Installing Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview using a Mac

Question

I would love to try Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview on my Galaxy Nexus GSM, but the walkthrough on the website isn't for OS X.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Answer 1

I wrote up some instructions that worked for me.:

Pre-requisite: Unlock your phone.

• Download the following files from here:

  • quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip
  • quantal-preinstalled-recovery-armel+maguro.img
  • quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip.
• Download the Android SDK.
• Unzip the SDK.
• Open up Terminal.
• cd into adt-bundle-mac-x86_64/sdk/platform-tools
• Optional: move the above downloaded files into the platform-tools directory or just specify the location of the files below
• Turn off the phone.
• Boot into bootloader (as in press down both Volume up/down and power for a couple seconds).
• Back in the Terminal, type: ./fastboot flash recovery quantal-preinstalled-recovery-armel+maguro.img

Looks like this installs a version of ClockworkMod Recovery.

• Reboot back into the bootloader by clicking on Volume Up or Down till you see "Restart bootloader" and clicking on Power.
• Go into Recovery Mode by clicking the Volume Up/Down button a couple of times till you see Recovery Mode. Then click the Power button.

• Back in the Terminal, type:

  ./adb push quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip /sdcard/0/Download/quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip
  ./adb push quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip /sdcard/0/Download/quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip
  

The sdcard is referring to the internal storage, not a separate SD card (which the Galaxy Nexus doesn't support anyway).

• Select "install zip from sdcard" (use Volume keys to scroll and Power to select)
• Select "choose file from sdcard"
• Go into /sdcard/0/Download.
• Select quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip.
• Scroll to "Yes - Install..." and select it. The zip will get installed.
• Select "choose file from sdcard"
• Go into /sdcard/0/Download.
• Select quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip.
• Scroll to "Yes - Install..." and select it. The zip will get installed.
• Select "+++++Go Back+++++" a few times to go back.
• Select "reboot system now"

Answer 2

I successfully installed Ubuntu Touch preview onto a Nexus 10 from my MacBook Pro by running an Ubuntu 12.10 virtual machine in Parallels.

When you plug in the phone or tablet while the Ubuntu VM is running, Parallels will prompt you to connect it to either the Mac or the Ubuntu VM. If this screen doesn't show up (such as if you've hidden it previously by selecting "always open in Mac") you should be able to enable it from the Parallels menu bar, under USB devices.

Answer 3

You can't, because the installation is for GNU/Linux only at the moment.