Debian For Android Installer Released 160
dooberrymctavish writes "You can now download an installer and bootloader for getting Debian running on your Android (G1 at the moment) device; the whole install process will take you about 10 minutes, and leaves you with access to the full plethora of programs available in Debian and lets you continue using your phone as it was intended to be: as an Android device with all the capabilities thereof. Here's a look at it running.
Re:If it takes that much time to boot... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The video sucks (Score:5, Informative)
It does not show Debian booting, it shows an safe-upgrade using apt or aptitude.
The Debian version is Lenny, btw.
Re:If it takes that much time to boot... (Score:5, Informative)
Hi Guys, the video is of Debian doing an 'apt-get update' the boot takes less than 3 seconds. I showed this particular video to show that it is debian running. The boot is only 3 secs.
teh lolz (Score:5, Informative)
Here is the actual code from the bootdeb script.
I particularly like how init is "started" before the kernel is "booted". The "automounter" is also a nice touch. It's also impressive how the kernel boots in exactly 1 second every time.
echo "Custom Linux Pseudo Bootstrapper V1.0 - by Mark Walker"
echo "WEB: http://www.androidfanatic.com/ [androidfanatic.com]"
echo "EML: admin@androidfanatic.com"
echo " "
sleep 1
echo "Starting init process"
sleep 1
echo "INIT: Debian booting....."
sleep 1
echo "Running Linux Kernel"
sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
sleep 1
echo "AutoMounter started"
sleep 1
echo "Type EXIT to end session"
echo "Make sure you do a proper EXIT for a clean kill of Debian!"
echo " "
chroot $mnt /bin/bash
On the other hand, my prediction re debootstrap was wrong. Rather than just use the shell script as designed, the creator of this thing ships an entire pre-built debian system that's chrooted into. Amusingly, this includes a root/.bash_history showing every command he ran while setting it up. (It also includes 104 mb of cached debs in /var, etc.)
Anyway, very amusing.
Re:If it takes that much time to boot... (Score:1, Informative)
What do you mean "forced to use GMail"? There's a mail app you can use to access any IMAP4/POP3/SMTP mail account that comes with the phone.
NICE! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:This is why linux/opensource sucks. (Score:5, Informative)
Except it's true.
Yes, Windows Mobile sucks. But, it does one thing Apple doesn't:
You are allowed, and encouraged, to develop and use third-party apps, which have no relationship to Microsoft.
You can download them from the Internet. You can install them via sync, or wifi. I don't actually know you can grab them with wifi, but that doesn't matter, because you could write a program that does that -- write your own package manager, even! -- and no one will stop you.
On the iPhone, you distribute them through Apple, through the App Store, and you buy them through the App Store. Anything else is likely to void your warranty, maybe even get you sued.
Re:This is why linux/opensource sucks. (Score:3, Informative)
just to answer the "don't know if you can grab them with wifi" - absolutely. All but the most ancient of WM devices that have WiFi or a cellular chip will have an internet browser - typically IE, but newer models come with Opera. Just browse to the website that hosts the .CAB or .EXE (the former is the more common - the latter you have to make sure it's not a windows installer but e.g. a pocketpc installer.. yes, that's a bit of a hassle, yes, the App(le) Store prevents such hassles), save the file, and launch it.. whether you're doing so over a virtual network (via a USB cable, for example), wifi, cellular chip, bluetooth or heck - IRda modem.. it doesn't care.. once the file's on the machine (by any means), you can run it.
AndroidFanatics fails to credit their sources (Score:4, Informative)
For the record, this is just a shell script that runs the commands listed here: http://www.saurik.com/id/10. AndroidFanatics generally doesn't reference it's sources. At least this time they (arguably) provided some value in packaging, but that usually isn't the case. The Android Market Browser it has, for example, is just a republished download of http://www.cyrket.com/. It used to be an iframe, but when I told them I wasn't okay with that they decided to just wget the contents. They don't even have the intelligence/decency to reformat it at all, making the entire thing quite flagrant. Frown pants.
Re:NICE! (Score:4, Informative)
I put debian on my Dev G1. Zero problems.
It's safe - all it does is run a chroot environment from your SD card, thus you are unable to break your existing system (/dev hacks aside). No kernel is booted, it lives off the running system kernel.
This means two things:
- Resources are only consumed by actual running debian processes you initiate. No mysterious background daemons. I run a bash shell, and the only extra process on the phone is one bash shell.
- Aside from memory/cpu resources (not really scarce on a 192Mb phone), zero impact on the rest of the phone (I can compile a kernel whilst making a call at the same time).
I can now install and run any debian app. With a $12 4Gb micro-sd, I can install a *lot*. Access either via keyboard or network (ssh).
python and perl on my phone - w00t!
All I'm waiting on now is someone to create python modules to interface with the phone's GUI. And/or an X server.