NEWS 150916: Build 150914 has been replaced by Build 150916, which is totally error-free.

NEWS 150916AndEX – Lollipop 5.1.1 with kernel 4.0.8 and GAPPS
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: Facebook and OfficeSuite 8. The ISO is called android-x86-5.1.1-lollipop-kernel-4.0.8-exton-GAPPS-571mb-150916.iso. AndEX 150916 is totally error-free. For installing new apps you shall always use Google Play Store in AndEX build 150916. 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 Androidx86 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 two advantages over the Lollipop version: You can run the system in VirtualBox and the system can be used also on older laptops. Read more about the KitKat 4.4.4 version 150721 or DOWNLOAD it instantly.

Error messages during setup (2) – only re. Build 150914
When running AndEX Build 150914 is possible that you will get some “crash messages” when it is time to setup your wireless connection and log in to your Google account. Just close the message windows. Everything works!

1. When you try to run the Gmail app you will most certainly also get a message saying that you have to update Google Play Services. Just do it. It will look like this.

google-play-services-20150611After that everything will be OK! I.e. you can run every installed app and install new apps (via Google Play Store). If, however, the computer locks up during the setup press Ctrl Alt Del and the setup will continue.
2. You will also most certainly get this error message.
keyboard-aosp--20150914
Fix it after your Android x86 Lollipop desktop is ready by open Settings >> Language & Input. It will look like this.
keyboard-settings-20150914
Just click on the button to the right. Everything will be alright after that.
NOTE: You will not get the above error messages when running AndEX Build 150916.

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 150916. 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 8.1 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 Android KitKat. 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 150916 (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 150916 (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.

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

Unfortunately you cannot (normally) run/test the system in VirtualBox. I.e. run it directly from the ISO file and install it to a hard drive created in VirtualBox. That can however be done if you use my other Android remaster KitKat 4.4.4 version 7 150721.

Upgrade/Updates
This build of AndEX (150916) replaces Build 150611. No need to upgrade if you already have a working version of build 150611 installed. All installed apps (GAPPS and others) will then be in the same version as in build 150916 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.

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 150916 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 150721 will run also on older computers.

Screenshots
Screenshot 1 – AndEX Desktop with Autumn Live Wallpaper (pre-installed)
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.

Replacement
This build of AndEX (150916) replaces build 150611, which also had GAPPS pre-installed.

DOWNLOAD
This Build (150916) has been replaced by Build 151010
.

Note3: Android-x86 KitKat 4.4.4 Exton build 7 150721 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.