Android x86 Multiboot with Win7 and Ubuntu on Acer1825

By Christopher, April 17, 2011

Most of you know that nice Androidx86 release from arobase for the Acer1825, but a lot of you asked for installation on hard-disk. I have done it and here comes, how it works:

First my start configuration: I had a installation of Windows7 (seldom used) (NTFS) and Ubuntu 10.10 on LVM(ext4), no free space for a new partition.

First and absolutely necessary: BACKUP YOUR WHOLE HARDDISK!!!!! If you work with partitionsĀ  you could run into terrible problems.

I used the clonezilla distribution and did a backup over LAN to my desktop pc.

Next I needed a new partition for Android, but I had no free space, so I used gparted (This tool is very easy to use, I think a explanation is not necessary) under Ubuntu to shrink the Windows 7 disk. I shrinked about 12GB, but the android installation only takes some hundreds megabyte, so you could use a smaller partition. I would suggest at least 4GB.

After shrinking the Windows 7 partition I created a new ext3 partition on the free space and booted the newested android iso (beta 3) from usb (created with unetbootin).

Next the install procedure as screenshot gallery. Important: DO NOT INSTALL GRUB, IT WILL NOT DETECT YOUR EXISTING OS

[nggallery id=13]

After the installation reboot to Ubuntu .You have not another choice because android is not listed in grub, but that’s what we do next:

Please check with gparted or another partition tool how many partitions do you have and which partition is that one you installed android to.

Next you need to edit that file:

/etc/grub.d/40_custom

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sudo gedit /etc/grub.d/40_custom

and replace the content with next listing:

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#!/bin/sh
exec tail -n +3 $0
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.

menuentry "Android-x86 2.2 (MDPI)" {
set root=(hd0,4)
linux /android-2011-03-28/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0 androidboot_hardware=aspire1825 acpi_sleep=s3_bios,s3_mode SRC=/android-2011-03-28 DATA= DPI=160
initrd /android-2011-03-28/initrd.img
}

menuentry "Android-x86 2.2 (HDPI)" {
set root=(hd0,4)
linux /android-2011-03-28/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0 androidboot_hardware=aspire1825 acpi_sleep=s3_bios,s3_mode SRC=/android-2011-03-28 DATA= DPI=240
initrd /android-2011-03-28/initrd.img
}

menuentry "Android-x86 2.2 (VESA)" {
set root=(hd0,4)
linux /android-2011-03-28/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0   androidboot_hardware=aspire1825 acpi_sleep=s3_bios,s3_mode SRC=/android-2011-03-28 DATA= vga=788
initrd /android-2011-03-28/initrd.img
}

menuentry "Android-x86 2.2 (Debug mode)" {
set root=(hd0,4)
linux /android-2011-03-28/kernel root=/dev/ram0 androidboot_hardware=aspire1825 acpi_sleep=s3_bios,s3_mode DEBUG=1  vga=788 SRC=/android-2011-03-28 DATA=
initrd /android-2011-03-28/initrd.img
}

You need to change that listing, if your android partition is not number 4. Check the number ( see above ) and change all occurrence of “set root=(hd0,YOUR_PARTITION_NUMBER)”

depending on your partition number. If you don`t know, try all numbers starting on zero, you could not damage something, it will only not boot.

If you use another laptop than a Acer1825 you need another androidx86 image from http://www.android-x86.org/ and than you need to change all occurrences of androidboot_hardware=aspire1825 e.g. for androidboot_hardware=eeepc or something like this. What you need to specify could you see if you boot from the corresponding live iso of androidx86 (fitting your hardware) and pressing TAB to see the boot options.

If you use another androidx86 image than I mentioned above you need to change the path to android on the partition respecting to the folder structure on the disk. In my case it is a folder with “android-2011-03-28″…You could look after that with your Ubuntu file manger which could read the android partition. The advantage of that special folder structure is, that you could install several android images the same time on the same partition because most use a special sub-folder, but than you need to add more entries to above grub file.

If you do not want all that menu entries above, you could uncomment single ones like DEBUG or HDPI or ….

The listing above adds the entries for androidx86 to you existing grub after you did:

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sudo update-grub

If something is not clear do you feel free do ask.

 

Sources:

http://www.franklinstrube.com/blog/dual-booting-ubuntu-netbook-remix-and-android-x86-on-an-asus-eee-pc/

34 Comments

  1. Isidoro says:

    Hi,
    I have an Asus eeePC 1005p, with W7 and Ubuntu 10.10 installed, and now I also have installed android-x86-2.2-generic.iso (Jan 14, 2011) in a new partition (/dev/sda7).
    I’ve changed partition number 4 with 7 in 40_custom, and also have changed aspire1825 with eeepc in all menuentries, but updating grub doesn’t list Android partitions.
    May I have to change something else?
    Thanks.

  2. Isidoro says:

    Thanks, that was the problem: I’m using another boot loader called burg, and I was writting “update-grub” instead of “update-burg”.
    Anyway entries appeared in burg menu, but none of them wanted to start, so I’ve changed all texts “android-2011-03-28” with “android-2.2”, and now it works (very slow and buggy, but works!!!)

  3. Isidoro says:

    Thanks for your help Christopher šŸ˜‰
    Another little improvement:
    If you “create a fake SD card”, you can “boot your phone” with that fake card inserted adding this line just after SRC=/android-2.2:
    SDCARD=/data/sdcard.img

  4. Bert says:

    Hi, does the screen rotation works with this Android?
    Thanks in advance!

  5. […] to the grub2 menu from debian on my EEEPC laptop and on my Debian/Ubuntu workstations. Thanks to this pageĀ I was able to download the latest nightly for EEEPC Ā from this link and created a usb […]

  6. Hothan says:

    System cannot boot into Android if I select Read-Write for system image.

    Is there any body experiencing the same prob?

  7. Christopher says:

    Mmh I did not have this problem. I think you select the read and write option during installation? Which filesystem do you use?

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  9. MoH.ss says:

    hi

    how i can remove android x86 from my eeepc ?
    i wanna uninstall it but i am afraid my grub damage.
    please help

    • Christopher says:

      Hey,
      in general this depends on your whole setup:

      e.g. if you only use windows and you want to remove androidx86 and grub you could remove the android partition and then rebuild the windows boot loader on your hdd with a windows recovery disk/stick. Moreover you could format or extend or what ever the empty android x86 partition.

      If you use another linux in parallel to android x86 and you want to keep grub. remove the androidx86 partition and reuse its space in away you want and edit your grub configuration to remove android entries.

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  11. fabrie says:

    Hi, I just put Ubuntu 11.10 64 on my new 1825ptz.
    Thank for the wishes.xml file, I just have to change some settings like “firefox” instead of “firefox-web-browser” and zoom in/out with pinched are inverted.
    I still have a problem when I go to sleeping mode when close screen on keyboard.
    it goes to sleeping mode and when I wake up the touchscreen is no more active.

    have you experienced this problem and solved it ?

    • Christopher says:

      hey fabrie,
      I am still on 10.10 XD, because it runs quite well and I want to deny the trouble with newer versions. But I am still working on this android-x86 thing and had similar problems some weeks ago on android-x86 and multitouch. I think a newer kernel version will solve this problem, because on android-x86 the problem was solved some day by a repo sync. Maybe you only need to wait for!

  12. […] your ubuntu, windows, android 2.2 and android 3.2 environment if you install to hdd like explained here. 1234567891011121314151617#!/bin/sh exec tail -n +3 $0 # This file provides an easy way to add […]

  13. Vittorio F. says:

    Hi, I am having some issues booting…
    Android is installed in partition 3 and all the paths to kernel and initrd.img seem coorect.. But it won’t boot!

    I have grub2 with ubuntu 11.10 running on a eeepc

    Thanks

    • Christopher says:

      Ensure that you check the install directory of your android build. In my example above “/android-2011-03-28”. It changes from build to build. Moreover just try several different partition numbers for root “set root=(hd0,4)”.

  14. Vittorio F. says:

    I think I have set up partition and directory pointers correctly, but thanks!
    I am posting to http://groups.google.com/group/android-x86/ then will get back

  15. Marios Papachristou says:

    Very good. But android now runs extremely slowly. What can I do to avert this?

    Runnnig android x86 v3.2 on toshibanb200 (generic pc)

  16. Mihai says:

    error: no files found
    error: you need to load kernel first

    Thanks in advance!
    Multi boot LMDE, Win 8 and hope android ..

    my partitions

    dev/sda1 ntfs system reserved
    dev/sda3 ext4 / LMDE
    dev/sda2 extended
    dev/sda5 linux swap
    dev/sda6 ntfs WIN 8
    dev/sda7 ext4 Android

  17. Sophana says:

    Hi

    I’m trying to install ics 4.0.4 on my packard bell butterfly touch with an older grub from fedora15.

    boot from live sdcard (made with unetbootin) works very well.

    But I can’t make it boot from grub.
    Installed on a dedicated ext3 partition.
    Used the same grub kernel args from this post.
    It is booting.
    Android is detected.
    I have the shell prompt during some seconds.
    then the screen goes black. There should be an android-x86 animated logo, but I don’t have it.
    Can’t switch with ctrl+alt+f1 (like it does when it work).

    I can’t find how to have logs.

    Thanks for your help.

  18. Fairlicks says:

    Hello,

    I’ve, like you, installed my android on /dev/sda3.
    However, when I opened my Android-x86 folder with Nautilus, I saw a folder named “android-4.0-RC1”
    This I believe is because I used “android-x86-4.0-RC1-asus_laptop.iso”
    My laptop is “Advent Verona”

    Please what are the exact steps I need to take because I’ve read through and still can’t make any English in any of the posts!
    …eg. Where do you go to even do this; “Next we need to add some custom
    grub entries:…”?

    Thanks in advance!

  19. Fairlicks says:

    Hello,

    I’ve installed my android on /dev/sda3.
    However, when I opened my Android-x86 folder with Nautilus, I saw a folder named “android-4.0-RC1”
    This I believe is because I used “android-x86-4.0-RC1-asus_laptop.iso”
    My laptop is “Advent Verona”

    Please what are the exact steps I need to take because I’ve read through and still can’t make any English in any of the posts!
    …eg. Where do you go to even do this; “Next we need to add some custom
    grub entries:…”?

    Thanks in advance!

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  21. DS says:

    No Such Partition
    need to load kernel first !!
    -_- -_- -_- -_ – -_- -_____-“

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