Originally Posted by kingoddball

This thread has been started to help members install Android on their N900 and to (attempt) to help answer questions and solve some issues.

This is not a thread for Bugs - All bugs should be report @: bugs.nitdroid.com

You will need to download the N900 Flasher-3.5 software

Download Android (Eclair-2.1) RootFS:

You will need a modified kernel.
Android ONLY Kernel You can not boot back into Maemo with this.

Code:

flasher-3.5 --set-rd-flags=no-ext-wd,no-lifeguard-reset --enable-rd-mode -f -k zImage-NITDroid-0.0.1 -R

DualBoot Kernel Boots Maemo, Android AND has overclocking enabled!

Code:

flasher-3.5 --set-rd-flags=no-ext-wd,no-lifeguard-reset --enable-rd-mode -f -k zImage-NITDroid-0.0.3-a -R

Now onto setup and installation!!
First, You need a computer running Linux, Linux VM or download a liveCD of: Debian, Mint Linux, Ubuntu or many others.

At this point, please keep the Android partition under 2GB.
Don't worry about the smaller size as Android has access to your 27GB on you N900

Open a Terminal window and type:

Code:

sudo fdisk /dev/sdb

o
n
p
1
<press enter>
+128M

t
c
n
p
2
<press enter>
<press enter>

w

sudo mkdosfs /dev/sdb1

sudo mke2fs -j /dev/sdb2 -m0

If you receive an error saying "mounted.... "

type:

sudo umount /dev/sdb1

Again if you get a mounted error for: mke2fs

sudo umount /dev/sdb2 (for mke2fs line)

mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt


Download the android file to your desktop

cd /mnt
sudo tar xjvvpf ../home/USERNAME/DesktopNITDroid-N900-0.0.3-1-Demo.tbz2


umount /mnt

One you have completed that on your PC.

Open up Maemo, package manager, download BOOTMENU, rootsh and nano

Or (sudo)
apt-get install bootmenu-n900
apt-get install nano
apt-get install rootsh

Once done, Open up XTERM on N900

Type:
[code]
root

cd ..
cd ..

cd etc/bootmenu.d/

type:

nano android.ext.item
Nano will open.
Type exactly:

Code:

ITEM_NAME="Android (external SD, partition 2)" 
ITEM_ID="android2" 
ITEM_DEVICE="${EXT_CARD}p2" 
ITEM_MODULES="mbcache jbd ext3 fat vfat" 
ITEM_FSTYPE="ext3" 
ITEM_FSOPTIONS="noatime"

CTRL (touch screen button)
Press W
Press Y

exit
Reboot

Have the keyboard slide OPEN (showing keyboard)
Select the android.

The device should begin to boot start android.


THE BACK COVER MUST BE IN PLACE OR THE SYSTEM WILL CRASH

I will provide you another little tutorial/guide to disable to keyboard flash that comes with RD mode if you do not like the blinking/active keypad lights.

Crack open xTerm:

Code:

root
cd ..

cd etc

nano pmconfig

Change "sleep_ind 1" to "sleep_ind 0".

sleep_ind 1 is generally the last line of pmconfig.

You do not need to use nano, I just like it's simplicity

Then reboot.
The keyboard may flash on the sides during bootup, this is fine.

Twitchers!

Installation video's:
part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7YPDufJc88
part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbjJ6_uarmA



Yes, you may press the "Thanks" button



Edit: Please be mindful that none of this would be possible without all the hard work provided by: e-yes and dj_steve.
Thanks for your hard work getting Android to work! THANKS!