I just got a new Cosmo Communicator (the 30% off for the JP keyboard version was a really good way to convince me, PlanetCom
).
I spent most of the evening I got it trying to install Linux, and it was... clunky. I suppose it must've been easier for the users who had got the device closer to the release date, and had received the OTA updates in time.
Anyway - here's what I've done.- Booted up the device as is.
- Neither CODI nor System Updates couldn't find any updates available.
- Both reported that the device OS is current
- Even though the device arrives with v19 (v25 being current?)
- Formatted an SD card in the Cosmo's Android tools.
- I chose "portable data", since "extend phone memory" doesn't create a separate mountpoint later on.
- Opened the SD card on my PC.
- Shows up as MBR with one partition taking the whole space.
- W95 FAT32 (LBA) - 0x0C - in GNOME Disks.
- Dropped in the contents of v23 ZIP into the root directory of the SDCard.
- That should form a directory structure like this: (sdcard_root)/cosmo-customos-installer/v23/system.img
- I used v23, since v25 full image download is nowhere to be found.
- Only the rooted android installer is available, which depends on v25 being there already.
- Rebooted Cosmo into recovery, Recovery doesn't see V23 install folders.
- I tried using Debian (Gemian) v4 image from Cosmo, recovery menu didn't see it either.
- tried a dozen different directory/path combinations, but that's not where the problem lies.
- the recovery program that arrives with Cosmo is old and can't see 'new style' software updates.
- Downloaded v22 (https://support.planetcom.co.uk/index.php/Cosmo_Android_Firmware_Manual_Installation), dumped onto SD card like before.
- removed the v23 installer folder from the SD card first, since both ZIPs contain exactly the same folder, "cosmo-customos-installer"
- Installed v22 from recovery with success!
- that also updates the recovery to be able to see 'new style' installers, which will be important to us in a moment
- booted Android (v22) for the first time for good measure. Unsure if this step is necessary.
- Removed v22 installer from the SD card (don't need it anymore), added v23 installer.
- Rebooted to recovery
- v23 shows up as an installation candidate.
- Installed successfully!
- Booted once for good measure.
- Afterwards, if you reboot to recovery, v23 installer on SD card shows up as "reinstall v23" - smart thing knows it's running v23 already
- Removed v23 installer, added Debian v4 installer to SD card.
- Repartitioned the device (90GB for Linux, 30GB for Android).
- No install yet.
- Rebooted and made sure Android still works. It does!
- Also, v23 can finally communicate with CODI update servers. Flashing it is easy, but fails a lot. Look up the threads about CODI first to know what you're in for.
- Yet another reboot, praying that I don't break the hinge by holding Volume Up on the cover + ESC on keyboard.
- Recovery menu, Install Debian v4
- Installed successfully! Doesn't take long, fortunately.
- Also, configures your bootloader so that you get a choice between Android and Debian on startup. Neat.
TL;DR:Update incrementally from v19 to v22, then from v22 to v23.
This will give the recovery menu the ability to read 'new' OS image formats.
Remember to always unpack ZIPs carefully into a clean SD card root (do not merge two install zips into one folder).
Once on v23, repartition the device, reboot, and install Debian v4 from the SD card.
BTW, does anyone know where can I get Android v25 update? That still doesn't show up for me as OTA.
