Linaro has just opened a new service to generate Android images built with the Linaro kernel, and with Linaro optimizations (binaries built with optimized ARM toolchains, optimized C library…).
All users need to do is go to https://android-build.linaro.org/. They can then choose between downloading images built by other users and requesting their own build. In the latter case, the request submitted to the cloud, and within an hour, the results are available.
This approach makes it very easy to try Android on one of the boards supported by Linaro, compared to build your image by yourself. For example, in the TI Panda board case, you would have to go through a long list of steps. Remember that ARM provides RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) types of CPUs. With the Linaro Android Build Service, you also get a reduced set of instructions 
For the moment, only authorized users can submit their own requests to the Linaro Android Build Service. Anyone can already log in, and will soon be able to submit requests.
In the below video, we show how to use one of the images already available on the website:
The video can also be downloaded in WebM format (VP8 codec):
Here is the list of steps that we went through in the video:
- Download the
boot.tar.bz2,system.tar.bz2anduserdata.tar.bz2archives - Plug in an SD card. With
dmesg, find the corresponding device on your Linux box. Let’s assume this issdb. - Download
linaro-image-toolsfrom Launchpad. - Now run:
sudo ./linaro-image-tools/linaro-android-media-create --dev panda --system system.tar.bz2 --boot boot.tar.bz2 --userdata userdata.tar.bz2 --mmc /dev/sdb
Make sure that you only say
yif the device it wants to use was
listed in thedmesgoutput. - Once you see:
Done creating Linaro Android image on /dev/sdd
Unplug the SD card.
- Plug it into Panda’s SD card slot (SD/MMC card)
- Plug in a USB mouse and a USB keyboard
- Plug in a serial to USB converter
- Get a minicom session going with
minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0
- Plug in the HD monitor (HDMI label on the board)
- Turn on the monitor
- Turn on the Panda board
- See the unit booting in minicom
- See the default launcher. Use the mouse to click on the launcher.
- You should see
0xBenchmark
You may wish to add somewhere that linaro-image-tools requires python-parted. At least, it did on my Ubuntu 11.04 system.
Hi Bill.
You’re right. Thanks for the comment.
Dmitriy, you have the same issue. You will need to install the “python-parted” package:
sudo apt-get install python-parted
Cheers,
Michael.
Hallo! I am trying to install this Linaro android build to SD, but always geting error.
When i take in terminal:
sudo ./linaro-image-tools/linaro-android-media-create –dev panda –system system.tar.bz2 –boot boot.tar.bz2 –userdata userdata.tar.bz2 –mmc /dev/sdb
i am geting:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “./linaro-image-tools/linaro-android-media-create”, line 28, in
from linaro_image_tools.media_create.android_boards import android_board_configs
File “/home/nadine/Downloads/linaro-image-tools/linaro_image_tools/media_create/__init__.py”, line 22, in
from linaro_image_tools.media_create.boards import board_configs
File “/home/nadine/Downloads/linaro-image-tools/linaro_image_tools/media_create/boards.py”, line 37, in
from linaro_image_tools.media_create.partitions import SECTOR_SIZE
File “/home/nadine/Downloads/linaro-image-tools/linaro_image_tools/media_create/partitions.py”, line 27, in
from parted import (
ImportError: No module named parted
My os is Ubuntu 10.10 and i am trying on Panda`s Ubuntu 11.04 with the same result.
please reply on this error somebody….even i’m getting the same error….
oh..sorry i didn’t notice that you need to install python parted..
Hello,
I am trying to use android on pandaboard.
If anyone can help me. It don’t work, I get this logs on minicom :
Texas Instruments X-Loader 1.4.4ss (Mar 18 2011 – 14:14:59)
Reading boot sector
Loading u-boot.bin from mmc
U-Boot 2011.03 (May 26 2011 – 11:29:29)
CPU : OMAP4430
Board: OMAP4 Panda
I2C: ready
DRAM: 1 GiB
MMC: OMAP SD/MMC: 0
Using default environment
In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
** Unable to use mmc 0:1 for fatload **
mmc_send_cmd: timedout waiting for cmddis!
** Can’t read from device 0 **
** Unable to use mmc 0:1 for fatload **
Panda # mmc list
OMAP SD/MMC: 0
Panda # mmc init
Panda # mmc part 0
## Unknown partition table
I used this sd card to boot pandroid, and it works, so I hope it is not a sd card problem.
Thanks!
Hi,
Did you get “Done creating Linaro Android image” at the end of the execution of linaro-android-media-create?
You may also use http://ask.linaro.org to get quicker answers.
Cheers,
Michael.
Hi Michael,
I’ve logged on the Android Build Service web site and logged on with my openid but when I click on New Build the web site says sorry you are not allowed here.
Anthony
Hi Anthony
I had the same problem as you do, and I confirm I still have.
I’ll ask Zach Pfeffer when the gates are going to open.
Stay tuned…
Cheers
Hi,
I have installed python-parted, yet I get “ImportERror:No Module named Parted”. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you