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A couple days removed from offering a first look at Ubunutu Touch for tablets, Canonical has launched a developer preview of the new mobile OS. Designed to play nice with Android development phones, the linux-based Ubuntu Touch features support for the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. But if you are thinking about moving to the operating system as a daily driver, take note of the “developer preview” tag.
As the build is being released with development for the platform in mind, it does not support the full range of functions you would get from a fully-baked smartphone experience. The software is described as “very new and unfinished.”
Still, if you are tempted to take a look, take heed. Installing Ubuntu Touch will wipe your device of all data. You will want to be sure to make a proper backup in advance. Check out complete details on device compatibility as well as installation instructions at the source link below.
[via Ubuntu | Thanks, Ethan!]
“Installing Ubuntu Touch will wipe your device of all data.” That’s on following official instructions. Instead, do this:
1. Download the quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip (or mako or whatever your device is) and quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip files from download page. Copy both to SD card
2. Backup SD card contents to PC just to be safe even though they won’t get wiped.
3. Boot into CWM or TWRP. Make a nandroid backup, factory reset.
4. Flash the device file then the phablet-armhf file. Reboot to run Ubuntu..
5. To go back to Android, restore nandroid backup.
Gonna feel weird not flashing Gapps this time
Remarkably beautiful and surprisingly quick, unfortunately they’re right, just about nothing is functional. No 3G/HSPA+ and no auto rotate are the two main missing features.
What about WiFi? If that works I can try this.
Yeah, Wifi works.
Lovely. I’m actually fully charging my Nexus 7 and prepping space on my computer to back up my device.. Don’t need anything lost. I can’t wait to try it. =.D
If you follow Abhijeet Mishra’s instructions (that he got from XDA) it will retain your custom Recovery (CWM or TWRP) and just do a backup of your setup without losing anything. That’s what I did. I’m all for redundancy, but Ubuntu Touch is actually based off of CM10.1, there really isn’t too much too worry about.
Source: http://www.xda-developers.com/android/porting-ubuntu-touch-is-as-simple-as-building-cm/
Also it is only compatible with the GSM versions of the GNex and Nexus 4, no Sprint and Verizon.
There’s only a GSM version of the Nexus 4, unfortunately.
You spelled fortunately wrong. A Nexus without updates is not a Nexus.
You have poor sentence structure.
LOL ^^ Well stated, sir. Still cant believe Google even allowed VZ to label their GNex a “Nexus” device….VZ branding, no Google Wallet, and slow updates? shame.
Damn. i wanna see if i can shoehorn this onto my sensation
It’s surprisingly better than I expected but definitely no Android replacement IMHO.
Im tempted to buy a used galaxy nexus in interest of trying this. I’ve got a galaxy sll, galaxy relay 4G, sprint evo 4G, galaxy note ll and a transformer infinity. None of these devices are supported sadly. Im hoping it gets ported in a similar way as cyanogen mod
Get a Nexus 7.
I’ll just go take a look on XDA. I like their way of installing things.
I guess my question is that other than being a nerd why would I do it?
Tried it when it was released, didn’t like it at all