Clara HD Need Help Porting Android 2.3.6 to Kobo Clara HD

[the-blue-banana]

Hello everyone,

I have no experience in Android porting, but I would love to try getting Android 2.3.6 running on the Kobo Clara HD.

I know it's possible because there was already an Android port for the Kobo Glo HD, which has very similar hardware (Kobo Glo HD Android port).

I successfully installed Linux via postmarketOS on the Clara HD (postmarketOS Wiki), but when it comes to Android, I am completely lost.

What I already have
✅ A working bootloader (U-Boot)
✅ A Linux kernel adapted for the device (from GitHub)
✅ A working Linux installation on the Kobo Clara HD

🔗 Kernel & U-Boot sources: GitHub

What I don’t know at all (and where I need help)
❓ The entire process of compiling and installing an Android ROM on the Kobo Clara HD
❓ How to adapt a device tree and configure an Android 2.3.6 build
❓ Which files need modification to make the ROM compatible with the i.MX6SLL hardware and E-Ink display
❓ How to integrate and configure E-Ink drivers

Basically, I need as much help and guidance as possible! If anyone has experience with Android porting and can point me in the right direction (or if another Android version would be easier to port), I would really appreciate it.

Thanks a lot for your help!

[JSWolf]

It would be a lot easier to buy the Tolino version of the Clara as it already comes with Android.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It would be a lot easier to buy the Tolino version of the Clara as it already comes with Android.

Or a true Android eink device. If you wanted Android, why did you buy a Kobo in the first place?

[the-blue-banana]

It was 2018 I was young it wasn't what I wanted to do with it, I just wanted to read but now I have a new e reader and I don't know what to do with it anymore

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by the-blue-banana

It was 2018 I was young it wasn't what I wanted to do with it, I just wanted to read but now I have a new e reader and I don't know what to do with it anymore

Why not sell it (unless it's in a really poor condition)? That's what I've done with all my previous ereaders.

[Quoth]

Android is pretty pointless for eink and ereaders, though Tolino & Onyx do it. Sony changed from plain Linux to Android on T1 for zero value. It's a bit overhead of no value unless there is the Playstore and Apps work, and many don't work, or are tricky on eink.

Pass it on to someone that would like to read. I have an Android eink and it gathers dust compared to Kobo.

[the-blue-banana]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Why not sell it (unless it's in a really poor condition)? That's what I've done with all my previous ereaders.

I like doing stupid projects on electronic devices like Windows 11 on a Xiaomi mi 9 natively or even a Minecraft server on a watch or putting Linux on an e-reader with postmatket os it keeps the weekends busy

[the-blue-banana]

This is the kind of stupid project I like to do.

[Aleron Ives]

You're probably on the wrong forum for this. Most of the members here are readers, not programmers. You may have better luck on an Android developer forum.

[elinkser]

Well FWIW, someone got some Tolino firmware

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=12


And, someone modded PostmarketOs

https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Tolino_Shine_3


Looks like the rest is up to you, lol!