How to install Android on iPhone 2G

A few days ago, we saw that hackers were able to run Android on iPhone 2G. Now you can also run Android on your iPhone 2G thanks to a simple guide posted by Android A Alot. You just need to follow the simple steps and then you would be experiencing Android, a different kind of mobile OS, on your iPhone. The guide may seem too long, but it’s broken down into simple steps and nearly anyone can do these. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Only try this if you’re willing to face the consequences if something goes wrong.

This guide can be followed on PC, Mac or Ubuntu. Windows users must get the Windows version of Virtual box.

Some points that you need to remember before starting is that

• Only original iPhone 2G(Edge) is supported for this , don’t try to do it on iPhone 3G or 3GS.
• Your iPhone 2G should already be jailbroken
• You should have Ubuntu Live CD/Ubuntu installed on PC(Ubuntu 9.10)
• You should have a Wifi Connection

And note:

Do it at your own risk, iDroid is in Alpha stage and if your device /explode/ during experiment we are not responsible.

Here are the instructions for installing Android on your iPhone .

Downloads

Here’s a bunch of stuff that you’ll need before you start:

1. IMPORTANT! Jailbroken iPhone 2G
2. VirtualBox (link).  Get the right version Windows/Mac
3. VirtualBox Ubuntu Image (link).  Download number 10, Ubuntu Linux 9.10 codename Karmic Koalax86
4. iPhone Explorer (link).  If you’re on Linux you can use FTP such as FileZilla instead.
5. Android images and sources (link)
6. Patched images (link).  Courtesy of Geekoid.

Preparation

Let’s get some of the basics out of the way:

1. Open Task Manager
2. Kill the iTunes Helper process
3. Install iPhone Explorer
4. Connect your iPhone to your Mac/PC
5. Run iPhone Explorer
6. Click the Change Root button
7. Select “/” Real iPhone Root Directory
8. Browse to private/var
9. Copy ramdisk.img, userdata.img, cache.img and zImage from Downloads#5 (Android images and sources) to that var directory
10. Copy system.img and android.img.gz from Downloads#6 (patched images) to the that var directory
11. That’s all the Android files on your iPhone, now to make them run!

Setting Up Virtual Box

1. Install VirtualBox
2. Open VirtualBox
3. Go on File > Virtual Media Manager
4. Make sure Hard Disks is selected
5. Click Add
6. Locate the ubuntu-9.10.vdi file (download#3) and select it
7. Close Virtual Media Manager
8. Go on Machine > New
9. Click Next
10. Under Name enter “Ubuntu”
11. Select Linux Operating System
12. Select Ubuntu Version
13. Click Next
14. Set an amount of RAM, the default should be fine
15. Click Next
16. Select “Use existing hard disk”
17. Select the ubuntu-9.10.vdi
18. Click Next
19. Click Finish
20. Select that new machine to start up Ubuntu
21. The password to login is: reverse

Setting Up Ubuntu

Almost there – if this feels a bit long, just consider how short and simple each step is!

1. Click System (top bar) > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager
2. Enter the password: reverse
3. In the quicksearch box, type libusb-1.0, click the Check Box next to libusb-1.0-0 and select Mark for installation
4. In the quicksearch box, type libreadline, click the Check Box next to libreadline5 and select Mark for installtion
5. Click Apply
6. When it’s all installed close the Package Manager
7. Open Firefox (in Ubuntu)
8. Download openiboot installer from here
9. Click Places (top bar) > Downloads
10. Right-click openiboot.zip and click Extract Here
11. Click Applications (top bar) > Accessories > Terminal
12. Without the quotes, type ‘cd Downloads/openiboot’
13. Restart your iPhone in Recovery Mode (power off, hold down Home button, connect to USB cable)

Getting Android Working!

Well done on getting this far! This is where the fun beings (credits to WinX Blog for these instructions –link)

1. In VirtualBox, the Ubuntu Window, go on Devices > USB Devices and select iPhone (Recovery Mode)
2. In the terminal type (without quotes): ’sudo su’
3. Enter the password: reverse
4. In the terminal type ./loadibec openiboot.img3
5. You’ll see the OpeniBoot screen appear on your iPhone
6. Hold down the power button a couple of seconds (iPhone)
7. The bottom option, openiboot console, will become selected
8. Press Home (iPhone).  You’ll see a bunch of text appear and stop at “Welcome to openiboot”
9. In VirtualBox, the Ubuntu Window, go on Devices > USB Devices and select iPhone (OpeniBoot Mode)
10. In terminal type su ./oibc
11. Enter the password: reverse
12. If this doesn’t work just type: ./oibc
13. You’ll see the same text from the iPhone in the Terminal
14. Type (without quotes) ‘nor_read 0×09000000 0×0 1048576′ and press Enter
15. Wait for it to say Done
16. Type (without quotes) ‘~norbackup.dump:1048576′
17. This creates a backup of your NOR memory – save a copy on USB stick, or email it to yourself or something
18. Type install, press Enter.  When this is done you’ve got openiboot installed on your iPhone.  You’re done!

Finishing Off

What you’ve achieved up till now is Android files on your iPhone, and then installing openiboot so that you have an option to start iPhone OS or Android when you turn on your phone.  Openiboot was necessary because that’s the only way right now that you can boot into Android.  Here’s how to finish off and get into Android:

1. If you still have Terminal open with the oibc still running, just type ‘reboot’, press Enter and skip to step 3
2. If you don’t have Terminal open, disconnect your phone, turn it off and back on
3. When openiboot appears press Power button to switch to openiboot console (bottom option)
4. Hold down the Home button
5. Android will start to boot, but it might take a while.

After following all these steps, hopefully you will see Android on your iPhone. There would be some bugs in it like the camera not working, but for the first release that’s what you’d expect.

[via redmondpie]