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I have heard a lot about this new Ubuntu For Android but how can the average man download and install this neat new feature!!

Thanks

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  • True, but he asked if he could download and install it, never specifying the source.
    – Farid
    Nov 20, 2012 at 17:42

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There is a difference between Ubuntu for Android and using Ubuntu on android. Ubuntu through a loop file using chroot and (maybe) VNC is running Ubuntu (for ARM, technically). The Ubuntu for Android that I linked to is an addition to android that is something different - they may use a similar technique, but I don't think so, as from their description it sounds more native than that, and only runs through a secondary display (as many higher end phones have some kind of hdmi capability these days). In any case, near as I can tell, it is provided for phone manufacturers only at this point as something to include with their devices, and not something for the average joe (yet... I hope that will change).

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A little research before posting never hurts... Nevermind, here is a link for a (probably unofficial) tutorial on how to do it : Ubuntu for Android. Now I don't know if this is legal or correct or moral, you just be careful.

EDIT : Also, here is a complete post explaining in detail WHAT it is, because you don't sound as if you really know what it is. Also, as a direct quote of the article it is said that :

"The first and most obvious problem is that Linux is a desktop OS, definitely not something meant for touch screens. Tap menu and change the control scheme to touch pad, which makes the touch screen function as a basic mouse. The controls are by no means perfect, but they work.

To be honest, this hack works best on tablets. We really struggled to use Linux on our microscopically small phone screen. Even with an easy zoom function, Ubuntu is not easy to use. Side note: To input text, hold down the menu key. That brings up a virtual keyboard. However, we could easily see someone using a physical keyboard and a tablet with this hack in order to make a facsimile desktop PC. Final Thoughts Ubuntu on Android is certainly not the friendliest of OSes (even by Linux standards), but it is pretty damn neat. Not to mention that all the things normally restricted on mobile devices (like Hulu, The Daily Show and Spotify) are now fair game. No doubt hardcore geeks will find some creative uses for this hack."

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    well yeah i read somewhere it was out yet and then another place said they had already installed it So i figured why not test the best Q&A system Ubuntu has! Nov 20, 2012 at 17:43
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I don’t think this is possible for the average man yet, and it would ruin your warranty if you success. From the homepage of Ubuntu its clear that canonical try to make this an manufacturer function.

But to add some hope in one hopeless situation There are Galaxy Nexus devices running Ubuntu today so Its possible, if you are a poweruser and willing to invest some time. How to install Ubuntu on a Galaxy Nexus

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Perhaps this article could help you.

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  • That article is about installing ubuntu inside an android phone, It is entirly different from ubuntu for android
    – Tachyons
    Nov 20, 2012 at 19:40
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    If that doesn't satisfy you, there is a page on Ubuntu and Canonical's page about it. It is not clear how to get it, so I believe this actually explains how to get Ubuntu on your phone. Nov 20, 2012 at 19:53
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This post from XDA developers explains how to replace the "Webtop" software on Morotola Atrix with a full Ubuntu install. This is the closest you will get to a real Ubuntu-for-Android until such time as manufacturers ever start selling them (if that ever happens.) The reason for that being Ubuntu-for-Android was developed on the Atrix and uses the same software drivers as Webtop (which is also based on Ubuntu.)

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1119555

tl;dr buy a Motorola Atrix.

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