Database Users

[How To] Root

TGA_Gunnman created a one click root that new users will want to use, said thread is a sticky in Captivate Development. If you still want to use the old method (and install ADB) please use this one.
I followed my own guide! This works perfectly if you read everything and follow the instructions.
Also: once you are rooted, be EXTREMELY careful! Half of the new threads are people who have screwed up their phones by deleting this or corrupting that. Please, for the sanity of all of the devs and Android veterans, make backups and just be all around careful. Almost all problems that anyone has had are repareable AND PREVENTABLE with a little reading and care. Just to clarify, rooting does not automatically enable sideloading. Please follow http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=738376 to enable sideloading.
Follow these steps exactly and there will be no risk of bricking your Captivate, the worst that may happen is the phone rejecting the update.zip.
HOWEVER:
I take no responsibility if ANYTHING at all happens to your device that you don't like. Don't come crying to me if your brand new phone breaks in any way. Your warranty is also void, but you could have figured that out for yourself.
Now that that's over with, lets get to the fun bit. If you are on Windows, you can follow this procedure, or for TGA_Gunnman's one click root program (only on Windows), you can go ahead and skip to the bottom.
1) You may need Samsung drivers if you are on a PC, which you can learn about here: ADB Drivers at the Unlockr
For 64 bit Windows, you'll need these drivers: http://zedomax.com/blog/2010/07/14/s...iver-download/
Don't proceed until your phone is fully installed on Windows with the drivers!
2) Download the attached zip (at the bottom of the post) and rename it to update or update.zip if you are on a Mac. (If you are on a Mac, DO NOT USE SAFARI to download the file, it automatically unzips any zip file. Use Google Chrome or firefox instead.) Scroll down the notification bar and click "mount" to allow your computer to read the internal memory. Put the file on the INTERNAL SD card of the Captivate, which won't be tough to figure out if you don't have an SD card in the phone.
3) EDIT--There is an easier way to get to recovery, but do this step anyway. Turn the phone off, then hold power, volume up and volume down. If you still want the android SDK (which will be very useful throughout your rooted experiences) follow the old procedure:
This step requires the Android SDK, and Android Debugging enabled. You can get the SDK here: Android SDK. Just download the zip, extract it to something like C:\Android. You won't need the Java dev pack or anything.
You can enable Android Debugging like this: From the homescreen, press Menu, then click Settings. Navigate to Applications>Development and check USB Debugging. Now, hook the phone to the computer. Next,
On a PC, click start>run>"cmd" (in the text box) or on a Mac, spotlight "Terminal". Linux users, you know what to do.
The command you will use is in the tools folder of wherever you extracted it to (IE: C:\android\tools), so be sure your working directory of command prompt is in that tools location!
Finally, type:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4) Once the phone is booted into recovery, use the volume keys on the phone to scroll to "Reinstall packages." Use power to select what you have highlighted.
5) Give yourself a pat on the back. You are now rooted. You should see a Superuser application now.
MD5 Sum: 1eb65923281c113e8751a7d8a6faff43

Can we please have more detailed instructions? I don't understand the part where it says "type in the terminal"
I am very new to android as this will be my first Android phone.
Also, after rooting will we be able to install 3rd party applications? Or do we have to do anything else to bypass ATT's restrictions?

adb terminal is software you need to install on your PC , will probably need samsung drivers also , guide is indeed not noob friendly. This will help you get needed bits including ADB
Probably None of us have captivate , so writing a guide is a bit troublesome

Ditto, a guide to the adb terminal please! I will acquire this phone, this Sunday.

Actually, you'd have to install a custom ROM for that. MoDaCo should be coming out with them pretty soon, and so will XDA. It won't be too long. BTW, once you have ADB installed on your computer, you can sideload apps all you want. The command is
Code:
adb install /directory/of/app/on/computer

point me to some functioning samsung drivers and I can do this!

If you cant get it to work on windows, try a ubuntu live cd. All you need to do is go to ubuntu and burn a disc and reboot.

Are there no Windows 64 bit drivers?
Edit- I found some that work. I think. Haven't tried it (yet).
http://zedomax.com/blog/2010/07/14/...ic-4g-and-fascinate-galaxy-s-driver-download/
Edit 2- Just did the root. Seems to have worked (no errors) but how do I know if it did? How do I delete say, ATT Maps?

Thanks for this. I am new to smartphones and plan on purchasing the Samsung Galaxy-S, but don't want to mess it up. I am new to editing the OS of any smartphone, but I think if I have a tutorial I will be fine

For Mac and Linux you put a ./ in front of the adb correct? (./adb install...)

NOSintake said:
For Mac and Linux you put a ./ in front of the adb correct? (./adb install...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are in the directory above yes. the ./ just saves you from writing out the full path
lets say adb is in "/home/user/Downloads/sdk/tools"
you could type out "/home/user/Downloads/sdk/tools/adb command" regardless of where your terminal window was focused
or if you were currently in the directory "/home/user/Downloads/sdk/tools"
you could use the shortcut "./adb command"

OP I'd change your post based on my experiences... Here's a little more detail and I've rearranged it (you need the drivers before running these commands, for example).
blackjackboy said:
Please let me know if this rooting method works as I have no Captivate to test on. I'm not taking any credit for any of these files, LeshaK made the original file to root the European Galaxy S, Justadude modified it for the T-Mobile Vibrant and chaoscentral edited the file for use on the Captivate.
Follow these steps exactly and there will be no risk of bricking your Captivate, the worst that may happen is the phone rejecting the update.zip.
HOWEVER:
I take no responsibility if ANYTHING at all happens to your device that you don't like. Don't come crying to me if your brand new phone breaks in any way.
Now that that's over with, lets get to the fun bit.
1) You may need Samsung drivers if you are on a PC, which you can learn about here: ADB Drivers at the Unlockr
For 64 bit Windows, you'll need these drivers: http://zedomax.com/blog/2010/07/14/...ic-4g-and-fascinate-galaxy-s-driver-download/
Don't proceed until your phone is fully installed on Windows with the drivers!
2) Download the attached zip (at the bottom of the post) and rename it to update or update.zip if you are on a Mac. Scroll down the notification bar and click "mount" to allow your computer to read the internal memory. Put the file on the INTERNAL SD card of the Captivate, which won't be tough to figure out if you don't have an SD card in the phone.
3) This step requires the Android SDK, and Android Debugging enabled. You can get the SDK here: Android SDK. Just download the zip, extract it to something like C:\Android. You won't need the Java dev pack or anything.
You can enable Android Debugging like this: From the homescreen, press Menu, then click Settings. Navigate to Applications>Development and check USB Debugging. Now, hook the phone to the computer. Next,
On a PC, click start>run>"cmd" (in the text box) or on a Mac, spotlight "Terminal". Linux users, you know what to do.
The command you will use is in the tools folder of wherever you extracted it to (IE: C:\android\tools), so be sure your working directory of command prompt is in that tools location!
Finally, type:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
4) Once the phone is booted into recovery, use the volume keys on the phone to scroll to "Reinstall packages." Use power to select what you have highlighted.
5) Give yourself a pat on the back. You are now rooted. You should see a Superuser application now.
Thank you to LeshaK, Justadude, and chaoscentral. Once again, I didn't discover how to root, that credit goes to LeshaK, bringing it over to the USA was Justadude's doing, and chaoscentral edited the file for use on our Captivates.
MD5 Sum: 1eb65923281c113e8751a7d8a6faff43
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Ubuntu 10.04 - adb
Any step by step instructions just to get adb running enough on 10.04 to root and side load software? I'm getting command not found when I try to run adb, even after downloading packages.

Hi,
Did this thread worked well to Root the Captivate or anyother suggested link? I'll appreciate any help.
Thanks

rerooting captivate
This worked perfectly on my Captivate. I now have the SuperUser Permission on my application screen. Now I can REALLY screw up my Captivate!!!

Thanks for the answer & More Queston
cellgeek said:
This worked perfectly on my Captivate. I now have the SuperUser Permission on my application screen. Now I can REALLY screw up my Captivate!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for your helpful answer. As I'm getting my Cativate tomorrow, can you please just answer yes or no to each of my questions as follow ?
After Rooting will I be able to:
1- download any 3rd party Android application?
2- install any "Samsung Galaxy S" ROM on my Captivate?
3- Recieve any "OTA" update as a "Galaxy S" phone?
Thanks again

Muhamadabdelaall said:
Hi,
Thanks for your helpful answer. As I'm getting my Cativate tomorrow, can you please just answer yes or no to each of my questions as follow ?
After Rooting will I be able to:
1- download any 3rd party Android application?
2- install any "Samsung Galaxy S" ROM on my Captivate?
3- Recieve any "OTA" update as a "Galaxy S" phone?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No. You will have to use adb or the database modification method (which having root access makes possible). Both are described in detail elsewhere in this forum.
2. Rooting means simply getting superuser permissions. Loading a ROM has to do with the bootloader and recovery partition. Unmodded Galaxy S ROMs probably will not work on the Captivate, but be patient.
3. Not sure what you're asking. You will still get any Captivate OTA updates as if you hadn't rooted, but you won't get, for example, the rumored Korean FroYo Galaxy S update OTA when it drops. You'd have to wait for the Captivate OTA FroYo upgrade (or there may be a ROM or patch you can flash by then).
Rooting is basically just allowing programs to run as the superuser account. Many programs like Metamorph, some screenshot apps and some wifi tethering apps require more permission than Android normally gives an app.

Thanks Drachen
Drachen said:
1. No. You will have to use adb or the database modification method (which having root access makes possible). Both are described in detail elsewhere in this forum.
2. Rooting means simply getting superuser permissions. Loading a ROM has to do with the bootloader and recovery partition. Unmodded Galaxy S ROMs probably will not work on the Captivate, but be patient.
3. Not sure what you're asking. You will still get any Captivate OTA updates as if you hadn't rooted, but you won't get, for example, the rumored Korean FroYo Galaxy S update OTA when it drops. You'd have to wait for the Captivate OTA FroYo upgrade (or there may be a ROM or patch you can flash by then).
Rooting is basically just allowing programs to run as the superuser account. Many programs like Metamorph, some screenshot apps and some wifi tethering apps require more permission than Android normally gives an app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks alot for taking all this time & energy to reply to me! WOW, it seems like everytime I wanna step up one, I go back 10 steps. All I need is to use my Captivate for installing a Stock Rom of "Galaxy S" & be able to get rid of any "AT&T" restrictions for anything on this phone, what should I do please?
Thanks

Muhamadabdelaall said:
Thanks alot for taking all this time & energy to reply to me! WOW, it seems like everytime I wanna step up one, I go back 10 steps. All I need is to use my Captivate for installing a Stock Rom of "Galaxy S" & be able to get rid of any "AT&T" restrictions for anything on this phone, what should I do please?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ATT stuff doesn't actually run so they aren't a big deal at this point. I also don't see Amazon MP3 background stuff like some Android devices have, so... There's really not a huge case for rooting yet.
That said, when Custom ROMs for this come out I'll still be getting one.

For those of you having a hard time installing ADB Shell, try this video. It worked for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeWH6Bj1DYw&feature=related

[GUIDE] New unbrick guide compilation

I’ve been helping a buddy get his A500 back to working order, so I thought I’d add the steps taken here which lead to successful replacement of boot loader and ability to flash roms again.
First off Blackthun3r is a genius and you cats should totally donate and thank him if this stuff helps.
The info is a bit spread out so I hope this helps consolidate things. We all owe big ups to jnktechstuff for starting this post here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1699277 go thank him too.
One thing everyone is right about: You must secure your ID just in case, which is needed to properly reprogram the stock/crappy recovery boot. Two options I saw:
1) From a nandroid backup (inside the clockwork recovery folder or wherever your previous bootloader stored them) there is a uid.txt file.
2) When you run Afterota if it can’t find a uid it will generate a file “AcerIDs.txt”.
Afterota is great too but wouldn’t fix/attached to our A500 in APEX mode, but this feature alone is huge.
For AfterOTA, Thanks and Salute to Gersma:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1675939
Next is just getting the thing to boot.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1699277
Mentioned in “How to unbrick” , as stated they suggest you get 3 files. Here’s what we got :
1) Decrypter (mandatory)
2) 2 ICS roms (you only need one, but he suggests to get both just in case, or even an older Honeycomb if those fail you).
The one that worked for us was ICS 4.0.3: 7.014.01_41.203.01.
Extract the decrypter and use on the rom/zip you downloaded. It will make a separate rom/zip with the words ‘decrypted’ at the end. EXTRACT THIS FILE!
Inside the newly extracted zip file should be 3 files. If you don’t have it or your zip program says it’s corrupted then you don’t need to decrypt it, use the non-encrypted version of the rom pack you just downloaded (i.e. it wasn’t encrypted)!
3 files will look like:
1) Update.zip
2) AMSS.zip
3) Acer_A500_7.014.01_041.203.01_COM_GEN1.txt (or whatever rom you had downloaded)
These 3 files need to be on the root of your external SD micro card (either put it into a reader for pc access or if your system is functional copy it over via USB cable while mounted in the A500). The basic bootloader does nothing but check for an update.zip and apply it. However, it cannot replace itself (saw with a CWM or TWRP) and thus what I think is the ‘rub’ with this device.
After the update.zip applies, boot the system normally. You should have a locked OTA version of ICS with USB Debugging enabled, if not, hit Options, Developer and turn on USB Debugging. If it doesn’t boot, try another rom/decrypt combo. If it boots moved these three files into a sub folder on your SD Card and save for next time you brick it
Next, get the right driver for Windows from Acer site (this is important because it has the ICS USB and the APEX/boot USB driver needed):
http://www.acer.be/ac/nl/BE/content/drivers
You now need to unlock, add SU and Super User. Hit the following link and get Blackthund3r’s Root app (ICS7.1.x for Windows) top of page:
http://forum.tegraowners.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=350
When you hit some of this download links be sure to check for things like the skip ad button top right corner, else you’ll download the wrong thing:
Extract and run “ICS Root 2.exe”
1) DO NOT mess with the bundles tabs right now, but ensure all checks minus bottom two are selected and ‘Do it!’
2) You should see that it does confirm for you that it is connected and USB Debugging turned on.
You should now have the device setup to run a proper APEX adjustment, which lets you replace the bootloader and then apply all the little zips and roms your heart desires. Blackthund3r has the last tools we need:
Get APXFlash: http://a500bootloaderflash.tk/#download-links (again watch out for the adfly and click skip add to get to your zips).
APXFlash has all the bundles from proper Blackthund3r repository, the FAQ below may have suggested certain types but that info is kinda old SO just grab a bundle 15, 16 or whatever you are looking for (16 is a great team wiz recovery version combo Skrilax has done, we used that one).
1) Go to Bundle Market and follow the wizard:
2) After downloading the bundle of choice you’ll now be prompted to put in your SBK number from that Acer ID or uid txt file.
3) You should then back up your dump file as it is recommended in the process.
4) Hit blue arrow ‘next’ to see your flash options below, we used the Automatic method, smooth as butter.
5) Follow the prompts for APX mode and click blue once the device is blacked out and the mode has changed on status. This is where that official Acer driver comes in handy.
6) Complete the process as instructed and you’ll be good to go!
Last tool used is:
A500 Manager: http://a500bootloaderflash.tk/#download-links (again watch out for the adfly and click skip add to get to your zips).
This app rocks to help you get into recovery mode (or test your new bootloader) until you get a rom on there that allows you to do it from the power off button or notification tray.
Most of these links and info are at the bottom of Blackthund3r’s FAQ page, which were also super helpful:
http://a500bootloaderflash.tk/
Again this helped my friend and he was thinking several of you could benefit. Even when typing this up I figured some better/quicker ways to maybe get some of the data but this is the thorough steps we took and I hope it helps you! I also had screen caps so once I figure out how to add those, if it'll help or someone needs it will look into that ;p

[Q] How to apply patches to Google Nexus 7

Hi whilst I am noob as far as Android is concerned I am an experienced IT professional– (35 years on Mainframes/Mini’s PC and Cisco networking) so I’m happy tinkering about in bits of OS’es which you aren’t supposed to
I do however need some help in applying a patch to my Google Nexus 7 to enable True Tabled UI. I’ve rooted and unlocked my Nexus 7 with the Nexus Root Toolkit (v1.5.3) and I can clearly see that there are some options (under Advanced) where I can replace files or folders on my Nexus. I’ve found this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31220509&postcount=514 which appears to do what I want, I can see that the zipped folder contains a system file (and I can see this folder on my Nexus) but it also contains META-INF and I can’t locate its equivalent on the Nexus, so the question is simple how to I apply this (or indeed any other) Patch?
Thanks
Anthony Johnston

Hi mate,
The first thing you want to do is to load up the rooting toolkit again. In the bottom left hand corner, under advanced utilities, you you'll see a button that says launch. Press that
Then in the top right hand corner, there is a section that says flash .zips.
Thats the tool that you need to flash the zip files to the N7, like the tablet patch or any other patch. Just select whether the file is on the computer or already on the virtual sd card. Then just follow the instructions that the program gives

What you have is what's known as a "flashable zip", which means that you flash the zip file in a custom recovery, and the custom recovery will install everything for you. This guide will give you a general overview of how this is done (particularly the section titled "App Installs/ROM Feature Installs via Flashing"). You'll want to read up on what a recovery/custom recovery for Android is and how to install one on the Nexus 7.
Jon565G said:
Hi mate,
The first thing you want to do is to load up the rooting toolkit again. In the bottom left hand corner, under advanced utilities, you you'll see a button that says launch. Press that
Then in the top right hand corner, there is a section that says flash .zips.
Thats the tool that you need to flash the zip files to the N7, like the tablet patch or any other patch. Just select whether the file is on the computer or already on the virtual sd card. Then just follow the instructions that the program gives
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that doing things this way is such a good idea because he'll never learn how to do these things without such toolkits, and most Android devices won't have such toolkits.

AZImmortal said:
What you have is what's known as a "flashable zip", which means that you flash the zip file in a custom recovery, and the custom recovery will install everything for you. This guide will give you a general overview of how this is done (particularly the section titled "App Installs/ROM Feature Installs via Flashing"). You'll want to read up on what a recovery/custom recovery for Android is and how to install one on the Nexus 7.
I don't think that doing things this way is such a good idea because he'll never learn how to do these things without such toolkits, and most Android devices won't have such toolkits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All I was trying to do was to keep things as simple as possible. Let's be honest, why make things more difficult than they can be?
I know exactly what your saying by the way, I had to learn by using an xperia arc. It had no toolkits and you had to do everything in command prompt and so on. But why not cross that bridge when you come to it and start out simple.

A Nexus device is the best device to learn how to do all the harder stuff on because if you mess up, you can always flash the factory image, and honestly, it's not "hard" at all as long as you follow directions.

[Discontinued] Linux on the Acer Iconia Tab A500, 2022 edition

UPDATE: I discontinued work for this tablet model, due to the lack of NEON support for the Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU used in this model. Any existing work I uploaded will remain online, but I won't be uploading anything new. I'm also considering selling my tablet to anyone interested.
I have become successful with getting postmarketOS to run on this tablet for the past 2 months, running mainline Linux (5.8.0 as of this writing). This allows us to use this tablet model for a little longer, without getting stuck on older Linux kernel versions.
postmarketOS is an experimental, touch-optimized and pre-configured Alpine Linux. It can be installed on smartphones and other devices.
About postmarketOS, from their homepage:
We are sick of not receiving updates shortly after buying new phones. Sick of the walled gardens deeply integrated into Android and iOS. That's why we are developing a sustainable, privacy and security focused free software mobile OS that is modeled after traditional Linux distributions. With privilege separation in mind. Let's keep our devices useful and safe until they physically break!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wiki page for this tablet: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Acer_Iconia_Tab_A500_(acer-picasso)
Most features should work, except for the camera and 3D acceleration. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work only if the non-free firmware is chosen to be installed.
How to install:
Follow the installation guide at https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Installation_guide, where theses specifics have to be specified when requested (this device is now in upstream pmaports):
Vendor: acer
Device code-name: picasso
Install non-free Wi-Fi + Bluetooth firmware: y
Only the mainline kernel is available for installation now, as downstream kernels no longer successfully compile. The user interface may be freely selected, as long as it is not one that requires 3D acceleration. To use KDE Plasma 5, add these lines to /etc/security/pam_env.conf:
Code:
QT_IM_MODULE=qtvirtualkeyboard
QT_QUICK_BACKEND=software
LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1
Next, run the following commands in succession, after each one finishes, assuming the working directory contains the pmbootstrap.py script:
Code:
> ./pmbootstrap.py build device-acer-picasso
> ./pmbootstrap.py build firmware-acer-picasso
> ./pmbootstrap.py build linux-postmarketos-grate
From here on out, the generated chroot can be either installed to the eMMC, or a microSD card that must be inserted at or before boot time (the latter method allows for dual-booting Android already installed to the eMMC, although it can be directly accessed from the Linux system). The boot partition always has to be flashed to the eMMC in fastboot mode, as it is not possible to boot directly off of a microSD card.
If installing to the eMMC, run
Code:
> ./pmbootstrap.py install
> ./pmbootstrap.py flasher flash_kernel --partition secboot
> ./pmbootstrap.py flasher flash_rootfs
(optional) > ./pmbootstrap.py flasher boot
If installing to a microSD card, run
Code:
> ./pmbootstrap.py install --sdcard [path to the device for installation]
> ./pmbootstrap.py flasher flash_kernel --partition secboot
Depending on what user interface was chosen earlier in the installation process, there may not be enough packages installed to get a fully-loaded GUI. Besides the built-in Wi-Fi, it is also possible to use a USB ethernet adapter, or connect to another computer with a micro-USB cable and get RNDIS access that enables using SSH to the tablet.

Using another distro in place of postmarketOS
Advanced: Using another distro in place of postmarketOS
It is possible, if using the microSD card method, to use a different distro instead of postmarketOS, for those who want more software OOTB. I use the Ubuntu MATE rootfs from https://ubuntu-mate.org/ports/raspberry-pi/ as my daily driver, but other distros may take more effort to get working. Glibc limitations no longer apply, as the kernel version is no longer stuck at 3.1.0 (unlike with my earlier attempts). Carefully follow the instructions listed below, or the resulting system will become unbootable:
Use losetup or GNOME Disks (Utility) to mount the image in read-write mode.
Run GParted with the loop image and the target microSD card as the arguments.
Copy only the larger rootfs partition to the microSD card. Resize as necessary to get it to fit on the target microSD card.
Make sure on the target microSD card the boot partition is named 'pmOS_boot' and the rootfs 'pmOS_root'. The initramfs is hard-coded to search for partitions with these names by default for microSD cards. The loop image is not needed after this point, and can be safely detached.
On the copied rootfs, edit /etc/fstab to reflect the partition layout. To get access to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, copy the kernel modules and firmware from the pmOS rootfs on the host system to the microSD rootfs.
Let me know if something wasn't understood from my instructions, or more clarification is needed. The instructions here can be somewhat overwhelming for those who have less Linux experience, but at least we're not forced to stay on old distro versions anymore.

Premade Linux images
I finally have managed to create a premade image to make the installation process easier for other people, especially for those who don't want to go through the hassle of compiling software. Every image I make can be found at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pMqaS5GaM6N9TAKlNGQZWCG8UTiRn4pK?usp=sharing.
For all images:
Kernel version: 5.15.0-rc4
Includes all compiled kernel modules from postmarketOS builds, plus nonfree firmware enabled.
The postmarketOS splash screen will appear, although the underlying OS differs based the image used.
Images available:
Ubuntu MATE 20.04.1 (ubuntu-mate-20.04.1-desktop-armhf+acer-picasso.img.xz) (size: 1.3 GiB):
Based on 'ubuntu-mate-20.04.1-desktop-armhf+raspi.img.xz', available from https://ubuntu-mate.org/ports/raspberry-pi/
Underlying OS is Ubuntu 20.04.1, which is supported for 5 years until April 2025. However, Ubuntu MATE officially has support only until April 2023.
Requires at least an 8 GB or greater size microSD card (the image is 5.6 GiB decompressed).
The setup screen will open upon the first successful boot, where a username and password have to be set.
Most extra packages for the Raspberry Pi family of computers have been removed, including the kernels.
The battery icon in MATE cannot be enabled graphically, as the preferences window has been patched to permanently hide such an option (as the Raspberry Pis lack native battery support); instead run the command
Code:
gsettings set org.mate.power-manager icon-policy 'always'
to manually enable it.
The PPA at https://launchpad.net/~grate-driver/+archive/ubuntu/ppa is pre-configured to be accessed. Most packages from this repository, including the opentegra driver, come preinstalled. They currently are enough to get 2D acceleration working, but not for 3D acceleration.
Except for what has been mentioned above, any packages shipped may have to be updated once an internet connection is established.
Arch Linux ARM (ArchLinuxARM-armv7-latest+acer-picasso.img.xz) (size: 576.6 MiB):
Based on 'ArchLinuxARM-armv7-latest.tar.gz', available from https://archlinuxarm.org/about/downloads
Rolling release distro often with the latest versions of most packages. More recent software can be acquired at a small expense of instability.
Requires at least an 2 GB or greater size microSD card (the image is 1.9 GiB decompressed). Larger size is recommended for installing more packages.
To login into system:
Login as the default user alarm with the password alarm.
The default root password is root.
Initially command-line only; contains no desktop environment installed.
Use any image writing program with these images. If such a program does not support XZ compression, the image needs to be extracted instead, and that has to be used.
I hope the images will proves useful to some people. Let me know if any issue pops up during usage of this image!

hey Worldblender,
I have flashed the premade file you shared to an sdcard but I'm unsure as to how to boot into it?

tehno said:
hey Worldblender,
I have flashed the premade file you shared to an sdcard but I'm unsure as to how to boot into it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The instructions were written assuming that the user has already flashed the custom bootloader as described here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/iconia-a500/a500-2019-2020-t4039271. Sorry for not making this clear anywhere, but that custom bootloader, along with flashing the boot image found in the first partition named "pmOS_boot" to either boot or secboot using fastboot, should get you set up to boot the SD card image.

Hi Worldblender,
Nice to see you work on this legacy device.
I definitely don't want to use android or can use it anymore on this tablet.
Nice to see some linux flavor being ported to it.
I had a look a the dedicated page on postmarketos.
Can you confirm the only GUI availbale as for now is the one called "Weston" ?
Or is MATE also working (from the screenshot) ?
Weston seem very basic, MATE more friendly.
How about performance ?
I'm considering reusing it to display a grafana dashboard in firefox for instance, maybe more if performance isn't too bad.

Worldblender said:
The instructions were written assuming that the user has already flashed the custom bootloader as described here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/iconia-a500/a500-2019-2020-t4039271. Sorry for not making this clear anywhere, but that custom bootloader, along with flashing the boot image found in the first partition named "pmOS_boot" to either boot or secboot using fastboot, should get you set up to boot the SD card image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you Worldblender for your work in writing up instructions and compiling the image too.
However, I'm still a bit lost as to what to do with your Ubuntu Mate image.
I've gotten the TWRP bootloader installed onto my Acer A500 tablet, but whether I use Rufus to expand your image onto an SD card, or just copy the compressed image onto the SD card, the [ Install ] does not see any images inside of the drive. Am I supposed to decompress your image in Windows and use the 0.img and 1.img in place of the nvflash's boot.img and recovery.img?
While I can see the two partitions in Ubuntu, I'm equally lost as to what to do with them, and how to get it onto the tablet.

coluwyvurne said:
Thank you Worldblender for your work in writing up instructions and compiling the image too.
However, I'm still a bit lost as to what to do with your Ubuntu Mate image.
I've gotten the TWRP bootloader installed onto my Acer A500 tablet, but whether I use Rufus to expand your image onto an SD card, or just copy the compressed image onto the SD card, the [ Install ] does not see any images inside of the drive. Am I supposed to decompress your image in Windows and use the 0.img and 1.img in place of the nvflash's boot.img and recovery.img?
While I can see the two partitions in Ubuntu, I'm equally lost as to what to do with them, and how to get it onto the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait for me to give out an update to the image, as there likely has been a new kernel version released that I would like to have updated first.
TWRP will not be used at all for this installation process, as the image is too big to flash with fastboot. Just flash the image to a microSD card, as the boot image that will be flashed will automatically pick it up shortly after booting. The only thing that does have to be flashed is the boot.img, which can be found in the first partition, and you will be only using fastboot for this process, not anything else.

I released a new version of the premade Ubuntu MATE image just now, named 'ubuntu-mate-20.04.1-desktop-armhf+acer-picasso.img.xz'. The following changes have been made since the last image:
Kernel version upgraded to 5.10.1-rc1
Based on Ubuntu MATE 20.04.1
Everything that changed since the beta1 image
Other than these changes, there are no other differences that can be noticed right away.
Direct link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mr-7e29KJYeagJju0Yo1qUpT2YRb61AR/view?usp=sharing

Many thanks for your work. I've entered today this forum just curious about something new and found this!
Second life for this old machine!
For those with problems installing, I've flashed precompiled image using balenaEtcher into the sdcard.
Then, extracted .xz image, extracted .img, then extracted 0.img and copied boot file from there. After that, renamed the file to boot.img and flashed it with fastboot.
As I've the old modified skrillex bootloader, the command is fastboot flash secboot boot.img.
It boots and works well for now!

Worldblender said:
[*] Add the PPA at https://launchpad.net/~grate-driver/+archive/ubuntu/ppa to get access to updated video drivers. They currently are enough to get 2D acceleration working, but not for 3D acceleration.
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@Worldblender
Hi, i apt updated after adding grate-driver ppa, it seems it broken xorg because X don't start anymore
Can you detail how to proceed ?

pheex79 said:
@Worldblender
Hi, i apt updated after adding grate-driver ppa, it seems it broken xorg because X don't start anymore
Can you detail how to proceed ?
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Click to collapse
Can you still switch to a virtual terminal with Ctrl-Alt-[F1-F7]? You will need a USB keyboard to do this. Then try, after logging in with your username and password:
Code:
systemctl stop lightdm
startx
If startx does not bring something up, could you try running journalctl, and show me any log entries relating to lightdm?
If that still fails, you can try (if ppa-purge is not installed, install that first)
Code:
ppa-purge ppa:grate-driver/ppa

@Worldblender
one binary missing but i think this error is present before adding ppa
"/sbin/prime-switch: 22: /usr/bin/gpu-manager: not found"
Xorg log:
Require OpenGL version 2.1 or later
modeset(0): Failed to initialize glamor at ScreenInit() time

pheex79 said:
@Worldblender
one binary missing but i think this error is present before adding ppa
"/sbin/prime-switch: 22: /usr/bin/gpu-manager: not found"
Xorg log:
Require OpenGL version 2.1 or later
modeset(0): Failed to initialize glamor at ScreenInit() time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never received such an error, but the specific package you must install is xserver-xorg-video-opentegra. No other Nvidia driver is going to work.

Worldblender said:
I never received such an error, but the specific package you must install is xserver-xorg-video-opentegra. No other Nvidia driver is going to work.
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It works ! Thank you
xserver-xorg-video-opentegra was not installed
when adding ppa grate i only did an "apt upgrade" cmd i thought all grate items were installed (a few are installed when upgrading apt)

Nice work thank you so much.
Is there any chance for Manjaro arm? Or is it limited to debian based distros?

Note that after following the instructions for installing the Ubuntu MATE image from @Worldblender from a starting point of just the stock image, I have Ubuntu MATE installed on the external SD card and no OS installed on the eMMC because it was wiped during the bootloader replacement. Reading back through the posts suggests this is by design.

@Worldblender, so I'm very new at rooting devices, and have a little experience with Ubuntu but feel pretty lost. Any chance you could hook me up with a step by step install of the Nov2 image (unless you've put together another new version) from a stock(not rooted or anything) A500? I apologize if I overlooked something.
Edit: I got it working after doing this thing called reading, I definitely overlooked some things after reading closer. For someone else that might find themselves in my shoes here's what I did.
I followed this link: https://forum.xda-developers.com/iconia-a500/a500-2019-2020-t4039271 to get the bootloader installed
and then followed @whylly 's instructions:
whylly said:
For those with problems installing, I've flashed precompiled image using balenaEtcher into the sdcard.
Then, extracted .xz image, extracted .img, then extracted 0.img and copied boot file from there. After that, renamed the file to boot.img and flashed it with fastboot.
As I've the old modified skrillex bootloader, the command is fastboot flash secboot boot.img.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Hi there ! I have an iconia a500, rooted with lightspeed 4.8. Can I install this and then make it switch to Khali linux ? My ultimate objective is to get Khali on this tablet. I've worked my way down from ver 2.5x linuxdeploy all the way down to 2.0 lol So I'm thinking maybe if I apply your OS it will update the Kernal from 4.0.3 to 5 yes ? (That's a big jump for linuxdeploy) then I can apt-get khalifull ? Am I off base would this work ? Unless you have an image already of course in which case pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaase I'll pay for the bloody thing if I have to I've been pulling my hair out for days. Tried frikkin everything.
Unless anybody has a better method of course in which case feel free to suggest. If I have to make the image from scratch so be it
EDIT: UGhhhhhh after days of troubleshooting, I got to linuxdeploy2.0-1.16 installed kali (the native one on the app not from the repository as that gives kernel too old once you get the install working). Managed to term in and tried to start lxde, failed because lxde doesn't exist (sigh) tried to apt-get... kernel too old. game over sigh
Unless someone has a workaround I don't think it's possible to get Khali on a500.

Sound work?

[SCRIPT] [WIN-10] WSL 1/2 Utility for Windows 10 x64

Hello People. This is basically a combination of batch scripts made by me to make WSL less daunting for people who do not want to do Powershell things and introduce MANY more people to Linux [and make existing dual boot Linux users just stick to Windows w/o the ugly GRUB].
Disclaimer: Only you know what you're doing. I have tested everything on me and my friend's PC and it seems to work fine. If your PC catches fire or starts an apocalypse it's not my fault. So yeah be careful about what you're doing.
Things the scripts can do:
1) Enable WSL 2 in any Windows 10 2004 computer. [NEW: Older versions of windows 10 are now supported.]
2) Download all the available distros with a couple key presses.
3) Automatically detects the downloaded distro and installs it without any user input.
Downloads are attached in the thread and instructions are given in the zip file.
How to know which zip to download (1 or 2) [Don't Skip]:
1) Go to the start menu.
2) Type "Run" and press enter
3) Then type there "winver" and press enter.
4) If you see 2004 there, ONLY THEN are you able to download the WSL-2 zip. Otherwise update your Windows or use the WSL-1 zip.
Note to self: Things to do in the future--
1) Make a GUI of sorts.
2) Anything else the people want.
Not going to force you or anything, but I would appreciate if you pressed the Thanks button after benefiting from my zip (I see 78 downloads but only 2 thanks...)
Edit: NEW DOWNLOAD LINKS
https://mega.nz/file/NAxASK4I#2qr4ra4KJAcliEqDuCNQd0GnJeHe4FXpvw3KUfqtKxc [for WSL 1]
https://mega.nz/file/lE40AKDa#3Qqk6WH04vzYW8wrrcruuOdqpde-KUzYnu0o50tmZzo [for WSL 2]

WSL-2 Changelogs:​Version 1:
Initial Release
Version 2:
Complete Redesign
Compressed all my code to 2 very compact Batch files [previously it was 4 Batch files and 5 Powershell files]
Added Distro Downloaders and Installers (x64 only as of now)
Made it more stable [the previous method was very hacky and used bypasses]
Fixed all typos
Made it more user-friendly
Version 2.1
Quality of Life improvements
Version 2.2
Back-Ported the 'more sophisticated' Distro Downloader from WSL-1
Made Instructions better

WSL-1 Changelogs:​Version 1:
Initial Build
Version 1.1:
Made the instructions more newbie friendly.
Backported the WSL-2 Distro Downloader and Installer to WSL-1
Version 2.0:
Complete redesign of the Menu [Looks MUCH more visually pleasing]
Made the in-built Distro Downloader A LOT more sophisticated
Cleaned up the back-end a little bit
Improved Instructions

Announcements​27/10/2020
I have started learning C++ so let's see if I can make a GUI with that
18/10/2020
Added a new WSL-1 zip file for people who do not have version 20H1
17.5/10/2020
Fixed Everything and restored download link. Now you can download again!
17/10/2020:
Removed download link because I noticed a couple typos. Fixing them and uploading the file please wait.

Thank you, bro, because I use both windows and linux, now I don't have to restart the computer every time.:good:

JohnMes said:
Thank you, bro, because I use both windows and linux, now I don't have to restart the computer every time.:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you're very welcome

Just have to. Say thanks had this opFeat installed since maybe it was first available in the list and never researched how. To. Use it or. What it really did. Just gotta find out if this will run fine on my surface too (anything except liveOS off usb will work and causes windows to eff up despite grub/4win/stock/grub if it works excites to use kali on there properly}

Nsomnia said:
Just have to. Say thanks had this opFeat installed since maybe it was first available in the list and never researched how. To. Use it or. What it really did. Just gotta find out if this will run fine on my surface too (anything except liveOS off usb will work and causes windows to eff up despite grub/4win/stock/grub if it works excites to use kali on there properly}
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're very welcome but I would be happy if the thanks button was pressed Also, it should work fine on any Windows 10 computer [remember I am using a Haswell computer and it still works]. I also have Kali working but it does not support Monitor Mode and Packet Injection just yet [Microsoft does not want to implement this feature due to security concerns]. You can also get a GUI up and running with ONLY kali using Win-Kex [look it up]

Our PC system has been attacked by a ransomewhere virus, called as .lisp file virus and our files has been encrypted to .lisp sub-extension. Any technical advice?

Thanks but any chance of getting clean links that don't require allowing JavaScript before i can access them ?
It's blocked by my browser security and even if i allow it ,the download link gets blocked by Eset.
Doesn't anyone vet the links that get posted in the forum here ?
There's no need for a download link to be like that.

oldman820 said:
Thanks but any chance of getting clean links that don't require allowing JavaScript before i can access them ?
It's blocked by my browser security and even if i allow it ,the download link gets blocked by Eset.
Doesn't anyone vet the links that get posted in the forum here ?
There's no need for a download link to be like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sure, giving

NullCode said:
sure, giving
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Click to collapse
Great ,links worked ok ,cheers.

oldman820 said:
Great ,links worked ok ,cheers.
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Click to collapse
Are they useful to you?