- ./startubuntu
Now you will have an Ubuntu Minimal enviroment chrooted under Android’s Linux kernel. You can go ahead installing a full Desktop Enviroment. You can also use abd shell from your computer for a better typing. 😉
Note: probably the image should be polished. Patches are welcome! 🙂
Paolo Sammicheli's Blog 
coguar said
Nice device, GL with Ubuntu port…
drubin said
Thanks. Always looking for info on Android
Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope en un HTC Dream said
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Shahryar Ghazi said
good job!
Jaunty under Android. | Ubuntu-News - Your one stop for news about Ubuntu said
[…] Now Jaunty is out, and we have ARM port available, so I was wondering if it’s possible to install Ubuntu under Android like Debian does. With an useful explanation about how to build an ARM image using debootstrap with Debian I started to build mine with Ubuntu repository. Read more here […]
morphwvutuba said
AWESOME! I was struggling with the Debian install instructions out there. THIS was cake. I’d rather have Ubuntu anyway, as I’m eager to see if netbook remix works on the G1. Thanks for sharing this!
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Paolo Sammicheli nous gratifie d’un billet[1] suite a ses essais avec le téléphone HTC Dream qui est livré d’origine sous le système de Google, Android. Forcément cet amoureux d’Ubuntu n’a pu résister longtemps et s’est immédiatement mis en tête d…
I Lost Thirty Póunds in Thirty Days said
Hi, cool post. I have been wondering about this topic,so thanks for writing. I will definitely be coming back to your site. Keep up the good work
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Anonymous said
How did you create the ubuntu tar file?
Thanks!
Paolo Sammicheli said
To creare the Ubuntu image I used this guide about debian and I adapted for Ubuntu.
You just have to change the first debootstrap command with:
debootstrap –verbose –arch armel –foreign jaunty ubuntu http://ports.ubuntu.com/
Btw, it’s not a newbie stuff, that’s why i published a ready tarball.
Next week, if I found time, I will publish a full guide about how to build that image.
Planet Android » Blog Archive » Install Ubuntu With Full Desktop Environment On Your G1 said
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Enrique said
Can you still use the phone after installing jaunty?
Paolo Sammicheli said
Yes, but battery life it’s really compromised. Btw all Android process are running in background while in Ubuntu, so if i receive a call my phone rings.
Maxis said
My opinion that Android is the most promising platform
Academic said
Nice work man, big thanks!
Daniel Sousa said
When I run the last command (./startubuntu) I get the error: “Permission denied” (No, I didn’t forgot to use su)
Paolo Sammicheli said
Do startubuntu has permission for execution? Check with ls -l and add it in case with chmod. Let me know
Daniel Sousa said
I thought that root would have always all rights.
Chmod 777 solved that problem, but now it shows other error:
B3: not found
ep: not found]6aoU1^o,y.+j~~x
./startubuntu: 1: Syntax error: Bad fd number
Paolo Sammicheli said
What strange problem. Check content of startubuntu scripts. It seems bad downloaded files. Try also the commands inside the script step by step. They are just few lines.
Try shell from adb from easy typing.
Sorry for typos but i’m from G1 right now 😉
markus said
try “sh startubuntu” instead of ./startubuntu
blake said
this newbie is willing to brick his phone for jaunty on his g1. please give a guide. please.
Paolo Sammicheli said
Who is willing to brick is phone? I Answered all questions in this post.
Btw I repeat my disclaimer: «Warning: I suggest to try it only if you’re an experienced user with Android Hacking.»
blake said
I’ve been here all the way since some one figured out root. I’ve done themese and all the good stuff. With the engineers bootloader, I’m fairly confident that whatever I may mess up I can fix. Plus I just dropped this thing in a cup of water lastweek and it still lives. I need a reason to. Buy the i7500 when it comes out. My problem is the tarbal. I’m trying like hell to extract it. I’m sure its something else. But I think ill be fine after that. Thanks.
Andrew said
Seems like your hosting of the files has gone down. Any idea when it’ll be back up so I can just grab the ready made tarball?
Paolo Sammicheli said
Now it’s back online
Andrew said
Thanks Paolo
mexedi said
Good! Thx!
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Анатолий said
thanks this post. I made some adjustments
Eric said
I decompressed the tar.gz, but my G1 can’t seem to boot ubuntu with the script. does ubuntu.tar need to be extracted?
ran the scripts manually in term, after running “mount -t devpts devpts $mnt/dev/pts” I am returned with this error: “mount: mounting devpts on /system/sd/ubuntu/dev/pts failed: No such file or directory” when I looked inside /ubuntu/dev I don’t see a file named ‘pts’. I did see ‘ptmx’, is that what it’s looking for?
What am I doing wrong here?
Paolo Sammicheli said
Of course, you need to untar the package.
alex said
Now since you have ubuntu running can you use the skype client and the firefox with flash enabled?
Thank you
Alex
Paolo Sammicheli said
I don’t think so. It’s more a proof of concept than a real usable thing due poor performance. And it’s missing all audio drivers so forget Skype.
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RichieDaze said
I have Debian installed on my G1. Would I have to Uninstall Debian before Installing Ubuntu?
Paolo Sammicheli said
It’s not necessary if you have enough space on SD
Squel said
Hello
I untar ubuntu to my ext2 partition, when I run a script startubuntu i get a strange error.
Error: “chroot: cannot execute /bin/bash: Permission denied”
Paolo Sammicheli said
Are you doing it with root permitions? Also check that /bin/bash has execution attributes (It should have)
h3x said
I myself was having problems with “startubuntu” and it was saying cannot execute /bin/bash. Im new to linux so i simply did some research and found that unzipping the files and moving them with windows was causing the problem. I logged into my Samurai webtesting framework (linux) Booted up console.. obtained root with the |sudo su| command.. used command line to extract tar with root permissions.. |cd Desktop| (where the ubuntu was extracted) and |mv -i ubuntu /media/android| now when i start ubuntu everything is nice and crisp. By the way it would be nice if someone could port something like neopwn to G1. maybe one of thses distros?? one has to be debian or ubuntu based so wouldnt be much work right? http://www.securitydistro.com/security-distros/
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fei said
Hi Paolo:
I try to use qemu to simulate the arm cpu and use your tarball as filesystem, it pops up the user name and password, would you advise me the username and password for your tar ball
Paolo Sammicheli said
I don’t remember if I had set a password. Try ubuntu/ubuntu but I’m not sure.
Marbd said
./startubuntu: not found :S
Paolo Sammicheli said
startubuntu script it’s available in the same page you downloaded the tarball.
manu said
Does it work with htc my touch?
Paolo Sammicheli said
It should work. I can’t confirm it because i haven’t that device.
manu said
Hi,
I just wanted to tell you that I’ve tried in my htc magic with cyanogenmod 4.1.5 and it works perfectly!!
Good job mate!!
btw apart of the vnc and desktop option…. has someone setup something “really good” on it’s htc?
congrat again mate!
MV
Sturmeh said
Works great on Cyanogenmod 4.1.9.2!
Note you’ll need to kill any dameons you start manually even after exiting, or just reboot the phone… 🙂
I installed openssh, and the dameon continued to run after I did an ‘exit’ and attempting to connect to it resulted in it instantly crashing the session, which is no problem because ubuntu had been unmounted.
I’ve got a question though, if I run ./startubuntu and then close terminal without typing exit, with the intention of keeping the file system mounted, (for ssh) how do I return to the ubuntu shell? Should I just run ./startubuntu again and ignore the 3 mount errors?
Paolo Sammicheli said
After playing with it I suggest to reboot the phone to clean up everythings 🙂
About the question: exactly, Startubuntu just mount file systems, so if you already did it you can ignore the warning and gain a new shell starting the script again. Or, if you want to do a clean shell start, doing the chroot command you find in the last line of startubuntu script.
Sturmeh said
Yeah I seem to need to reboot after playing with it.
I got gcc working on it, pretty cool how you have a c/++ compiler let alone a linux shell on it. 🙂
Also I added universe repo and it took ages to apt-get update, but I managed to grab cmatrix and try running that, it displays green and and glorious but a bit laggy, oh well. 😛
It’s not exactly fast ( or optimised? ) but it’s still pretty cool.
I’ll keep it on my apps2sd partition until I need more space or I realise it’s taking up too much space haha.
Sturmeh said
I’m not describing any problems though…
I was just saying the dameons run after I unmount ubuntu, so I need to be sure to kill them after exiting.
Also how should I exit if I forgot to exit and I closed Terminal?
Sturmeh said
Ignore this lol. ( I was replying to something you typed in May )
Paolo Sammicheli said
LOL
Sturmeh said
xD
Lakrymist said
Can u re-add another .tar this one is corrupted. I have tried to manage it in both vista and ubuntu. Thanx.
Paolo Sammicheli said
Forget to make it working in Vista. No way to untar it in a Micro$oft file system without losing file attributes.
Using Ubuntu you may notice a warning relating the creation of few nodes. Just ignore it, they are related to device directory that it’s not used while under Android (it will use Android Kernel, not Ubuntu Kernel).
And again, if you’re not an *experienced* user with Ubuntu, shell, and so on, just don’t do it. It’s a more a haking proof-of-concept than a thing for end user.
Lakrymist said
its not that. the compressed folder is corrupted m8. i got that error on all unzippers. it ends up with 26mb less than its supposed to. 😦
Lakrymist said
Wicked man i got it to work using #sh startubuntu great work.
markus said
I have a question about this. Does anyone have problems when phone us using wifi connetion? Seems ubuntu cannot connect to internet while wifi is in use. I can do ifconfig, and it shows my lan IP address, but cannot even ping google etc… If i disconnect wifi, and use data connection from tmobile, it works fine but is slow (we havent got 3g yet)
tightvnc and lxde taking forever to install
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mike said
hi i installed it nice and easy on a tmobile pulse, i went to try install icewm desktop but when i try to apt-get install tightvncserver or apt-get install icewm i just get could not find package? is there a solution to this or another tutorial that will get it running ?
almyz125 said
hi, i downloaded the files and i get errors while extracting the archive, i am using ubuntu 9.10 to extract the archive. i went ahead and tried to run it even with the errors, and of course it did not work. i was just wondering if i am extracting the files wrong, or if the archive is corrupt?
gzwalter79 said
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=640785
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=RhodiumUbuntu
Ubuntu 9.04 runing on other HTC Device (like Rhodium)
Dark Matter said
Just got this working on a rooted Samsung Behold II running BH_MAN’s stock behold II tweaked ROM (1.6). Worked great!! Instructions are pretty much the same too. Next up is an ARM version of ubuntu 10.04…. that might take some time, but your blog got me on the right track. Thanks!!