So since beaups has announced that s-off for 2.06 will be for Linux only, a lot of people are preparing by either trying to set up a Linux partition or Live DVD/USB. I just thought I'd make a thread for general info and help getting it working properly. I'm not going to go super in-depth with this because there's a plethora of information online this is more just for some tips to get you started.
Disclaimer: Make sure your computer is backed up before doing this. You shouldn't run into any problems that will screw it up, but you never know what could happen. Better safe then sorry, right? If your computer explodes, it's not my fault.
Some general info about LInux
Essentially, Linux is just a kernel. Android is based off the Linux kernel, and your cable box, router, and most web servers probably are as well... And a lot of other things you might not think of.
Desktop Linux has what are called distrinutions. These are basically the equivalent of Android ROMs, just operating systems based on Linux. If you are just starting out, you probably want to use Ubuntu or Linux Mint as they are the most user-friendly.
Making the Live DVD/USB
-First you obviously need the iso. Here is a link to the Ubuntu download: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
-Unless you have a computer that doesn't support 64-bit, just get the 64-bit download. If you have a UEFI-based computer, you definitely want the 64-bit iso because it's UEFI native, which will make things easier, and you will also want to read this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI
-If you're trying to boot the Live DVD on a Mac, you also want the 64-bit iso, and you need rEFIt: http://refit.sourceforge.net/
-If you just want to boot from the DVD, you can burn it with pretty much any DVD burning software. If you want to make a live USB, use unetbootin: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ or Pendrive Linux: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/category/usb-creator/
Installation
-If you only plan on using Linux once to s-off your phone, you don't really need to do this, just use the Live DVD.
-If you haven't already, you probably want to hook up an ethernet cable to your computer in case the wireless drivers aren't available.
-If you actually want to install it on a PC, it's pretty straightforward, just use the "Install Ubuntu alongside Windows" option, unless you want to partition it manually with the "Something else" option (I won't go into that here).
-If you want to install it on a Mac, you will need rEFIt, which I already mentioned. You also need to add a fat32 partition to your drive that you will reformat to ext4 with the Ubuntu installer. Install rEFIt, reboot twice and then you should see the rEFIt boot menu where you can choose your live disc. One very important thing about this: If you are installing Linux to the same drive as an OS X installation, DO NOT choose the "install alongside" option. It will break your install. Use the "Something else" option. By default, Linux wants to install grub to the MBR, but you need to reformat your fat32 partition to ext4 instead and install it to that partition. Then you can just boot into it with rEFIt. The rest is pretty much the same as installing it on a PC.
Post-install
-At this point, it's going to want to install some updates and maybe some proprietary drivers it may need and that's it. Really all you need to do after this is install the android drivers. The easiest way is to use apt-get which is basically a package installer for everything in Ubuntu's software repos. Open up Terminal, and type in: sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot. Hit enter, type in your password, then it will ask you to confirm and blah blah blah and then it will download and install it. That's really it. I don't know what else may be necessary at this point since the s-off tool hasn't been released yet.
Some other links that may be helpful:
-Dual-boot on PC: http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/05/17/how-to-dual-boot-ubuntu-12-04-and-windows-7/
-Dual-boot on Mac: http://lifehacker.com/5934942/how-t...-and-take-back-your-powerhouse-apple-hardware
-Triple-boot on Hackintosh: http://lifehacker.com/5698205/how-to-triple-boot-your-hackintosh-with-windows-and-linux
-If you want to build a ROM from the source (Ubuntu 12.04): http://forums.androidcentral.com/ve...99-guide-ubuntu-compiling-android-source.html
-Linux forums, the folks here are very helpful: http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/
-Terminal basics: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal
I hope this is helpful. If anyone has any suggestions to add to this post feel free.
EDIT: One more thing! If you are asking for help, please post what computer you are using, the specs, and whether it is BIOS-based or UEFI-based.
Disclaimer: Make sure your computer is backed up before doing this. You shouldn't run into any problems that will screw it up, but you never know what could happen. Better safe then sorry, right? If your computer explodes, it's not my fault.
Some general info about LInux
Essentially, Linux is just a kernel. Android is based off the Linux kernel, and your cable box, router, and most web servers probably are as well... And a lot of other things you might not think of.
Desktop Linux has what are called distrinutions. These are basically the equivalent of Android ROMs, just operating systems based on Linux. If you are just starting out, you probably want to use Ubuntu or Linux Mint as they are the most user-friendly.
Making the Live DVD/USB
-First you obviously need the iso. Here is a link to the Ubuntu download: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
-Unless you have a computer that doesn't support 64-bit, just get the 64-bit download. If you have a UEFI-based computer, you definitely want the 64-bit iso because it's UEFI native, which will make things easier, and you will also want to read this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI
-If you're trying to boot the Live DVD on a Mac, you also want the 64-bit iso, and you need rEFIt: http://refit.sourceforge.net/
-If you just want to boot from the DVD, you can burn it with pretty much any DVD burning software. If you want to make a live USB, use unetbootin: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ or Pendrive Linux: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/category/usb-creator/
Installation
-If you only plan on using Linux once to s-off your phone, you don't really need to do this, just use the Live DVD.
-If you haven't already, you probably want to hook up an ethernet cable to your computer in case the wireless drivers aren't available.
-If you actually want to install it on a PC, it's pretty straightforward, just use the "Install Ubuntu alongside Windows" option, unless you want to partition it manually with the "Something else" option (I won't go into that here).
-If you want to install it on a Mac, you will need rEFIt, which I already mentioned. You also need to add a fat32 partition to your drive that you will reformat to ext4 with the Ubuntu installer. Install rEFIt, reboot twice and then you should see the rEFIt boot menu where you can choose your live disc. One very important thing about this: If you are installing Linux to the same drive as an OS X installation, DO NOT choose the "install alongside" option. It will break your install. Use the "Something else" option. By default, Linux wants to install grub to the MBR, but you need to reformat your fat32 partition to ext4 instead and install it to that partition. Then you can just boot into it with rEFIt. The rest is pretty much the same as installing it on a PC.
Post-install
-At this point, it's going to want to install some updates and maybe some proprietary drivers it may need and that's it. Really all you need to do after this is install the android drivers. The easiest way is to use apt-get which is basically a package installer for everything in Ubuntu's software repos. Open up Terminal, and type in: sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot. Hit enter, type in your password, then it will ask you to confirm and blah blah blah and then it will download and install it. That's really it. I don't know what else may be necessary at this point since the s-off tool hasn't been released yet.
Some other links that may be helpful:
-Dual-boot on PC: http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/05/17/how-to-dual-boot-ubuntu-12-04-and-windows-7/
-Dual-boot on Mac: http://lifehacker.com/5934942/how-t...-and-take-back-your-powerhouse-apple-hardware
-Triple-boot on Hackintosh: http://lifehacker.com/5698205/how-to-triple-boot-your-hackintosh-with-windows-and-linux
-If you want to build a ROM from the source (Ubuntu 12.04): http://forums.androidcentral.com/ve...99-guide-ubuntu-compiling-android-source.html
-Linux forums, the folks here are very helpful: http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/
-Terminal basics: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal
I hope this is helpful. If anyone has any suggestions to add to this post feel free.
EDIT: One more thing! If you are asking for help, please post what computer you are using, the specs, and whether it is BIOS-based or UEFI-based.
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