[DEV] Dual Booting Project [Android - Ubuntu Phone OS] (HELP NEEDED)

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Dual Booting Project
Android OS - Ubuntu Phone OS

As the title says, I think we can make posible dual booting Android and Ubuntu.

1st post Experimental Methods, Useful Infromation and Help Needed
2nd post News
3rd post How to install Ubuntu Phone OS

Experimental Methods

1-. This method was originally posted by beidl

The method that beidl suggested us is to make this steps:

1. "Backup every Ubuntu Touch specific file that got installed to /system to the PC, like the chroot scripts and other stuff"
2. "Flash CM back to the device"
3. "Copy specific files back to /system"
4. "By flashing either the boot.img of CM or Ubuntu Touch the desired system should boot up."

NOTE: Nobody try it, be the first!

*Using these methods you could brick your GNex, the poster of each method and me aren't responsible of any damage on your GNex!*

Useful Information

Here is partition table:

Originally Posted by ytwytw

[...]

Model: MMC VYL00M (sd/mmc)
Disk /dev/block/mmcblk0: 15.8GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 131kB 262kB 131kB xloader
2 524kB 4194kB 3670kB sbl
3 4194kB 25.2MB 21.0MB ext4 efs
4 25.2MB 33.6MB 8389kB param
5 33.6MB 37.7MB 4194kB misc
6 37.7MB 41.9MB 4194kB dgs
7 41.9MB 50.3MB 8389kB boot
8 50.3MB 62.8MB 12.5MB recovery
13 62.8MB 62.9MB 65.5kB metadata
9 62.9MB 79.7MB 16.8MB radio
10 79.7MB 765MB 686MB ext4 system
11 765MB 1218MB 453MB cache
12 1218MB 15.8GB 14.5GB userdata

[...]

&

lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 boot -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p7
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 cache -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p11
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 dgs -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p6
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 efs -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p3
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 metadata -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p13
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 misc -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p5
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 param -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p4
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 radio -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p9
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 recovery -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p8
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 sbl -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p2
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 system -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p10
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 userdata -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p12
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2012-07-01 01:03 xloader -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p1

Info about GRUB on ARM v7

Help Needed

I think we can modify partition table making more partitions and modifiying Ubuntu Phone OS kernel to boot in asigned partitions but I need help:

• How much partition we have to add? (System, data..)
• I think we have to edit bootloader + kernel, How to do it?
• It will be posible?

I don't know a lot about partition tables and editing bootloader & kernel but, I think I will be able to help.

PD: If moderator or developers in this section think that it will be better to post this thread in general or in development, don't worry moving it.

News

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News

22/02/2013:Thanks to beidl, I think we have the posibility to boot CM 10.1 and Ubuntu Phone OS. Take a look at the 10th post:

Originally Posted by beidl

There is a script + binary in the Ubuntu package which basically set up the the Ubuntu environment inside of a working Android installation.
The Ubuntu folder structure can be found in /data/ubuntu/.
Booting up is just like on every Android ROM, except the mentioned script gets started and the Ubuntu environment is getting started up.

The first proof of concept would be:
Backup every Ubuntu Touch specific file that got installed to /system to the PC, like the chroot scripts and other stuff
Flash CM back to the device
Copy specific files back to /system
By flashing either the boot.img of CM or Ubuntu Touch the desired system should boot up.

23/02/2013: I'm working on a modified version, now fisrtly I will delet all videos & images that came as a sample. EDIT: I have edited it, to download it, go to the 3rd post!

Files & How to install Ubuntu Phone OS

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How to install Ubuntu Phone OS

NOTE: This files doesn't include the option to make a dual boot yet

-I'm not responable of any damage could have your GNex after flashing Ubuntu Phone OS this way-

Steps:

1. Download files quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip (4,6 MB) and quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip (481 MB), and copy them to your GNex.
   
   NOTE: You can use a modified file without all sample photos, videos and messages modified by me. Donwload it here: edited-quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf-v1.zip
   
   
2. Make a Nandroid Backup (to be able to restore Android later)
3. Make a Factory Reset
4. Flash them in CWM or TWRP (1-.quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip and 2-.quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip)
5. Reboot (In a few seconds Ubuntu will boot up)
6. If you want to restore Android, make a backup of Ubuntu first if you want to install Ubuntu again

*This guide was originally posted by eng.stk*

NOTE: Second file (quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip) will take few minutes to flash so don't panic and relax until it's flashed but, if you use the file that it has been modified by me, it will be faster. This method doesn't wipe your internal storage (/sdcard)

This way you could have both system only restoring backups of both OS. It's a good to have both system while dual boot it's being developed.

Don't you need like a bootloader to dual-boot?

Re: [DEV] Dual Booting Project [Android - Ubuntu Phone OS] (HELP NEEDED)

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Originally Posted by jimmyco2008

Don't you need like a bootloader to dual-boot?

Read the op again. *i think we need to edit the bootloader.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Re: [DEV] Dual Booting Project [Android - Ubuntu Phone OS] (HELP NEEDED)

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Originally Posted by jimmyco2008

Don't you need like a bootloader to dual-boot?

Yes, I need help to edit GNexs' bootloader to be able to boot both OS

Regards,

Urko

Enviado desde mi Galaxy Nexus usando Tapatalk 2

It's a very bad idea to screw around with the bootloader and partition table.
kexec would be the way to go, but it requires kernel patches for both the Android ROM and the Ubuntu ROM.
Also, since Ubuntu Touch is just chrooted inside CM, I guess it would be possible to make some CM specific tricks,
like creating a file on the filesystem, check for it on bootup, if it exists, boot into the chrooted Ubuntu environment.
I still have to take a look at the source though, basically finding out at which stage the ways of Android and Ubuntu seperate.

Originally Posted by beidl

It's a very bad idea to screw around with the bootloader and partition table.
kexec would be the way to go, but it requires kernel patches for both the Android ROM and the Ubuntu ROM.
Also, since Ubuntu Touch is just chrooted inside CM, I guess it would be possible to make some CM specific tricks,
like creating a file on the filesystem, check for it on bootup, if it exists, boot into the chrooted Ubuntu environment.
I still have to take a look at the source though, basically finding out at which stage the ways of Android and Ubuntu seperate.

Do you think we will be able to run Ubuntu and CM? My idea was to modify partition table to add more partition and then, if you wanna run Android OS, flash its kernel to boot it in Android OS or flash Ubuntu Phone OS kernel (edited to boot specific partions) to boot Ubuntu Phone OS. Do you really think that it's a bad idea? I think it is the best option (and it's the only I know). Could you give me more details of that "Specific tricks" to do with CM?

BTW, I NEED MORE HELP!

Not a dev, but thought I'd try and give some helpful advise. I have an HP TouchPad that dual boots webOS and Android. Maybe looking at how that works will help you. Just a thought.

Originally Posted by urko95

Do you think we will be able to run Ubuntu and CM? My idea was to modify partition table to add more partition and then, if you wanna run Android OS, flash its kernel to boot it in Android OS or flash Ubuntu Phone OS kernel (edited to boot specific partions) to boot Ubuntu Phone OS. Do you really think that it's a bad idea? I think it is the best option (and it's the only I know). Could you give me more details of that "Specific tricks" to do with CM?

BTW, I NEED MORE HELP!

There is a script + binary in the Ubuntu package which basically set up the the Ubuntu environment inside of a working Android installation.
The Ubuntu folder structure can be found in /data/ubuntu/.
Booting up is just like on every Android ROM, except the mentioned script gets started and the Ubuntu environment is getting started up.

The first proof of concept would be:
Backup every Ubuntu Touch specific file that got installed to /system to the PC, like the chroot scripts and other stuff
Flash CM back to the device
Copy specific files back to /system
By flashing either the boot.img of CM or Ubuntu Touch the desired system should boot up.