ArchPhone

A project what aims to get GNOME Shell, Arch Linux and Wayland working on Android tablets/phones natively (no chroot)

Current status: Paused

Updates: I don't have time to update(and research) :( I have school, social life and other stuff to deal with

Why? There is Ubuntu Touch already!

Actually, Ubuntu Touch gave me an idea for this.

I would like to run normal desktop apps with my phone, but that seems impossible on Ubuntu Touch.

Initial project goals

• Research how does Android boot. DONE
• Do some research at Google Nexus 5 drivers and kernel. Everything else except Wifi seems tricky
• Build serial debug cable Needs proper schematic, but I can live without it atm
• Install Arch Linux into LXC on Android FAIL, can't get android compiler working
• Get Arch Linux installed on Google Nexus 7 (2012)
• Get Arch Linux installed on Google Nexus 5 and get display working
• Run Weston with freedreno driver
• Usable GNOME DE (with keyboard and mouse at first place)
• Install Chromium and things I normally use
• Get 3.17+ kernel or TSYNC patch to make Chromium usable. See this
• 3G Networking

Ideas for later

• Touchscreen here I come
• MultiROM package, not tutorial how to replace Android
• XWayland
• Get camera and bluetooth working (libhybris??)
• Make kernel only to boot into Arch Linux (Android features removed)
• Get 4G and SMS working (but no calling)
• On-screen keyboard maybe?
• Release images (fastboot packages)

Things that could stop or slow down this project:

• Binary wifi/BT/camera drivers
• Audio (audio didn't work on Ubuntu, so it's very unlikely I get it working) carmine sent me a nice e-mail, and said that audio is working (yay!)
• systemd wants pretty new kernel (I don't remember from head, but 3.4.x is too old) (I can set pacman to hold systemd package) Seems like Android kernel got many backported stuff. systemd runsn even on Nexus7 kernel (which is 3.1.x)
• no info for Freedreno on Nexus 5 !! or if Freedreno works, I can run only older Xorg

Things what are bad, but won't slow down this project:

• Desktop apps are bit big for phones.
• I don't know how libhybris actually works!

Useful things:

• Nexus 6 3.10 kernel: http://goo.gl/uHhDzb
• Nexus 4 Fedora: https://github.com/freedreno/nexus4-fedora CHROOT
• Android boot: http://elinux.org/Android_Booting
• Freedreno: https://github.com/freedreno/freedreno
• If I ever need Mali GPU driver: http://limadriver.org/
• libhybris: https://github.com/libhybris/libhybris
• Gentoo on TF201: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Asus_Transformer_Prime
• Any linux distro on TF201: http://lifeinarootshell.blogspot.it/2013/03/howto.html
• Nokia N900 Arch Linux: https://github.com/archlinuxarm-n900
• Ubuntu Touch and Android on LXC: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/ContainerArchitecture
• Arch Linux on Nexus 7 2013: https://github.com/crondog/arch-flo
• Arch Linux on Nexus 7 2012: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G9vF5v2TN2c6ocyb_hmD1ve7OK4GdCP84rfaXgiLmB4/edit?pli=1