This little tutorial discusses
how to run Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) on your desktop or laptop PC and the way you can
install Android apps (.apk files) for an offline machine. This is ideal if you want to test Android OS before buying a new Android tablet to see if its good enough for you. And also good for testing or debugging Android apps.
The Mobile world is talking about Android and the Tablet world is crazy about it. so why not go out for a spin?!
Step 1: Download the ISO
1. Go to
http://www.android-x86.org/download
2. Find the heading (with a folder icon) "Android-x86-4.0"
3. Find the ISO for eeePC (android-x86-4.0-RC2-eeepc.iso)
4. Click the "View" link to download the Android x86 ISO (about 180 MB)
Step 2: Write the ISO
A. On USB Pendrive/Flashdrive
If you want to make your spare USB flashdrive be able to boot Android then follow these steps below. It is especially good if you have a notebook without a CD/DVD ROM drive:
1. Download Unetbootin (about 5 MB):
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/unetbootin-windows-latest.exe
2. After downloading, run the unetbootin.exe file
3. Click the DiskImage radiobutton
4. Click the [ ... ] button and select the ISO image that you downloaded in Step 1
5. Select your USB flash drive partition in "Drive" drop down menu
6. Click OK. Now your pendrive will be prepared for running Android
7. When Unetbootin finishes with the job, click Exit, then proceed to the next step...
B. On CD/DVD
If you want to make a CD to boot Android then follow these steps:
1. Download and Install ImgBurn:
http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
2. Start Imgburn and click "Write image file to disc"
3. Click the folder icon next "Please select a file" and select the ISO file you have downloaded on Step 1
4. Click the big "Write" button with cd icon on it.
5. When the content inside the ISO image will be written to the CD, the CD ROM door will automatically open up.
6. Close the CDROM drive door with the CD in the CD ROM drive and proceed to next step.
Step 3: Download APK files on pendrive
In this step we will store some .apk files, which are pretty much like .exe files for Android, in a pendrive. The pendrive will act like an External Memory card which will allow us to access the apk files to be installed. (Because Android cannot access your hard drives!)
If you have made a bootable Android pendrive then you will need another pendrive to act like External Memory. If you have prepared a bootable CD ROM drive then you will need only one pendrive.
1. Download apk files from various websites online. There are many website online. Such as
http://www.papktop.com . There is a list of such websites at the end of this website.
2. Store the apk files to the pendrive.
Close all programs and restart your computer with the CD still in the CD ROM drive.
... proceed to next step
Step 4: Running Android
After restart, if everything went OK, Android-x86 Live CD Menu will appear. Choose VESA mode and press Enter. Hopefully Android will run. If not follow the instructions below...
Warning: Not an Asus product
We have downloaded the ISO image for ASUS eeePC. There are ISOs for some specific manufacturers (Asus laptop, eeePC, Motion m1400, r2-s103t, Sparta, TegaV2, TX2500). This is due to the difference of wifi connection hardware in different manufacturers' products.
In some computers, the Android Live CD will issue a warning and probably end up in a black screen and halt the system saying that the machine is not made by Asus. But we want to use Android anyway. To avoid this situation we can set a boot parameter " nomodeset". But if it runs without it, you're good to go without setting this parameter.
1. When the Android-x86 Live CD Menu appears after restart, press the Tab key from your keyboard
2. Press space and type "nomodeset" without quotation marks
3. Press Enter
Even after you set the parameter, it is possible that it will show the above warning message. But ignore it. It will run smoothly on your PC.
Step 5: Installing apk files (the offline way!)
You can easily download and install apps through Google Play, the app store for Android. But if you don't have a wifi connection available around you then you will need to install Android Apps (.apk files) with an SD card (or in our case - pendrive!)
1. Insert the pendrive that has the apk files inside it
2. Click the main menu button from the desktop (top-right corner)
3. Click at the right edge of screen then click "Open Manager"
4. On the left side you will find "/" item. Click it.
5. Then click "mnt" folder and then "USB".
6. Click on an apk file. Click install ... and enjoy!
APK files download site:
http://www.papktop.com/
http://www.torrapk.com/index.php/en/search-by-category
http://www.androidfreeware.net/
(There are tons of other websites on the web.
Help yourself.)
Reference:
http://www.androidauthority.com/run-android-4-0-ice-cream-sandwich-on-your-pc-60659/
http://forum.samdroid.net/f21/android-x86-problem-installation-5888/
