NEWS 151010: Build 150916 has been replaced by Build 151010, which is totally error-free and has some extra features.
Comparison with my previous Build from 150916
News in Build 151010: Most important is that Build 151010 can run and be installed in VirtualBox and VMware. Also that OpenGL ES hardware acceleration for Intel/AMD (radeon) and Nvidia (nouveau) chipsets is enabled. I’ve also added the Twitter and Viber apps. Very useful apps (I think).
MORE NEWS 151010
My new build of Android-x86 Lollipop 5.1.1 has GAPPS pre-installed. I.e. Google Play Services, Google Play Store, Maps, YouTube and more apps. For example: Twitter, Viber, Facebook and OfficeSuite 8. The ISO is called android-x86-5.1.1-lollipop-kernel-4.0.8-exton-GAPPS-588mb-151010.iso. AndEX 151010 is totally error-free. For installing new apps you shall always use Google Play Store in AndEX Build 151010. Only use Aptoide App Manager (which is also pre-installed) if you can’t find the app you are searching for in Google Play Store.
About AndEX
My compiled Android–x86 system (Lollipop 5.1.1) can run live (from CD or a USB stick) or be installed on almost all laptops (and some Desktop computers). For example Acer (Aspire), HP, Samsung, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, Thinkpad, Fujitsu, Panasonic and Asus laptops. The Android system is distributed in the form of an ISO file as the rest of my Linux distributions. I.e. you must (as usual) burn the ISO file to a CD if you want to run the system live on your computer or install it to hard drive. Read about how to burn ISO files. Or skip that. Just use ImgBurn. Nothing can go wrong.
More about AndEX
Lollipop 5.1.1 is the latest version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google. I call my remaster of it AndEX Lollipop Live CD. It uses “my” special kernel 4.0.8-exton-android-x86 with some extra features. I.e. extra drivers. My Android-x86 KitKat 4.4.4 build from 2015-07-21 will also cost you 9 $. I has one advantage over the Lollipop version: The system can be used also on older laptops. Read more about the KitKat 4.4.4 version 150721 or DOWNLOAD it instantly.
Wireless connections
When the system has booted up you will normally be asked to configure you wireless network. Unfortunately the Android-x86 project doesn’t support Broadcom wifi cards. Necessary Broadcom drivers can be installed in other Linux systems (for example in Ubuntu), but not (yet) in an Android-x86 system. So if you have a Broadcom wireless card and want to run AndEX you’ll have to use a wired connection.
Installing new apps in AndEX Lollipop
Use Google Play Store or Aptoide App Manager, which are pre-installed. Just make your choices. Normally you should always use Google Play Store, but if you can’t find the app you are looking for you can try Aptoide.
Installing 3D games
I wrote an article 150608 about installing 3D games in my KitKat 4.4.4 Build 6. The same games can be installed in AndEX Build 151010. I have also tested Cars: Fast as Lightning and Trials Frontier in AndEX. Those apps ran without problems.
Install the system to hard drive
Say for example that you have a laptop with Windows 10 installed as the only operating system. If you just create one extra partition of about 5 GB you can install Android Lollipop on this extra partition and then “dual-boot”. I.e. you can turn on your computer (called “booting it up”) and decide whether you want to start Windows or Android Lollipop. Grub will be installed as boot handler/loader during the installation of Android Lollipop. Note: The installation will take only about one minute. And the installation to hard drive is so simple that a 10 year old child can do it.
More about Grub and “dual-boot/multi-boot”
If you already have have one or more Linux systems installed on your computer you should skip installing Grub during the installation of AndEX. If you use Grub2 (which Ubuntu and most other Linux systems use as boot loader) you should instead add these lines to /boot/grub/grub.cfg or /etc/grub.d/40_custom
menuentry ‘Android-x86 5.1.1 Lollipop 151010 (sda8)’ {
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=’hd0,msdos8′
linux /android-2015-09-09/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0 androidboot.hardware=android_x86 SRC=/android-2015-09-09
initrd /android-2015-09-09/initrd.img
}
If you use Grub Legacy (which is very unusual today even though Android Lollipop uses it) you should add these lines to /boot/grub/menu.lst
title Android-x86 5.1.1 Lollipop 151010 (sda8)
root (hd0,7)
kernel /android-2015-09-09/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0 androidboot.hardware=android_x86 SRC=/android-2015-09-09
initrd /android-2015-09-09/initrd.img
About error 963 and Google Play Store
If you have installed AndEX on an ext3 partition you may get the dreaded error message 963 when trying to install new apps via Google Play Store. According to many forum posts and my own experience the only real good fix is to install Andex/Lollipop to an ext4 partition. There we have another problem since Grub2 can’t be installed to an ext4 partition when installing AndEX/Lollipop. That problem can only be solved if you have Grub2 installed in another Linux system on your computer. (Then you can use an ext4 partition for the installation and afterwards edit your Grub2 installation in your other Linux system). This problem with ext3/ext4 (error 963) is only applicable for AndEX/Lollipop. I.e. Google Play Store will work as expected in my KitKat version of Android-x86 even if the Android system is installed on an ext3 partition. Note: This error will probably not show up in AndEX Build 151010.
Other problems with Google Play Store
Under certain circumstances Google Play Store can crash. What you can do then is to install the latest version of Google Play Store using Aptoide App Manager. Before that you should go to Settings and remove all traces of Google Play Store from “data” and “system”. After that reboot your computer before you go on and install the new downloaded version of Google Play Store. Note: You can’t upgrade Google Play Store using Google Play Store. Here Aptoide come in handy.
USB installation
Read my instruction. Learn how you can run AndEX from a USB stick with persistence. Read under A).
VirtualBox
You can run/test the AndEX system in VirtualBox. I.e. run it directly from the ISO file and install it to a hard drive created in VirtualBox. My other Android remaster KitKat 4.4.4 version 9 160214 can also run very well in VirtualBox.
Upgrade/Updates
This build of AndEX (151010) replaces Build 150916. No need to upgrade if you already have a working version of Build 150916 installed. All installed apps (GAPPS and others) will then be in the same version as in build 151010 of AndEX. I.e. if you install Andriod-x86 to hard drive or to a USB stick with persistence all installed apps will be automatically updated/upgraded via Google Play Store. The system will check for updates all the time or after a reboot. It works in the same way as on your Android phone. If, however, you need or want to run AndEX in VirtualBox and/or VMware you can contact me so I can send you a download link for Build 151010. Please add your recite for Build 150916 or 150914.
What’s the point?
Well, if you like your Android phone and all the apps you have installed on it I’m sure you will also like to run apps from your laptop. Bigger screen and better sound etc. Also: In AndEX version 151010 almost all apps and games can be installed via Google Play Store. Still not convinced? Then read my article about “How useful an Androx-x86 system can be for the average computer user“.
NOTE1/WARNING1
You must use a fairly new/modern computer. Android-x86 Lollipop won’t run (even start) on older computers. My other Android remaster KitKat 4.4.4 Build 9 160214 will run also on older computers.
Screenshots
Screenshot 1 – AndEX Desktop with Sea Turtle Live Wallpaper (pre-installed) – Watch this movie
Screenshot 2 – AndEX running Cars: Fast as Lightning
Screenshot 3 – AndEX running Trials Frontier
Screenshot 4 – AndEX running Stick Tennis
Screenshot 5 – AndEX with extra apps
Screenshot 6 – AndEX with more extra apps
Screenshot 7 – AndEX running 3D Chess
Screenshot 8 – AndEX running Pool Break 3D
NOTE2/WARNING2
Before you buy and download this version of AndEX you must be aware of that not all apps downloaded from Google Play Store can run in an Android-x86 system. Some very big (around 1GB) games for example won’t run. On the other hand I could run Pes Club Manager, which is of 866 MB.
DOWNLOAD
This AndEX Lollipop build has been replaced by Build 160215.
Note3: Android-x86 KitKat 4.4.4 Exton build 9 160214 can run on many more laptops/computers than AndEX (Android-x86) Lollipop 5.1.1.
Note4: The AndEX Lollipop ISO has been out on SourceForge.net and the Swedish Linux Society for free from 150307 until 150402. The ISO file was downloaded about 50000 times during that period. More than any of my other Linux distributions (ever).
Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
Hello, I bought the version 15:10:10 Lollipop x86, it no longer presents more the error in the Google Play Store, Bluetoth does not work and screen recorder not work, will release the next version of the rom? you can fix these errors in the next build? and one more question, I paid for version 15:10:10 lollipop 5.1 x86, if there is another version of this rom, I have to pay again? please answer. THANK YOU
: D
Sorry my english, I’m brasilian I use Google translator
I’m trying to multi-boot my computer with this version of your Android, along with Windows 10 and Mint 17.3. I disabled UEFI before installing Win10. Windows 10 and Mint are working fine.
When I was installing Mint, I created a blank, primary ext3 partition as sda3 for Android. I used a USB stick to install Android, as this machine is a 2-in-1 it doesn’t have an optical drive. I went ahead and used the partition tool in your Android installer to remove that partition, and then re-create it as ext3. Then I installed Android, and told it to reformat the partition again.
After I installed Android, I told the installation program to run it from the hard drive, everything worked great. But I can’t get Mint’s installation of Grub2 to boot the Android partition. I’ve had to make some changes to this:
menuentry ‘Android-x86 5.1.1 Lollipop 151010 (sda8)’ {
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=’hd0,msdos8′
linux /android-2015-09-09/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0 androidboot.hardware=android_x86 SRC=/android-2015-09-09
initrd /android-2015-09-09/initrd.img
}
First I changed the menu entry to:
menuentry ‘Android-x86_5.1.1_Lollipop_151010_(sda8)’
This is because grub wasn’t liking the spaces – the menu entry was just titled: ‘Android-x86
I’ve also tried replacing this:
set root=’hd0,msdos8′
with several different numbers for msdos8. First I tried 3, then 2, then 4, then 1, then 0. Grub will still not boot the Android installation. I noticed that after I edit 40_custom, and do a “sudo update-grub” – the grub updater does not recognize the Android installation. When I’m in Mint, I can see everything there on the Android partition, including all of the files specifically mentioned in your 40_custom entry.
What should I do? This is a great system, but I’ve never been able to get it boot from the hard drive.
Thanks,
cylon7
Hi,
Provided that you have installed AndEX to /dev/sda8 the correct Grub lines are:
menuentry ‘Android-x86 5.1.1 Lollipop 151010 (sda8)’ {
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=’hd0,msdos8′
linux /android-2015-09-09/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0 androidboot.hardware=android_x86 SRC=/android-2015-09-09
initrd /android-2015-09-09/initrd.img
}
You should normally use the file system ext4.
Thanks for the reply. I didn’t know I could use ext4, I will try that. I’ve installed it to sda3 on a Primary Partition, I thought that might help. I had tried to install it to an extended partition and wasn’t having any luck.
Also I noticed your installer does seem to offer to install Grub2, after declining to install legacy Grub. Would that work as well? Would that keep my Win10 and Mint 17 installations bootable?
Then of course the lines should look like this:
menuentry ‘Android-x86 5.1.1 Lollipop 151010 (sda3)’ {
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=’hd0,msdos3′
linux /android-2015-09-09/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0 androidboot.hardware=android_x86 SRC=/android-2015-09-09
initrd /android-2015-09-09/initrd.img
}
You should not install Grub Legacy/Grub2 since you already must have done that while installing Linux Mint. Just edit /boot/grub/grub.cfg in Mint. I.e. add the above lines.
I fixed the grub boot problem! Thanks for the help.
I was able to see the error by entering the grub menu, and pressing e to edit the Android entry. It seems that some of the single quotes, were somehow turned into a single quote that is slanted to the left or right. That explains why my menu entry was being truncated as ‘Android x-86
I’m pretty sure I copy/pasted those from an entry on your page, so maybe something was lost in ASCII translation. Once I went back into Mint and changed all of the quotes to the right one, it worked. It’s weird because in gedit, the single quotes show as they’re supposed to, but in the grub menu entry editor, they were showing as slanted.
I’m rocking my Android now! If you see any purchases from awesome Austin, Texas, they are most likely my IT clients. You’ll probably see one from a person with the initials TG by this weekend. Thanks sooooo much! Looking forward to sharing your wonderful distro with people who are sick of Winblows on their 2-in-1’s.
Update: I looked closer at your grub menu entries on this website – and they do have the slanted quotes in several places.
In both of these entries, the opening and closing quotes are slanted:
‘Android-x86 5.1.1 Lollipop 160215 (sda8)’
’hd0,msdos8′
I’m kind of surprised nobody else had this problem, maybe they were manually typing the entries instead of copy/pasting them as I did. If you’d please consider correcting these to the ‘ quote, it would head off more problems.
I’m in the thick of installing my apps and configuring this system – it’s great!
Sorry. I will correct this. (The “slanted” quotes). Thanks for letting me know of this error.
I am using a Dell Inspiron 11 3147, it’s a small 2-in-1 machine. Everything is working great, except for a couple of things.
1) When I tap the power button I don’t get the Power Off screen. So I tried installing a couple of apps from Play store to do this. They require root access.
2) I get the SuperUser popup for the app, but I cannot click the Allow button. The Deny button works right away. The Allow button is lit up, but clicking on it does not show a press, and nothing happens. Any thoughts?
3) Skype will not launch, it immediately gives the popup “Unfortunately, Skype has stopped”. I’ve installed the latest version of Skype.
Thanks again! 🙂
Somehow this morning, this has resolved. I was able to type SU into Terminal Emulator, it gave me the popup and I was able to click Allow.
But now that I previously clicked Deny on the Shutdown app – it’s permanently denying that app. How can I get the Permission popup again?
Never mind, found it! So my SU is fixed. And I read elsewhere on your site that Skype works in your KitKat – so I assume you don’t expect it to work in Lollipop and Marshmallow.
Still it would be great if you have some pointers on how to make my Dell Inspiron 11’s power button work. Thanks again! Sorry for so many posts in the last 12 hours.
These apps I’ve installed to do shutdown, do not shut the system down cleanly – the system immediately shuts off. Same thing with using Terminal poweroff command. Do you have a suggestion for a Terminal command that will perform a clean shutdown? Or a way to add a software power button to the swipe-down menu?
Clean shutdown: The system is powered off in the same way as your Android phone. I.e. immediately.
I’m trying to multi-boot my computer with this version of your Android, along with Windows 10 and Mint 17.3. I disabled UEFI before installing Win10. Windows 10 and Mint are working fine.
Just add the following lines to /boot/grub/grub.cfg in Linux Mint.
menuentry ‘Android-x86 5.1.1 Lollipop 151010 (sda8)’ {
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=’hd0,msdos8′
linux /android-2015-09-09/kernel quiet root=/dev/ram0 androidboot.hardware=android_x86 SRC=/android-2015-09-09
initrd /android-2015-09-09/initrd.img
}
(Example of course. You’ll have to change ‘hd0,msdos8’ to suit your installation partition).