How to run Ubuntu Linux in your Sylvania tablet.

enmanuel17

Member
Oct 20, 2011
12
4
How to run Ubuntu Linux in your Sylvania tablet.

You’ll be running a virtual Ubuntu OS that runs on top of the Android OS. Your Android OS will work fully without any problems.

First step 1: You need to have your Sylvania device rooted (preferred with universal androot) because you need root access to run Ubuntu. And you need your tablet and the windows computer you are using are connected to the same router. Also you need to know your tablet ip.

Second step 2: Your Sylvania must support loop devices. I believe most of the Sylvania tablets with Android 2.2 (DG 2.2) have this support so you can mount your Ubuntu image as a loop device. If not just try installing Ubuntu and if it does not boot, your Sylvania device needs a kernel with loop device support.


Third step 3: You must install a recent busybox otherwise this will not work.

Fourth step 4: How to Install Ubuntu on the Sylvania using Windows way

Download the following Ubuntu.zip file, unzip and copy the Ubuntu directory to the root of your Sylvania tablet’s SD card then:
*Pick the fastest website for you!

Download File - ubuntu_zip - DownloadAndroidROMs.com

Download File ubuntu.zip


1: Download Android SDK(you know the development XD blah blah blah tools).
http://dl.google.com/android/android-sdk_r15-windows.zip (this is open source do not worry about it)

2: unzip the file in the root of you hard-drive . Like C:\


3: Then from android-sdk-windows rename it to sdk

4: then open sdk folder and run SDK Manager.exe after that there will be a menu of programs you are just going to select android sdk tools and android sdk platform tools. Then click on install packages.

5: Since the Sylvania 2.2 fro-yo does not have usb debugging mode you will need to install adbwireless or an app that let you work in your Sylvania command prompt through wireless.

6: if you don’t have any app for debugging get the adbwireless.

7: Open the windows cmd console.

8: Now you have to go to your Android SDK Tools directory so type this
Inside the console:
cd \sdk\platform-tools\

then type adb connect 127.0.0.1:0000 (this is an example use your Sylvania ip and port)I will use my sylvania ip is 192.168.1.64:5555(example)


9: type adb shell (to enter the android shell)

10: Now you are inside your sylvania android shell :)
type “su” to get the superuser rights.

11: if you have universal and root installed a message will pop up in your Sylvania asking you for super user permissions(root) you will press allow.

12: Now type “cd /sdcard/ubuntu/” so you get into the ubuntu directory

13: Then type “sh ubuntu.sh” this script will get your Ubuntu image ready to run on your Sylvania tablet. If you get error messages, don’t worry about it just keep going.

14: Finally Type “bootubuntu” to enter Ubuntu.

If you got “root@localhost” at this point, congratulations! This means your Sylvania comes with loop device support and Ubuntu is now running on your Android OS!!! However, if you failed at this point, your Sylvania probably does not have android 2.2 froyo or loop device support on the kernel.

*note*:(Next time you enter Ubuntu, you just need to type “bootubuntu” from your/sdcard/ubuntu directory, no need to run ubuntu.sh again.


How to Install Programs on your Ubuntu!

Once you’ve got Ubuntu running on your Android device, it’s time to install some Ubuntu packages(or programs).

Type “apt-get update” to update, this is the first thing you will need to do before installing any new programs.


How to Install TightVNCServer on your Android Ubuntu!
If you want to access the GUI of your Android Ubuntu, you can install tightVNCServer, which allows you to access the Android Ubuntu via Android VNC app on your Sylvania tablet or even access it remotely from your desktop computer.
Type “apt-get install tightvncserver” to install.
How to Install LXDE!(mandatory)
since the Sylvania tablets are poor in memory(ram) I suggest this LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment). LXDE takes up less memory than Gnome so your GUI access will be faster. If you like GNOME, you can skip this step though.(but you will need lots of memory).
Type “apt-get install lxde” to install lxde
next type: (one by one)
export USER=root
vncserver -geometry 1024×600

After that it will ask you for a vnc password type something easy like 12345678.
Next, we are going to add the following to /root/.vnc/xstartup file using cat command:
cat > /root/.vnc/xstartup
#!/bin/sh
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
icewm &
lxsession

Then hit Ctrl+D twice and Enter key.(do it slowly)
Next open up the Android VNC app(you have to get your own vnc app) on your Slvania tablet and enter the password you set earlier and set the Port to 5901. If like you can use your computer vnc.
Next hit connect and you should get your ubuntu lxde linux on top of your Sylvania.Awesome!
Now, let’s setup your Ubuntu so you can make the VNCserver run everytime you start Ubuntu.
Next, let’s add some code to the /root/.bashrc file, which runs at every boot of your Ubuntu so the VNCServer runs automatically when you start the Ubuntu.
type :
cat > front export USER=root cd / rm -r -f tmp mkdir tmp cd / vncserver -geometry 1024×600 Then hit Ctrl+D twice and Enter key. Next, we will concatenate the file we just made front and /root/.bashrc into a new file called temp:
type “cat front /root/.bashrc > temp” Then we will copy the new file temp over the existing /root/.bashrc. type “cp temp /root/.bashrc”
*To check that it’s working you can exit out of Ubuntu back into Android shell:
type texit then boot Ubuntu back up: type bootubuntu Now everytime you chroot/boot your Ubuntu, the VNCServer is start automatically at start-up.
I will be very thankful to people who contribute to this tutorial and make suggestion and add something new to it XD.
Credits

Thanks to androlinux admin and nexusonehacks.net admin Thanks to Devs at XDA Developer for the Ubuntu ARM image for HTC HD2, which I used then resized it to 2GB so I can put more stuff on it, works fine with other Androids.
Huge thanks to AndroidFanatic for showing me how to put X11 on the screen via VNC. I used their guide for Debian and worked perfectly with Ubuntu.
Even more thanks to Saurik (Jay Freeman) for the Debian G1 script, which I hacked for Ubuntu on Nexus One!
 
Last edited:

enmanuel17

Member
Oct 20, 2011
12
4
I bricked my tablet trying to do what you did. (and I'm even a linux server admin) This is NOT, I repeat NOT, a trival thing to do. Novices certainly should not attempt this.

ummm it seems you did something wrong. maybe you installed a wrong busybox? well if you need help to unbrick your
table : http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/sylvania-tablets/6437-apply-factory-reset-step-step-images.html

[url]http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/sylvania-tablets/12319-how-manually-update-synet7lp-sytabex7-android-2-2-froyo.html

[/URL]
http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...resources-synet7lp-sytabex7-disgo-6000-a.html
 

jimcfs

Member
Nov 30, 2011
18
2

Or once I found a good USB cable, I used kazoe's tutorial http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/sylvania-tablets/27217-sytab10st-recovery.html#post153035 and quickly brought my tablet back to life. Have done it twice so far and it worked slick.

Now, as much as I'd love to have ubuntu run on this, I think we need one of the more experienced folks on here try to go through what you have done enmanuel and confirm the steps so people don't do what I did any more than is necessary. Sorry and no offense intended, but I don't think people will trust a newbie such as yourself (in terms of the number of posts on this board) if they don't have a clue what they are doing.
 

enmanuel17

Member
Oct 20, 2011
12
4
thanks man for the recommendations. Now I am working in how to have a pure debian linux on top of android and so far it works great.
Imagine that man running fluxbox and firefox omgg i gonna cry.well lets stop my drama. When I finish the debian stuff I will let know about it. :)
 

jimcfs

Member
Nov 30, 2011
18
2
Ok. I got ubuntu installed and got to the command prompt. Ubuntu won't update however using apt-get (probably because this is based on karmic which isn't close to the current version of ubuntu), and the install of the VNC server also bombs.

Update: Fixed the problem. Needed to put in a different repository so apt-get found things correctly.

Got everything installed, but when I got to running VNC client, all I got was the X and no desktop. However, there appears to be a solution... go into the the permissions on the xstartup file in /root/.vnc/ and it worked. I basically gave it executable permission (actually, all permissions) “chmod 777 xstartup”.

HOWEVER, I had already shut down the tablet for the night when I saw this fix... so upon reboot, I had no desktop once again. So I've had to do a reburn once again.

One thing to change in the "tutorial"... the screen dimensions are really 1024X600 not 1024X800. Also, link to the nexusonenet's tutorial http://androlinux.com/android-ubuntu-development/how-to-install-ubuntu-on-android/ as the comments had many hints (like the one for the permissions above).
 
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jimcfs

Member
Nov 30, 2011
18
2
Ok I got it to work. However, now when I go shutdown/reset (to power off), and reboot the tablet, I lose the desktop and just get a black screen with the notification bar at the top. Any idea why this keeps happening?
 

enmanuel17

Member
Oct 20, 2011
12
4
maybe it is a problem with the busybox . I will suggest you to get a different one. look for this tutorial
Install Debian on Android - Lanrat

in this tutorial when you get to the line that downloads the system change it from this "debootstrap --verbose --arch armel --foreign lenny debian http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian" to "this debootstrap --verbose --arch armel --foreign squeeze debian http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian"

Also guys if you want to do this for the last ubuntu use this tutorial https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/RootfsFromScratch
you will enjoy this one because it takes a lot work and fun.
 
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