14 DAY TRIAL // Canonical has just released a new version of Ubuntu Dual Boot, a set of tools that allow users to install both Ubuntu Touch and Android on the same device.
One of the main problems that potential Ubuntu Touch users face is the perspective of having to flash the device and lose all the settings made in Android. Sure enough, you can perform a complete backup of the system, but who really wants to do that? The only solution is to dual boot your device, just like you would with a PC that's running Linux and Windows from the same hard drive.
As it happens, Ubuntu Dual Boot is not the only solution to do this and, in fact, we detailed another procedure that involves the use of an application called MultiROM Manager, which does a pretty great job at it. We described the process in more detail in our tutorial, but it has only one drawback. It has to be done from the Android side.
“We’re thrilled to announce a new release of Ubuntu Dual boot, now supporting enhanced Ubuntu upgrades either from the Android or Ubuntu side. The new Ubuntu Dualboot release, codenamed M9, enables developers to run both Ubuntu and Android on a single device and is packed with new features that make it the power tool to use for those doing development in both platforms.”
“Dual boot is not a feature suitable for regular users. It is recommended to be installed only by developers who are comfortable with flashing devices and with their partition layout. Dual boot rewrites the Android recovery partition and those installing it should be intimately familiar with re-flashing it in case something goes wrong,” also reads the announcement made on the Ubuntu website by developer David Planella.
The difference from MultiROM Manager is that Ubuntu Dual Boot comes with support for multiple Android flavors (AOSP or stock, CyanogenMod), which is great news for people who are also tired of the same “old” Android.
This is not actually a new tool, and Ubuntu developers have been working on it for some time. It's now being perfected and comes with some nifty fixes and upgrades, like Android notifications and background execution improvements, support for the updates on the Ubuntu side, and even sideload support.
Ubuntu developers are providing an ample tutorial on how to make this procedure work, but you need to be careful. Fortunately, even if you soft-brick your phone, it's pretty easy to flash the stock image from Ubuntu.
Check the official installation instructions and announcement for more details on how to make Ubuntu Dual Boot work properly.