Google and Asus in association have come up with an amazing technology in the face of Nexus 7 tablet, an inexpensive device that offers features at par with the latest products available in the market. What’s more amazing is that, now you can have Ubuntu OS working on this device and this tutorial will give you a clear cut idea of how to get one running on your tablet. A single device, single chipset and a single hardware configuration are all to be focused on, to get the Ubuntu running.
You will need a few prerequisites before getting started on the actual process: An Android SDK, the original USB cable that came with the pack and a healthy installation of Ubuntu operating system. Once you are done with this, follow these simple steps to get going.
Install the Nexus 7 Ubuntu installer
To install the operating system, you need to get an installer in the first place.
- Press CTRL+ALT+T keys in a combination together.
- A window will pop up and you need to enter the following commands in succession:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-nexus7/ubuntu-nexus7-installer
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-nexus7-installer
Lock-free the bootloader
- With the help of a USB cable, connect your Nexus 7 to your PC or laptop and make sure there isn’t any loose contact, otherwise the process may get ceased in between.
- Get an Android SDK if you don’t have one and get the archives extracted in a folder that is to be saved on the desktop for convenience.
- Press CTRL+ALT+T again to open up a terminal window and scroll to the extracted directory of Android SDK with the command “cd”
- Find the folder sdk/platform-tools and type the following command:
sudo fastboot devices
“Yes, Unlock bootloader(may void entry)” section will get checked. Push the power button of your Nexus 7 to unlock the bootloader. The unlocking process will hardly take a minute or two. Once the process has been done with, a notification will pop up.
Now, restart the tablet by typing the following command:
sudo fastboot reboot-bootloader
You should keep in mind that this particular step of unlocking will delete all the data and hence you should have a back up.
Get the Latest Version up and Running
- Open up the Unity dash and install the Ubuntu Nexus 7 installer from there.
- Pursue the instructions as they come up, as the tool will install the latest OS in an average of 15-20 minutes or may be more depending on your internet connection speed.
- After the process is complete, the tablet reboots itself and the actual Ubuntu OS installation takes place for a further of 15-20 minutes.
Once it gets over, that is it. Enjoy the Ubuntu experience on your tablet.
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