How to Install Android on Your PC

From: http://android.appstorm.net/how-to/rooting-and-roms/how-to-install-android-on-your-pc/

It used to be the case that PC users had the choice of installing Windows or, if they were feeling adventurous, a version of Linux. This is still true, but it is now also possible to install OS X without owning a Mac and virtualization means that you can do all of this alongside your main operating system in a virtual computer.

This being Android.AppStorm, you may well wonder what virtualization has to do with your phone or tablet. Well, how would you feel about the chance of installing and running Android on your PC? Using a free copy ofVirtualBox and the information in this guide, you can run a fully functioning – and legal – version of Jelly Bean on your computer.

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It’s a Simple Process

First, you’ll need to grab yourself a copy of VirtualBox. This powerful virtualization utility can be used to install a second operating system alongside your primary one, and while this usually means running a second copy of Windows or trying out Ubuntu, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able install a mobile operating system as well.

Android may have been designed for your phone and tablet , but that doesn’t mean it needs to stay there.

Once you have the virtualization software up and running, you’ll need to get hold of a copy of Jelly Bean to install. This does not mean that you need to obtain an illicit copy of the operating system from an untrustworthy website, or rip a copy of your phone’s ROM – it is actually freely available.

Step 1: Grab an Android ROM

There are various versions of Android available for download, but it makes sense to work with the most recent version – Jelly Bean. Head over to theAndroid-x86 website scroll down to the Android-x86-4.2-devel section and click the View link for the most up to date version (at time of writing this is4.2 20130228).

There are several Android ROMs available to download including the latest version of Jelly Bean.

Weighing in at just under 200MB, the download will take a moment to transfer. Once you have the ISO file on your hard drive, you’re ready to set about the task of installing it in VirtualBox.

Step 2: Going Virtual

Pay a visit to the VirtualBox download page and click the link to download the software. Here, I’m working with Windows 8, but VirtualBox is compatible with older versions of Microsoft’s operating system, and there are also versions available for OS X and Linux.

VirtualBox can be used to install a second operating system on your computer, including Android.

Once downloaded, run through the installation of the program  – just accept all of the default options. Don’t be concerned when you’re asked to install a new network adaptor as this is part if the usual installation process.

A virtual network adaptor will be installed by VirtualBox to allow virtual machines to get online.

Once installation is complete, launch VirtualBox and you’re ready to move to the next stage.

Step 3: Create a Virtual Machine

You’ll need to start by creating a new virtual machine onto which you will install Android. Click theNew button. Name the virtual machine whatever you like, and (as Android is based on Linux) select  Linux from the first drop down menu. From theVersion menu select Other Linux and then click Next.

Android is a Linux-based operating system and it needs to be correctly identified in VirtualBox.

Move the memory slider to the right so that 512MB or more of RAM is set aside for VirtualBox and clickNext. Make sure that the Create a virtual hard drive now option is selected and clickCreate. Select VDI, click Next and then select theFixed size option before clicking Next.

You can then use the slider to choose how large a disk should be assigned to the virtual machine, and you can use the folder button to choose where it should be stored. ClickCreate when you’ve configured your settings — it might take a few minutes for the virtual disk to be created.

Your virtual Android device can be assigned a drive capacity of your choice — go wild!

Step 4: Install Android

Make sure that you have your newly created virtual machine selected and then click theSettings button in the toolbar. Click the Storage link to the left hand side of the dialog and then towards the center click theEmpty entry in the Storage Tree section.

To the right of this, click the small disc button and select Choose a virtual CD/DVD disk file from the menu that appears. Navigate to the ISO file you have downloaded, select it and clickOpen followed by OK.

The ISO files you’ve downloaded can be used as a virtual CD to install Android.

Power up your virtual machine by clicking the Start button in the VirtualBox toolbar.

If this is the first time you’ve used the program you may see a message letting you know about mouse capturing. When you move the mouse cursor inside the virtual machine window you’ll find that you cannot move it back out to control Windows as you normally would – just remember to press the right hand Ctrl key to free up the mouse when you need to.

Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to scroll down to the Installation option and pressEnter.

Android can be run without installation, but opting to install provides a better, faster experience.

Now you will need to configure the virtual hard drive so that there is somewhere to install Android to. Select theCreate/Modify Partition option and press Enter.

Select New at the bottom of the screen and press Enter, and then select thePrimary option before pressing Enter again. PressEnter to create a partition that occupies your entire virtual drive.

Configuring hard drives for Android may seem complex, but it takes just a few moments.

Now select the Bootable option and press Enter, selectWrite and press Enter, and then type the word yes before pressing Enter once again. Select Quit, choose the partition you’ve just created and pressEnter.

When prompted, select the option to use the ext3 file system and selectYes to confirm your choice. The GRUB bootloader takes care of launching Android, so selectYes to install it and then select Yes again to make the /system directory writeable.

The correct drive format must be selected for Android to work properly, so take care during configuration.

It won’t be long before Android boots, and at this point you should remove the virtual CD from the drive. Click theDevices menu and select CD/DVD Devices followed byRemove disk from virtual drive.

It’s a slightly time-consuming process, but getting Android on your PC is very rewarding.

Step 5: Almost There!

You might find that Android takes a little while to boot up — at least the first time around — and you’ll then have to run through the initial configuration just like you did the first time you switched on your phone or tablet.

Should you find that your mouse does not work and you are unable to click within Android, click theMachine menu in Virtual Box and then click Disable Mouse Integration. You may also find it useful to clickView followed by Switch to Scale Mode if you find the mouse acts erratically — you can switch back to regular mode by pressing the rightCtrl key and C at the same time.

The first time you run Android you’ll have to set it up just like you did on your phone or tablet.

You can ignore any steps related to connecting to a wireless network as VirtualBox will just make use of your computer connection without the need for additional configuration.

Running Android within Windows can feel strange to start with, but it’s also great fun!

Now it’s time to pay a visit to Google Play and start downloading apps! Let us know how you get on, particularly if you think up any interesting uses for a virtualized copy of Android.

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VirtualBox + android x86 模拟各种分辨率

Ken /   技术宅  / 2012/06/18 10:33 / 热度(2,860 views)

前几天说到用VirtualBox 运行android x86以提高调试速度 ，虚拟出了一个android pad。这里再讲一下如何设置，使得可以模拟更多不同的分辨率，以满足调试的需要。

下面以添加480×800 DPI240 和320×480 DPI160 两种常见的分辨率为例。按如下步骤：

1. 打开命令行窗口，进入到VirtualBox 安装目录下。我的虚拟机名称叫android_4，假设你的也是，执行：
   
   1 2	VBoxManage setextradata "android_4" "CustomVideoMode1" "480x800x16" VBoxManage setextradata "android_4" "CustomVideoMode2" "320x480x16"

   
   注意是两个不同名字的mode。
   
2. 启动虚拟机，在系统启动菜单里选 Debug Mode 进入，然后执行：
   
   1	vi / mnt / grub / menu .lst

   
   复制“title Android-x86 4.0-RC1” 及其下两行，然后粘贴两份，并分别在新粘贴的两份里：
   1. 修改“title” 行，改个标题；
   2. 修改“kernel” 行，分别添加“UVESA_MODE=480×800 DPI=240” 和“UVESA_MODE=320×480 DPI=160”
      结果可参考下图：
      
3. 保存，重启，系统菜单里就多出来两个选项了，进入就是相应的分辨率和DPI 了。

P.S.

• 文中“480×800”中的“x”是小写字母x。
• vi 操作请自行搜索:-p
• 可自行尝试各种不同的分辨率和DPI 组合。

● android