Android on TouchPad: A different approach to getting Android up and running 31
We've seen plenty of advancements with getting Android up and running on the TouchPad but now a new mthod has popped up for people to try out. It's dubbed as a test for now, so don't expect it to be a flawless execution as demonstrated in the video, but that's ok. You can download and install the test IPK file to your TouchPad and essentially you have Android up and somewhat running within a card -- just a like a real app would.
While we're not positive on just how this is working, it appears as though it may either be running in a VM or a variant of the Android SDK emulator, the slowness is what gives more weight to it being an emulator. No, it's not the best or fastest method of doing such things but the potential is there for greater things if some of the bugs are recognized and worked out.
Source: Pre Central Forums
31 Comments
Oh yeah???This platform is getting crazier and crazier everyday, I've never been teased so much in my life. Can we get A solid promise fulfilled on this thing already.
Android running (emulator) in a Touchpad?!?!
So, can we see WebOS running in a Samsung Galaxy Tab?
That will be really cool....don't you think?
ON GT or iPad — that would make my year ...
Sexyness from inside out.
Someone with the know how should see if they can get WebOS running on a different platform. I unfortunately don't have the smarts to do it, but it would be nice if it were possible.
No need to ask why would anyone want to. It is because to us, it is the best operating system out there.
Amen
how about getting Webos on an Evo 3d?
Android within cards? Awesome. If I could run android apps with an app, it'd be the perfect combination of the two platforms. Apps within apps, Inceptdroid
Oh god, we're going to bring the universe to an end once we launch an app inside an app inside an app.....
Yo dawg, I heard you like Android, so I put an app in your Touchpad so you can launch an app while you launch an app.
If you read the thread it doesn't run as a card. It reboots into Android after you launch the app in webOS.
Apparently it only takes 10 seconds to boot into Android.
Just took a quick look inside the IPK.
It seems to be running Android from a chroot( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroot ) environment. There a 'system.img' and uImage. The latter probably providing the ramfs with the basic root filesystem (and probably busybox) inside the chroot environment. The system.img gets mounted inside that, providing most of the shiny android bits. There might even be some key linux libraries/binaries/modules that android needs, which he may have had to recompile against the WebOs 3.0.x linux kernel. Interestingly there are a couple of Upstart services that run on the WebOs side 'run_proxy' & 'input_proxy'. The latter was the first thing I saw, and made me fairly confident that it's running chroot, not taking over the device from webos. If need an upstart service running in background to proxy user input to Android, then upstart is still running, and the webos kernel is still running. It looks as though it just shuts down Luna when Android is running. Whether the display hooks are achieve via SDL, or something engaging the linux framebuffer device directly, I can't say.
I'd like to know how if he had to recompile the dalvik vm and the like. Perhaps someone who isn't still waiting on HP S.M.B. store to ship their damn touchpad they ordered 6weeks ago can look into that.
Please forgive run-ons, and any spelling mistakes.
Cheers!
This is like the windows Linux booters I have seen in the past. It would install Linux onto your windows hard drive, and then when you ran it the thing would kick windows out of memory and boot linux.
do not install if you have oc'd your touchpad. It removes the kernel.
if you remove the program the kernel comes back
Just tell me it'll run Scruff and Grindr and I won't need a Kindle Fire.
Tried it... it actually works... but not in a practical way... still need a lot of work... but its impressive that Android can run on the touchpad with little effort...
Once this method is up and running, is there any difference between ACME and this? I am tempted because it seems so easy but also reluctant because of all the news of Android security flaws and rogue apps. Right now I am really liking webOS. The only Android app I really miss is the Eye-Fi server, which wireless transmits from your Eye-Fi card which has a built in wireless transmitter,the card reads as a wireless network, the photos go right into your tablet from your camera as you are shooting. I use this a lot. Other than that I am unwilling to jeopardize my Touchpad out of curiosity .
They are dramatically different approaches. This is a chroot environment, whereas ACME is native. That means this version is much slower. In its current state, everything but wifi is more or less broken, so its pretty useless.
But, it does look like it has a good future.
This looks like the touchdroid **** version put into a card. Can you do anything in it? Can you install android apps?
I love WebOS, but this is neat. If you could make the apps available for the TP, yes that would be great, but WebOS with its flaws is still the best OS out there to me. Whether it is a dead, dying, or OS in recovery, I still am committed to it.
Please, no one, cut off the life support. I think there is still a chance to save this one. Yes, at the moment it is in a coma, but there is definite brain activity. It has the strongest heart I have ever seen. We can fix this one.
Is the TP the only tablet out right now that synchs with your phone?
Wow!!
When gonna be ready, I'll buy this app!! :-)))))
Best Regards... B)
I bought my Touchpad during the fire sale, on the premise that I would install Android. But after a month of waiting, I love my Touchpad just the way it is. At this point, I'd rather have a way to run Android apps in a card. I'd only consider a dual boot or live image as a last resort. Forget about replacing WebOS with Android.
Welcome!!!
That's actually a "best of both worlds" scenario isn't it?
That is right. Whom so ever can create a way of using android apps on WebOS would be of more value to me that someone that can replace It with Android 2.3.
.
I can't help but be amazed at the irony of this endeavour.
A great OS being replaced in a somewhat decent piece of hardware, because one would rather run a fractured OS on it.
.
I want webos on an android phone!!
*yawn*
don't get me wrong, it's nice and all, but can you just wake me up, when there's webOS on some nice former Android devices? You will get a nice "h*ll, yeah!" in return.
Got my Pre3 yesterday and traded a three weeks old Samsung Galaxy thingy in for it. Did it on purpose. Really.
Be warned, I just installed this and now upon boot I go to a Triangle with a ! and a link to www.palm.com/ROM
I'm not saying that the App is all to blame or is even the culprit. All I know is my TouchPad was working before I installed it.
Use webOS doctor if this program broke your touchpad.
Sounds like I'll wait on my second (for hacking around on) TP to give this a shot... Anyway, as some others have mentioned, running some stock android in a card would be preferable to chroot or duelboot, even better would be the ability to run multiple android apps in cards, even if said apps didn't support all the hardware (cameras, bt, audio, etc)...