HTC HD2 Android and Ubuntu builds now available for mass consumption

We're approaching the end of an era -- the legacy of Windows Mobile handsets getting spotted running some open sourced OS or another shortly after their release. With Windows Phone 7 on the horizon the HD2 will surely be one of the last, but you can extend that grand tradition just a bit longer by installing your choice of Ubuntu Karmic Koala or Android 2.1. Those builds we reported on earlier have been made available for general consumption and, while installing them certainly doesn't seem to be entirely risk free, neither of them touch the phone's internal flash, so you're never more than a reset away from the comforts of WinMo. If you're feeling adventurous this weekend, both downloads are on the other end of the source link below.

[PathogenX Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:05PM]

@Wiizer
The whole behold 2 thing was because the phone sold so little and would run like crap with the update. Heck the G1 didnt get it so why should the behold?

Samsung has released the galaxy on all networks and the world. I highly doubt they are going to screw around on this phone.

[bjsguess Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:14PM]

@PathogenX

I'll take XDA over "official" support any day.

First thing I do with a new phone is root it and flash a new ROM.

[ElGuero Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:41PM]

As an HD2 owner I guess I just don't get it beyond the pure nerd factor of it all. If what I WANTED was an Android, wouldn't I just have gotten an Android in the first damn place? There's plenty of them out there very nearly as sexy as an HD2.. now give me WP7 in a few months...

[PathogenX Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:50PM]

@ElGuero
Nay. The HD2 is the sexiest. Other than design.

Many people like myself are stuck on Tmobile for whatever reason so the current android options on Tmobile are pathetic.

[Armchaircritic Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:53PM]

@ElGuero

But there wasn't a phone like the HD2 running android until very recently and the HD2 is almost a year old now. I would have preferred an OS with legs instead of an OS on deaths door. BTW WP7 v1 will not blow your mind...it needs to reach v2 or v3 like iOS or Android did until they became feature rich and bug poor.

[Hussain Rahim Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:43PM]

Is this usable?

What's missing and what bugs are people seeing?

[Wiizer Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:49PM]

@Hussain Rahim

This is DEFINITELY NOT a version you should use as someone that is a novice with modding phones.

The XDA thread for the HD2 has been flooded with people asking how to get stuff to work, but what they don't realize is that this is a very unstable build.

Just follow along and wait until they give the green light on a more stable version.

[Pickaxe Posted Jul 4th 2010 6:02AM]

@Wiizer Yes, and that is why the Engadget title for this article is misleading. It is not ready for mass-consumption.

[ounkeo Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:46PM]

gonna DL naow!!!!

[Sor1 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:51PM]

I have come a conclusion about the WM 6.1/6.5, many blog writers they may bash/hate the OS as much as they can, but this and maemo are the only platforms that allows to run another OS. And is a very old also OS. I don't know this on my book is pretty respectable.

[Sor1 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:53PM]

@Sor1

Op sorry i forgot the iPhone with the Android port.

[supraped69 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:18PM]

who wants android on a 5/10 device.

[supraped69 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:47PM]

@Indefinite Implosion

So 5/10 because it had winmo6.5? what a joke. If it wasn't for the appstore, apple's OS would hardly be better than winmo, especially at the time that the hd2 came out.

[I3UMPC Posted Jul 4th 2010 2:47AM]

@supraped69

Actually, Apple deserves more credit than that. It's nicer looking than WinMo.

[isprobi Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:19PM]

I just got back from returning an HD2 to T-mobile. .In its native state of WinMo 6.5 it couldn't keep MobiTV going and barely did YouTube. So it's good it can do something. I had tried the Sprint EVO recently. That is an awesome phone. Unfortunately Sprint's signal cannot seem to penetrate my workplace which used to be a mainframe computer room and has cement walls with no windows. Verizon does not work too well either. But AT&T and T-mobile signals get in. Any techies out there know if that might be due to frequency, power, etc? Now if Dell would just release the Streak in the U.S. I might finally give up my Sony X10a.

[Jimbob Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:17PM]

@isprobi

Eh? Did you try the youtube app it comes with? Works flawlessly for me. Not used MobiTV but BBC iPlayer works no probs too.

[deliteguy Posted Jul 3rd 2010 7:01PM]

@Jimbob
same... works great for me. Mobitv is just too unstable tho. Just get the vibrant.

[isprobi Posted Jul 3rd 2010 7:51PM]

@deliteguy The Vibrant's screen is too small after using a 4.3 inch screen. Also I still have my AT&T account so the Captivate would be better. But I will most likely get a Dell streak. On the HD2 I had the built-in application sometimes showed video images at odd aspect ratios and often skipped even with full bars reception.

[PathogenX Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:06PM]

@isprobi
.3 inches is barley bigger.
Also if you want android don't even bother with ATT

[isprobi Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:33PM]

@PathogenX .3 inch may not seem like much of a difference in screen size to most people but being legally blind I need all I can get. That is why I have been using a Blackberry with 14 Pt. font and now want a 5 inch Dell Streak. As far as iPhone-T & T and Android support your are correct. But then who is better? Sprint's network is inadequate, Verizon's 3G is too slow and T-mobile has a poor phone lineup.

[brilldoctor Posted Jul 5th 2010 8:10AM]

@isprobi Maybe because AT&T and t mobile are gsm. Not sure if this makes a difference since we only have gsm in the uk

[parkpy Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:25PM]

i'm a freaking n00b. can't get it to work. blue screen for me. Must keep trying...to...show...off....to...friends...with...eyephone 4.

[Atanu Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:57PM]

@parkpy Put the phone in airport mode before running Haret.

[parkpy Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:09PM]

@Atanu

Thanks!

[Jimbob Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:35PM]

@parkpy

From XDA

"*There is a problem that causes the device to crash and show a BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH . We know that and are taking care of it."

[parkpy Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:02PM]

ugh...crashed again. Bleh.

[Atanu Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:18PM]

@parkpy It's pretty finicky as to copying the files onto the SD card. Format the card if you can, connect as USB, not in active sync mode. Don't copy, but extract the build directly onto root of SD, run the Haret that comes with the build, not a separately downloaded dev build, and good luck! Not that much is working really anyways yet.

[parkpy Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:20PM]

@Atanu

I bow in thanks!

[parkpy Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:19PM]

installed Android build with HTC sense (tm)
composed by DarkStone1337 to root directory of my SD card. Turned off wireless as suggested by Atanu.

Few seconds later, POW! Android with Sense! Can't wait for all the features to be worked out. Thanks to all the hard work by XDA. I'll be donating very soon!



T

[Rod Posted Jul 3rd 2010 7:24PM]

@parkpy

Any ideas anyone? Followed all of the above to the letter - After HARET starts loading the linux bootloader (black screen, white font) - the camera flash comes on briefly then the screen freezes at line "3.905*** Init Panel"

The the white font fades to a series of white lines that slowly fade away to nothing in 20 secs leaving a totally black screen. I have tried many variation on a theme, still same result. (UK O2 version official 1.72 ROM & all HTC patches)

[zachmerrill504 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 7:35PM]

@Rod

I'm having the same problem :(

[tmzt Posted Jul 3rd 2010 9:38PM]

@Rod you might have a different LCD module that requires a different init sequence. Please join #htc-linux on freenode irc and mention this.

[Rod Posted Jul 4th 2010 7:07AM]

@tmzt
Thanks - Will do.

[zachmerrill504 Posted Jul 4th 2010 9:32AM]

@Rod

from xda
'With some old radio rom versions it is impossible to boot linux. Make sure you install a 2.08 + radio rom version"

install the newest radio ROM and it should work :)

[monroy07 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 2:48PM]

@parkpy can you help me out a little here bro...im trying to install android too, but doesnt seem to work.. can you shoot me an email.
[e-mail]

[kof2000 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 7:28PM]

works for me. i was able to make phone calls running android on it lol

[monroy07 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 2:24PM]

can someone help me out.. i think im having trouble, im not sure if i downloaded the correct android link for my hd2....it's pretty confussing

[TFNN Posted Jul 3rd 2010 7:59PM]

BSOD here, but excited to see the progress.

I like the HD2, will love it with a good Android port.

And folks, try not to clutter up the xda thread, give the cooks room to create and communicate, please.

[xtian63 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:02PM]

my question, when you install APPs then your battery runs out(or reboot to WM 6.5 and yeah i know its possible coz im still gona use it for some of apps i can use there)... will the apps be uninstalled an you have to reinstall it? this will be a problem, isnt there some sort of back up utility in android we can use to back our configuration and app installs when booting out of Android and when we boot back Restore fro that backup so all apps are back and all settings saved? how about SMS messages they would also be deleted

[tchan012 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:19PM]

@xtian63
both the apps and the SMS should be available when you charge up your battery and boot back in.
Atleast thats the way it used to work on my HTC tilt and fuze running android.

[negrito341 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:30PM]

well my hd2 takes me to a blue screen when i do it. what am i doing wrong?

[parkpy Posted Jul 4th 2010 2:04AM]

@negrito341

extract to the SD root directory

Go to Airplane mode

Boot Hared.

[ounkeo Posted Jul 4th 2010 3:26AM]

Just tried it. It's a fantastic major step but still far away from complete.

[Makali Posted Jul 4th 2010 10:30AM]

So android patch fix the lefties issue

[brilldoctor Posted Jul 5th 2010 8:07AM]

The hd2 may have winmmo but at least you can hold it any way you want

[Tapiokaa Posted Jul 5th 2010 4:10PM]

...why cant we be given a choice to run whatever os we want on handhelds =.=

[johndoe9 Posted Jul 9th 2010 6:38PM]

has someone tried this blogger's software
alltechdownloads. blogspot. com

[monroy07 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 2:54PM]

Sooo...what do i need to do before downloading android 2.1 from xda... is it necessary to flash the rom