Hey guys
You guys love tech, i love tech. So i thought id share our progress of porting linux to the Asus Transformer series!
Currently works being done on the tf700, but this progress can quite easily be moved back to the other tegra 3 based Asus tablets (tf300t, tf201 etc) We currently achieve a multi boot with android via a multi init system, with a nearly pure android kernel. We *inject* a multiboot menu using frame buffer console during a normal boot, which then allows you to choose between android or linux. Im also slowly developing a Kexec based method of booting linux which should improve compatibility with other tegra 3 devices.
heres a couple of videos i made of an older version running on the tf300t:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRHXsG2G3c8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzV4K11YNMY
Installation is very easy, it requires you flashing an aroma.zip (GUI installer) that decompresses a rootfs.lzma file (this can be any distro with armhf compatibility) to a rootfs.img file which will loopmount during boot then installs a boot.img containing a hybrid kernel (android kernel with a modified ramdisk) The process is very safe, safer than flashing a rom for example.
PROS:
- Since we have Linux for Tegra drivers, graphical performance is fantastic. E.g on the tf700 CPU frequency can run at 1.9GHz and 700Mhz on the gpu (on par with a 3-4 year old netbook.)
- Battery life gives about 8-10 hours usage on average. (around 40hrs with screen off, due suspend-to-ram not working currently)
- Compatibility with most distros, ubuntu, lubuntu, xubuntu, debian, arch-linux etc.
CONS:
- Suspend to ram isnt working (wakelock issue, from android)
TF700
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2387133 (Ubuntu/Lubuntu)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2198396 (Arch-Linux)
Still being actively developed my myself and others, Note the TF700 kernels can quite easily be ported back too other tf devices (The rootfs files should work fine on any arm tablet). Can be dualbooted with android 4.1 or 4.2
TF300T
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1918849 (Arch-Linux)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2190847 (Xubuntu)
Seems to be abandoned and only 4.1 support, although the hardware of the tf300t is nearly exactly the same as the tf700 so with a change of modules the tf700's kernel should work also.
TF201
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2190847 (Ubuntu)
Not really sure on the progress of this one, ive had one reported success using the the tf700s installer with a different kernel.
That turned into a long post.... I thought this was more relevant to the linux section than tablets, im sorry if it isnt, Hopefully will help someone out!