HTC HD2 Hacked To Run MeeGo Linux

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Independent iPhone and Macintosh developer Steven Troughton-Smith has been able to get MeeGo Linux running on the HTC HD2 smartphone.

Knowing the HD2 hardware is similar to that of the Nexus One -- which already can run MeeGo -- Troughton-Smith decided to experiment with running the Linux operating system on HTC's hardware. The developer followed the instructions on MeeGo's wiki page.

"I didn't deviate much from the instructions at all, except for having the kickstart file produce an ext2 image," Troughton-Smith said, in his step-by-step directions and video. "Using the latest kernel from Ubuntu for HD2, and a slightly modified initrd.gz from the same package, I combined these with the MeeGo rootfs image, and with a little tweaking I got as far as the homescreen."

Initially, there were touchscreen problems. In order to run apps, Troughton-Smith installed Android's adb daemon and got a shell over USB. By using a different kernel, the developer saw some improvement, but still is working through some problems, said Troughton-Smith.

In addition, the developer -- who is responsible for Orbit, Stack, Grace, Lights Off, SameGame, Speed, Nuker, Chalk, and Doom -- encountered issues with Wi-Fi, graphics, and acceleration, he said.

"The HD2 seems unique in its hacking potential, as it can run Windows Mobile 6.5, Windows Phone 7, Android, Ubuntu, and now MeeGo - if you ever get a chance to pick up one of these devices, do," said Troughton-Smith.