An Android port to HP"s discontinued TouchPad could be closer than previously thought, after the CyanogenMod team showed off an early build running on the tablet.
CyanogenMod"s work, detailed in a letter first published on RootzWiki, is backed up by video of a very rough version of CyanogenMod 7 (based on Android Gingerbread 2.3.5) booting on a TouchPad. The mod team, best known for their CyanogenMod builds for Android phones, was quick to emphasise the very early stage of so-called ""TouchDroid"" development, though they noted some further progress had been made since last week when the video was made.
""Since this video was created last week, the build has been more "tabletized" (tablet tweaks added, etc.), lvm support has been added, and 2d hardware acceleration should appear very soon,"" they wrote. ""The touchscreen driver issue is now the focus of our attention.""
At present, the only way to interact with the Android build running on the TouchPad is via the Android Debug Bridge, or ADB. Even the limited work shown in the video appears to be a far cry from the ""next to no"" progress claimed by a member of the TouchDroid project just days ago.
The ""ultimate vision"" for the CyanogenMod team is to create a multiboot environment that would allow the user to switch between Android, WebOS and possibly other operating systems. As for when eager TouchPad owners will get their hands on a working Android build, the mod team was unequivocal: don"t ask.
""PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR ETAS. For the uninitiated, this is the #1 rule for Cyanogenmod. It will certainly be a long while before our goals become reality. Our goals incidentally are not connected with any bounty-- we are motivated to do it right, not do it fast,"" they wrote.
While they are apparently not interested in claiming the US$1500 bounty offered by mod site HacknMod earlier this month, they are in need of at least four TouchPads to help further their development work. Anyone willing to donate a tablet (or several) is asked to comment on the YouTube video.
Check out the video and the CyanogenMod team"s full letter below.
Image Credit: CyanogenMod
Hey Internet/RootzWiki--
Here is some (older) touchpad progress from Friday. The Cyanogenmod team wanted to share it with the public as a blatant publicity stunt to bring attention to our need for a few more touchpads (for developers currently working without them).
As you can see from this quick demo, we"ve been working hard and have made progress. Since this video was created last week, the build has been more "tabletized" (tablet tweaks added, etc.), lvm support has been added, and 2d hardware acceleration should appear very soon.
The touchscreen driver issue is now the focus of our attention.
Our ultimate vision is to create a *multiboot* solution where the end user will be able to boot into WebOS, Cyanogenmod, and/or other OSes. This appears to be very possible, and we have discussed several potential implementations with our new friends in the WebOS development community to make it easy for an end-user to set up.
For the moment though, we need about 4 tablets, as we have talented and experienced developers who cannot contribute effectively due to a lack of hardware. If you have an extra touchpad and are willing to help the cause, please let us know in the comments below.
A BIG CAVEAT-- PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR ETAS. For the uninitiated, this is the #1 rule for Cyanogenmod. It will certainly be a long while before our goals become reality. Our goals incidentally are not connected with any bounty-- we are motivated to do it right, not do it fast.
And now the obligatory shout outs-- Thanks to rootzwiki and all the devs and everyone else who are collaborating and contributing to this project. You know who you are, you.
The CM team
www.cyanogenmod.com
PS- Yes, this is gingerbread (Android 2.3.5). Everything you see, except for bootie the bootloader (a great kid"s show btw), was compiled from source.