Re-install Android when Linux comes out?

[NormMonkey]

Hi all,
When Planet comes out with the Debian, Sailfish, Kali, etc. versions, is there any word about what will happen to our Android setups?
I fear that we'll need to re-flash the whole device and all the setup that we've done to get our Android working as we want will be undone.  Although perhaps we will be able to make a full back-up and restore of everything we've done?

I see there is this PlanetSyncAdaptor app which currently has no functionality - I open it and it just presents a <CLOSE> button.

Along the same line, I wonder if we will be able to share our SD card between Android and the various linuxes?
When I stuck an SD card in for Android, it offered a choice: for-android-only or for-portable-storage.  It seems the former is for if you want to shift apps and whatnot to your SD card, and I've heard it may encrypt the card if you do this.  The latter is for sharing media between devices, but you cannot use the SD card for apps in portable-storage mode.  It might have other restrictions too?

[mithrandir]

Hi all,
When Planet comes out with the Debian, Sailfish, Kali, etc. versions, is there any word about what will happen to our Android setups?
I fear that we'll need to re-flash the whole device and all the setup that we've done to get our Android working as we want will be undone.  Although perhaps we will be able to make a full back-up and restore of everything we've done?

I see there is this PlanetSyncAdaptor app which currently has no functionality - I open it and it just presents a <CLOSE> button.

Along the same line, I wonder if we will be able to share our SD card between Android and the various linuxes?
When I stuck an SD card in for Android, it offered a choice: for-android-only or for-portable-storage.  It seems the former is for if you want to shift apps and whatnot to your SD card, and I've heard it may encrypt the card if you do this.  The latter is for sharing media between devices, but you cannot use the SD card for apps in portable-storage mode.  It might have other restrictions too?

Maybe it is possible to use the Gemini partition tool to create a scatter file suitable for the Cosmo and then just flash the Android part. Anyone with deeper  knowledge?
Anyways, we would need at least the Android images for this.

I don't think there is the need to shift apps to the sd card. Even in a multi-boot scenario the Cosmo has plenty of storage.

[TheKit]

Hi all,
When Planet comes out with the Debian, Sailfish, Kali, etc. versions, is there any word about what will happen to our Android setups?
I fear that we'll need to re-flash the whole device and all the setup that we've done to get our Android working as we want will be undone.  Although perhaps we will be able to make a full back-up and restore of everything we've done?

The problem is in large encrypted userdata partition of Android which can not be resized. So basically you can keep Android firmware, but all the setup and data will be erased still.

[idc]

At the Planet meet-up in London on Friday night there was a demonstration (by Davide Guidi) of the planned system for installing Linux on Android. It appears that they are planning a different (and hopefully easier) system to the Flash tool used for the Gemini. It appeared to involve an over the air option for resizing the Android partition to leave space for adding Linux and TWRP. Sailfish wasn't mentioned (though Lineage was), but I assumed that if those could be added then it is highly probable that Sailfish will as well in due course.

I can't add more information than that, but it did sound as though this new approach was only 'a couple of weeks' away.

[mibry]

At the Planet meet-up in London on Friday night there was a demonstration (by Davide Guidi) of the planned system for installing Linux on Android. It appears that they are planning a different (and hopefully easier) system to the Flash tool used for the Gemini. It appeared to involve an over the air option for resizing the Android partition to leave space for adding Linux and TWRP. Sailfish wasn't mentioned (though Lineage was), but I assumed that if those could be added then it is highly probable that Sailfish will as well in due course.

I can't add more information than that, but it did sound as though this new approach was only 'a couple of weeks' away.

This link give a good overview of how the bootloader and linux will work on the cosmo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJvGqZJUV5M