HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video)

Still clinging on to your HTC HD2? Good on ya, cos this WinMo slate's about to last you a wee bit longer -- team HTC Linux has recently made a breakthrough with getting the touchscreen to talk to the HaRET Linux bootloader. In other words, us mere mortals can finally use Linux variants like Android and Ubuntu on the HD2 the way it's meant to be, although we're apparently still a few bugs away from a stable release. Until then, enjoy the techno-fueled video demo after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[da Black Anarch Posted Jun 30th 2010 6:45PM]

@Rosco911
They couldn't do this article because they've been too busy dick ridin' the iPhone4. Go ahead and down rank me but, ya'll know I'm just keepin' it real.

[maboroshiinoginzuishou Posted Jul 1st 2010 11:09AM]

@da Black Anarch how about we up-rank you instead?

[Hydra Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:10PM]

Damn you hard to click Ok button!

[MrFairladyz Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:13PM]

Yo dawg...

[InfinitiProject Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:39PM]

@MrFairladyz
Stewie's Voice: "NO!!"

[Ardroid Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:27PM]

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PathogenX Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:33PM]

Awesome phone that should of had android on it in the first place.

[CrzySheeit Posted Jun 30th 2010 9:04PM]

@PathogenX

It does, the rest of us call it the EVO.

[MichaelF Posted Jun 30th 2010 11:44PM]

@CrzySheeit

Unless you can use your CDMA EVO on T-Mobile then it's not really the same thing, is it? (Am I missing something here?)

[psychoace Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:43PM]

Is it running ontop of windows? It has no data connection so there is still nothing to get hyped up about.

[d0ug Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:05PM]

@psychoace my understanding of how Haret works is it essentially kills the winmo kernel and boots a linux kernel without physically rebooting the device and involving the bootloader which is not possible to make directly boot a linux kernel at this time.

If it were running on top like say vmware, then getting things like networking and other hardware working should be pretty simple because they could just use standard winmo APIs that should work on every winmo device.

[CrzySheeit Posted Jun 30th 2010 9:08PM]

@d0ug

Cannot wait for mobile virtualization!!!

[bit1 Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:44PM]

Unless you can completely replace the Windows Mobile 6.5.5 OS with this version of Android the end result is pointless. I agree with Grubasaurus about Windows Phone 7. It is really the only true hope for the HD2 moving beyond 6.5.5 .

[bit1 Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:46PM]

@bit1 Oh and I've seen what Android can do on this same hardware. It is called the Evo. I had it for two days and sold it. Why? Because battery life was 2 - 5 hours max with regular usage and the wireless hotspot only allowed connections up to 300 kbps per connected device.

[wackyanimation Posted Jun 30th 2010 4:52PM]

oh jeez, full version of ubuntu? why not the MID version.. you know, the one that was made for devices like.. the HD2?

[Abuzar1 Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:00PM]

You know people hate on Windows mobile but I have an HD2 and I love it. In the recent past (past few months) I've owned an iPhone 3G, a 3GS, a G1, a Blackberry and now my HD2 and I really like windows mobile. I like it better than the other Mobile OSs out there. The G1 was just so painfully slow. My friend with his Nexus one has a much better experience with android but for me the HD2 with windows mobile is almost perfect. It just needs a front facing cam.

[Bladey Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:05PM]

@Abuzar1 amen brother... amen I have a blackberry and had an iphone and apart from app store the hd2 is just about spot on

[Bladey Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:04PM]

I love my HD2 to bits even running winmob.. but how nice to be able to boot up in ubuntu.. with bluetooth keyboard and mouse .. have you seen it running tekken on a playstation emulator with a bluetooth game controller... wow.. just wow.

if the HD3 is as bigger step up from the hd to the hd2 ... i will buy a load of them and lay them over the floor and then strip off and roll around naked and... no... just kidding HAHAHA

[d0ug Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:11PM]

With the HD2 able to run linux now, one has to wonder about the clustering possibilities. How powerful would say 100 HD2's be in a cluster? I'm sure it wouldn't be cost effective, but it would still be an interesting experiment.

A low power cluster with a built in UPS in each node. feed them constant power though the USB port, and put a usb ethernet adapter on each one, obviously needing a custom made cable. Im pretty sure 100 HD2s would saturate wifi, so using the built in wifi networking probably wouldn't be a good idea

[b0rndead Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:08PM]

Content of Sony Music? F*** Copyright laws man! Srsly, wtf does sony have to do with this video? People use background music, so what? Think I'd buy your CDs? I won't!

On topic: I actually think that hardwarewise the HD2 is the nicest phone out right now - stable Android would be big! Ubuntu is for my Laptop, not for my phone, but nice to see those possibilities.

[Marko Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:22PM]

this is so not techno. do you guys even know what techno is? (;

[kidvalor Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:27PM]

And this proves.. There is a god! I took my HD2 back after using it for 2 days (Too Buggy, Always froze). People had warned me that Windows Mobile was terrible but I just didn't listen. After hearing this news I would go back and get another one but I will be switching to sprint next month and getting a Evo!

[fel Posted Jun 30th 2010 5:35PM]

@kidvalor
Get an Epic if youre going to Sprint, its far better than the Evo.

[fuisti Posted Jun 30th 2010 6:35PM]

JIZZ JIZZ JIZZ

[Hosain Posted Jun 30th 2010 6:40PM]

Is that running inside an emulator?

[DoomLight Posted Jun 30th 2010 6:44PM]

cool

[artshark Posted Jun 30th 2010 6:54PM]

why even include that ubuntu footage? that hurt to look

[len0808 Posted Jun 30th 2010 7:02PM]

no thanks, you can keep your android. i do not want google to know my location 24 hours a day and sell it to 3rd parties. i'll keep winmo.

[MichaelF Posted Jun 30th 2010 11:50PM]

@len0808

So you think that Google is going to go all rogue with your location data but Microsoft won't?

[LuckTR Posted Jun 30th 2010 7:37PM]

I don't see a purpose of this hack...just get EVO for G's sake :), and leave WinMo be. It works excellent for me...underline excellent with snappiness and you've got the picture. BtW, what it is about Android lately, that makes me use exclude it more than iThing? Perhaps the frequency or maybe it's just the aftertaste of propaganda and unity O.O

[darkstone1337 Posted Jun 30th 2010 7:53PM]

@LuckTR
Getting an Evo would be a great idea... except it's only available in the USA, the phone would not work here due to network differences :)

[LuckTR Posted Jun 30th 2010 8:04PM]

@darkstone1337
touché, dear oversees readers. Long Live HD2 Android offspring oversees then. In the states, may G decides, and the rest of us will live happily with Win mPHo :)

[darkstone1337 Posted Jun 30th 2010 7:58PM]

Remember folks, this is a very very early build of both distros, don't expect miracles! The fact that Android is running at this speed is amazing enough. Stabilty needs improving and that may not happen straight away, but the last few days have been explosive in terms of progress!

Ubuntu is a mixed bag at the moment, I didn't have access to the MID version during the filming of this video, the touchscreen driver is registered as a touchpad, so Ubuntu seems to think I'm dragging the mouse.

Nothing wrong with Windows Mobile, but it doesn't hurt to have options ;)

[Wiizer Posted Jun 30th 2010 9:53PM]

@darkstone1337

Thank you SO much for your work, dude! I've always wanted Android and now it looks like I'll get the chance!

Do you take donations? Can you throw us a link?

[darkstone1337 Posted Jul 1st 2010 3:15AM]

@Wiizer
Wasn't me who created this, I was just testing a build and happened to take a video, the donations would go to the guys at xda-developers!

[theefman Posted Jun 30th 2010 8:02PM]

Rubbish. WM beats spydroid anyday.

[Shalabi Posted Jun 30th 2010 8:08PM]

Who cares? This phone is older than the 3GS. Move on people!

[Wiizer Posted Jun 30th 2010 9:51PM]

@Shalabi

This thing kicks the 3GS's ass up and down the street so how about you move on!

[Arithmetic Posted Jun 30th 2010 8:23PM]

I can't believe I sold my HD2, lol, but I got an Evo now so I don't care lol. Still the reason why I sold it was because WinMo is TRASH and people were saying it could be up to a year before Android works on the HD2 -_-

[305BuddyLuv Posted Jun 30th 2010 8:43PM]

Its about time we get a video with a good sound track. I love this track from Freestylers... Outstanding video bro.

[Thor e Posted Jun 30th 2010 11:04PM]

Despite all the glitches this is some pretty exciting progress...
I wonder it it's possible to take WebOS and put it on another piece of hardware? That would be super awesome..

[sbudbud Posted Jun 30th 2010 11:25PM]

sive seen some of these for sale around 200$ unlocked, might pick one up now

[gofudgeyourselfx Posted Jun 30th 2010 11:26PM]

Ubuntu One?! so you could have cloud storage and the settings from your home PC integrated into your phone wirelessly and effortlessly....this is amazing to say the least coming from an open-source and voluntary effort....yet again community innovation kicks the ass of the corporate world!

[jrolls Posted Jul 1st 2010 1:23AM]

1 word: insane.
i wonder if someone could make it boot an os that doesnt run on the linux kernel not including winmo i.e. blackberry, ios, etc.

[mcbeaven Posted Jul 1st 2010 1:35AM]

if they sold phones running ubuntu i would totally rock that shit