After a lot of work, I've been able to create a functioning MultiROM installer for a GNU/Linux distribution. Currently most things, such as WiFi, bluetooth, the display or the GSM modem, don't work. The only way to interface with the ROM while it's running is by connecting the phone to a computer, and then using ssh. My goal is getting all the phone-specific things working (WiFi first), and making GNU/Linux a viable primary OS for the Moto G.
While it is true that what is possible with GNU/Linux is also possible with Android with a little bit of work, I don't like that Android is, at heart, an embedded system. This has some negative implications for hackers (not crackers) that would like to use it as a normal UNIX. For example, the whole system is treated as one big blob and many things can't be changed without recompiling., which is why there are so many ROMs available, and why they are not compatible between devices.
Install the debian.mrom file as a normal MultiROM ROM via TWRP and select the ROM at bootup. Connect a USB cable from your computer to the phone. After around a minute, a new interface should appear on your computer (usb0 for most Linux distros, enp* for those using udev's "persistent" naming). Set its IP address to 10.0.10.1/24. Optionally, you can also set up internet access on that interface. The phone's IP address is 10.0.10.2. You can also use my script to setup the network (setup_net.sh) after changing wlp2s0 to your computer's internet-facing interface. You can then connect to the phone via SSH or a netcat shell on port 2323. The root password is root.
The WiFi setup procedure is complicated. First, the wcnss compound driver needs to be activated. Android does this by running wcnss_service, whose modified version (I basically just altered the paths and replaced Android logging with printf) I've included in the ROM (/sbin/wcnss_service). Wcnss_service does many things, but the only important one (AFAIK) is open()ing /dev/wcnss_wlan. After activating wcnss, the WiFi driver needs to be activated. Recent versions of Cyanogenmod have the driver built-in and activate it via WifiHAL (I have no idea how...), I've decided to instead build the driver as a kernel module (/wlan.ko). Insmoding the LKM does something, but the initialization fails, and I don't know why.
setup_net.sh
The kernel is Optimus kernel by Flashhhh with a custom config
.
XDA:DevDB Information
Debian for the Moto G, ROM for the Moto G
Contributors
dvdkon
ROM OS Version: 5.1.x Lollipop
ROM Kernel: Linux 3.4.x
Based On: Debian
Version Information
Status: Testing
Created 2015-08-21
Last Updated 2015-08-29
Why GNU/Linux, when Android is already Linux-based?
While it is true that what is possible with GNU/Linux is also possible with Android with a little bit of work, I don't like that Android is, at heart, an embedded system. This has some negative implications for hackers (not crackers) that would like to use it as a normal UNIX. For example, the whole system is treated as one big blob and many things can't be changed without recompiling., which is why there are so many ROMs available, and why they are not compatible between devices.
Guide
Install the debian.mrom file as a normal MultiROM ROM via TWRP and select the ROM at bootup. Connect a USB cable from your computer to the phone. After around a minute, a new interface should appear on your computer (usb0 for most Linux distros, enp* for those using udev's "persistent" naming). Set its IP address to 10.0.10.1/24. Optionally, you can also set up internet access on that interface. The phone's IP address is 10.0.10.2. You can also use my script to setup the network (setup_net.sh) after changing wlp2s0 to your computer's internet-facing interface. You can then connect to the phone via SSH or a netcat shell on port 2323. The root password is root.
What I've learned about WiFi
The WiFi setup procedure is complicated. First, the wcnss compound driver needs to be activated. Android does this by running wcnss_service, whose modified version (I basically just altered the paths and replaced Android logging with printf) I've included in the ROM (/sbin/wcnss_service). Wcnss_service does many things, but the only important one (AFAIK) is open()ing /dev/wcnss_wlan. After activating wcnss, the WiFi driver needs to be activated. Recent versions of Cyanogenmod have the driver built-in and activate it via WifiHAL (I have no idea how...), I've decided to instead build the driver as a kernel module (/wlan.ko). Insmoding the LKM does something, but the initialization fails, and I don't know why.
Dowloads
debian.mromsetup_net.sh
The kernel is Optimus kernel by Flashhhh with a custom config
.
XDA:DevDB Information
Debian for the Moto G, ROM for the Moto G
Contributors
dvdkon
ROM OS Version: 5.1.x Lollipop
ROM Kernel: Linux 3.4.x
Based On: Debian
Version Information
Status: Testing
Created 2015-08-21
Last Updated 2015-08-29
