Android x86 tutorial

Android x86

there are several developers working on this project there is a source for what they have so far, that said ill link in a sec. this is a tutoral of how ive managed to get this far in android x86 ive got most of root working on various builds let me state that i am using a acer aspire one 532h 2588! i am currently running RC2.1 by314

For root you must be on ext3 to get it working although it will still run in ntfs and you will be able to read windows usb drives ext3 you cant the con to ext3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfWb_h96_-Q&feature=youtu.be
YouTube how to

-Dev Links-
http://source.android.com/
http://code.google.com/p/android-x86/
http://tabletsx86.org/
http://www.android-x86.org/
http://android-x86.sceners.org/en/
http://www.android-x86.info/
http://www.ceh-photo.de/blog/the ones here work for more computers, just saying! http://www.ceh-photo.de/blog/?p=562 BETA 4


-Needed-
2g min usb for installation of iso
i used a external hdd, you can use a usb drive 4g min i would say, or you can install on os hdd but do not format it!
lili usb creator - http://www.linuxliveusb.com/en/home
minitool partion wizard - www.partitionwizard.com


-steps for live testing-
1) use lili usb creator to install the iso onto a 2g min usb
a) select the RIGHT usb drive lol
b) then select the iso that your going to test
c) i personally only have format the usb selected but you can install the other crap but i dont lol
d) click the lighting bolt to start click the oks lol

2) insert the usb with iso on it, to your laptop with it off

3) start the laptop into the boot options (f12 for me) select the usb with iso

4) click run live...


TEST EVERYTHING YOU CAN, root hardly works here and no data is saved...

-steps for installation-
1) format your usb or hhd partion with minitool partion wizard to either ext3 (most root availible) or ntfs (for use with usb drive ?music?)

2) use lili usb creator to install the iso onto a 2g min usb
a) select the RIGHT usb drive lol
b) then select the iso that your going to use after tested for the best one
c) i personally only have format the usb selected but you can install the other crap but i dont lol
d) click the lighting bolt to start click the oks lol

3) turn your laptop insert the usb with the iso and the usb or external or even the internal if you want to do something crazy but you will format your windows or stock os! i use a external hdd as in my vid..

4) start your laptop enter your boot options (f12 for me) select the usb with the iso

5) select to install
a) select the partion that you set up earlier (if you dont see it detect devices ext3 = linux)

b) choose to format (i format to the format i set it for you dont have to...)

c) yes install grub (if installing to external you dont have to install grub but i do for debugging and to get to windows without unpluging)

d) yes install windows if your installing on a windows hdd
e) reboot (as soon as you see your bios you can remove your usb if your dont you will get error 17)


And now your running android ics on your laptop/netbook/pc

I didnt develop any of this! just trying to get it out there for others
thanks button is nice but not nessary



Acer Aspire One 532h Android x86 ICS RC2.1...

(Guide) Install Android x86 4.4 on GPT UEFI computer (working ARM!)



Hi.

This guide is written for "[FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]" (all versions), but it should work for most, if not all UEFI computers with GPT hard drives. However, on "[FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]", Android 4.4 RC1 works perfectly. EVERYTHING is functional, including ARM translator, both cameras, Wi-Fi, touchscreen, Bluetooth etc. Therefore, this tablet is an ideal choice for running Windows 8.1 together with Android.


First, download all the required files & software in one package: http://yadi.sk/d/s9sCXJRALmupY


What you need:

• One USB flash drive (16GB minimum) for installation
• Minitool Partition Wizard 8.1.1 (included)
• Notepad++ 6.5.5 (included)
• Android 4.4 RC1 with libhoudini, GAPPS, Root & UEFI-patched kernel (included)
• GRUB from Ubuntu 13 (included)
• Working UEFI Windows 8.x with GPT hard drive, on the computer where you are going to install Android to.

[FONT=&quot]0) [/FONT]Go to your PC BIOS and turn OFF "Secure boot" (it will not affect Windows 8). On "[FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]" it is ALSO required to "Clear all secure boot keys" in BIOS setup and reboot once. Leave UEFI boot turned on.

[FONT=&quot]1) [/FONT]Start Windows & install Minitool Partition Wizard 8.1.1 (pwhe8.exe).

[FONT=&quot]2) [/FONT]Insert 16 GB USB drive. Format it with regular Windows Explorer, use FAT32.

[FONT=&quot]3) [/FONT]Run Minitool Partition Wizard. BE CAREFUL! CHOOSE YOUR USB DRIVE, NOT YOUR HDD! Resize the main partition of your USB drive so that there is 7.9GB of free space left AT THE END. Do not exceed 8GB.

[FONT=&quot]4) [/FONT]Not closing Minitool Partition Wizard, create PRIMARY EXT2 partition to the extent of that 7.9GB of the empty space on your USB drive. Name it "Android".

[FONT=&quot]5) [/FONT]Close Minitool Partition Wizard. Go to Windows Explorer and copy everything FROM the folder "[FONT=&quot]Install USB[/FONT]" (not the folder itself!) to your USB drive, so that you have "[FONT=&quot]EFI[/FONT]", "[FONT=&quot]boot[/FONT]" and "[FONT=&quot]android[/FONT]" folders in the USB drive's root.

[FONT=&quot]6) [/FONT]Press "Shift" on the keyboard, and while holding it choose "Restart" from Windows 8 charm bar (that annoying vertical stripe to the right). "Advanced Reboot" menu appears, choose "Use device" -> "UEFI USB drive"

Now, if you are using Sony Vaio Tap 11, there is everything already set in config files & you do not need to edit them. However, if your PC is different, now it's a good time to test if it can run Android x86 at all. So:

[FONT=&quot]7) [/FONT]a) - ([FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]) - When black GRUB startup screen appears, choose "Install Android" -> wait for installation screen -> Select partition "sdb2 (linux)" -> Select "Do not format" -> Select "Yes, install GRUB" -> Select "Yes, install system r\w" -> Wait -> Select "Reboot".

[FONT=&quot]7) [/FONT]b) - (NOT [FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]) - When black GRUB startup screen appears, choose "Live Android 4.4" and TEST EVERYTHING. Don't worry if ARM translator doesn't work - it will, after you install Android to HDD. If everything seems fine, choose "Power Off" from Android (NOT “REBOOT”!), start Windows again and repeat steps 6) & 7a).

[FONT=&quot]8) [/FONT]Now that you have installed Android to EXT2 partition on your USB drive, it is time to move it to HDD. Remove USB drive. Start Windows and launch Minitool Partition Wizard.

[FONT=&quot]9) [/FONT]THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL. Select your main computer's HDD. Find Windows partition (disk C:). If C: is your PC's only drive (like on [FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT] and most Ultrabooks) - carefully resize it with Minitool Partition Wizard, leaving ~8.5GB of free space AFTER it. WARNING! DRIVE C: IS NOT ALWAYS THE "LAST" PARTITION ON YOUR HDD - SOMETIMES THERE ARE ADDITIONAL RECOVERY & OEM PARTITIONS AFTER IT, WHICH YOU CAN'T SEE UNDER WINDOWS, BUT CAN IN Minitool Partition Wizard. DO NOT TOUCH THEM! RESIZE JUST THE DRIVE C:! If there are additional (logical) drives in your PC (D:, E: etc.) - resize the last one that you can see under Windows explorer, but, I repeat, DO NOT TOUCH ANY PARTITION BEFORE OR AFTER IT!

[FONT=&quot]10) [/FONT]Close Minitool Partition Wizard. Insert your 16GB USB drive, where Android was just installed. Launch Minitool Partition Wizard again.

[FONT=&quot]11) [/FONT]Select your USB drive. Choose EXT2 partition and COPYit to the free space of your main HDD, but position it AT THE END OF FREE SPACE - remember, we created EXT2 with the size of 7.9GB, but resized C: to free 8.5GB? Therefore, there will be ~500-600MB of free space left BETWEEN YOUR RESIZED DRIVE C: & EXT2 PARTITION. That's exactly what we need.

[FONT=&quot]12) [/FONT]When copying of EXT2 partition finishes, create new PRIMARY FAT32 partition in that 500-600MB of remaining free space. Name it "GRUB" and let Minitool Partition Wizard assign some drive letter to it (don't worry, it is all temporary). Let's assume that the letter assigned was "E:"

[FONT=&quot]13) [/FONT]Now the fun part COUNT (literally, with your finger) ALL PARTITIONS ON YOUR HARD DRIVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT - count every single one, including the just created "GRUB". Write down (on a sheet of paper) the position of your just copied EXT2 partition - on [FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT], it will be number 7, on other GPT computers - likely 6 (or 7). Close Minitool Partition Wizard.

[FONT=&quot]14) [/FONT]Go to Windows Explorer and copy everything FROM the folder "Copy to GRUB HDD Partition" (not the folder itself!) to your newly created "E:" drive ("GRUB"), so that you have "EFI" and "boot" folders in "E:" drive's root.

[FONT=&quot]15) [/FONT]Go to "E:" drive's root and edit the file "boot" -> "grub" -> "grub.cfg". Do NOT use Windows' "Notepad" for that, use included "Notepad++"

[FONT=&quot]16) [/FONT]Find this:

CHANGE "root=(hd0,gpt7)" & "root=/dev/sda7" TO THAT NUMBER YOU'VE WRTITTEN ON A SHEET OF PAPER - for example, if your EXT2 partition was 6th from the left, change "root=(hd0,gpt7)" to "root=(hd0,gpt6)" & "root=/dev/sda7" to "root=/dev/sda6". DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ELSE. DO NOT ADD SPACES. Save the file.

[FONT=&quot]17) [/FONT]Edit the file "boot" -> "grub" -> "loopback.cfg" in exactly the same way as in the previous step. Save the file. Close editor.

[FONT=&quot]18) [/FONT]Remove USB drive if you had not already. That is important – if USB is inserted, then ITwill become “hd0” for grub & Android would fail to load.

[FONT=&quot]19) [/FONT]Reboot your PC. It will start Windows as usual. Wait until it booted completely and go to Desktop (from Windows 8 Metro screen)

[FONT=&quot]20) [/FONT]Move your mouse to the very bottom-left corner & press RIGHT button. Choose "Disk Management". Find your little ~500-600MB "GRUB" partition (disk "E:" in this guide), press right mouse button & pick "Change drive letters & paths". Press "Remove" button. No more useless disk "E:" in Explorer

[FONT=&quot]21) [/FONT]At last, press "Shift" on the keyboard and, while holding it, choose "Restart" from Windows 8 charm bar (that annoying vertical stripe to the right). "Advanced Reboot" menu appears, choose "Use device" -> and surprise! New choice appears there - "UEFI HDD drive"! That is your Android. This is how you will access it every time (reboot Windows with "Shift").

To return to Windows from Android, just select "Power Off" from drop-down, & then simply start your PC again. Do NOT use terminal command "Reboot" - if PC is rebooted from Android to Windows without proper shutdown, Bluetooth will not work under Windows until switched on\off in Android.

In a rare case when GRUB becomes the default UEFI loader, not letting you to start Windows – there’s an entry in it to chainload UEFI Windows 8 boot manager. You have 5 seconds on every boot to select this entry. Then your PC will boot Windows normally, & Windows should automatically correct its loading sequence. Android will still be accessible in a usual way.

That's it Happy hacking!

You should probably mention that the android x86 builds are generally limited in their hardware support.

Hi Folks.....

Well, The bootloader on the tablet I was currently mainly working on had an unfortunated run in with "parted" and a developer who wasn't concentrating which resulted in a nice new brick. meh! It's repairable by popping a resistor to switch the bootmode, remember it's not a true brick until you see blue smoke :laugh:

you might be thinking, Why am I telling you this?

Well during this unscheduled break, I decide to look again at this rom, It's something I've known about since they first did a 1.6 port, more of a curosity, like a bearded lady, than anything to be taken to seriously.

There's a number of things which hold this port back IMNSHO, Bootloader ( Grub 0.97 WTF! ), Installation Process and now the fact that ICS is old, I also throw in the use of the Generic Vesa Framebuffer although they did support i965 (or some combo of numbers that escapes me right now) , but where's the info on multiple monitor setup with highend cards. ( RadeonHD etc ) .

So as promised in my last post, I had a cigarette! Built 4.2.1, I also built managed to tease out a build of CM10.1 , I had to talk to that one real nice! Buy it flowers and stuff :laugh: but we got there in the end! and you get Clockworkmod Recovery thrown in with the deal, so you don't have to miss out on all those flashable zips.

On top of that I upgraded the kernel using googles 3.4 android. The only thing I'm missing from this party is the Mesa OpenGLES drivers. So at the moment It boots into the android user space but with a constant SystemUI failure. Once I've sorted that out I'll probably start a new Development Thread with it all and see were this little adventure takes us.

In the mean-time here's some notes on booting!

Booting Using Grub2
Use a similar menu entry to this.
The main difference between this and booting something like ubuntu is the lack of 'root' parameter.

Using the Windows Boot Manager As The Primary Bootloader
Take a look at EasyBCD which is a nice friendly interface for setting up Boot Selection Items. It's is a product I used a couple of years ago when I was using windows and this had just come out, A free version is available with registration. and their documentation looks pretty good.... For our purpose there have a module call NeoGrub for chainloading into linux/android

More Soon! I Reckon!

Nice tutorial, thanks!