Install Remix OS with Windows and Linux

Remix OS is a refined version of Android which aims at removing boundaries between mobile and PC devices. It provides you with capabilities of Android together with features that usually found on desktop operating systems like Windows and Linux.

In my case, I use Linux as main working system, meanwhile I also have Windows to serve as my backup system. Then I’m going to load Remix OS for entertainment (tons of Android apps).

Environment

/dev/sda1 -> Windows 10 boot
/dev/sda2 -> Windows 10
/dev/sda3 -> Unallocated Space for Remix OS
/dev/sda5 -> Ubuntu 16.04.1 /
/dev/sda6 -> Ubuntu 16.04.1 /home
/dev/sda7 -> Linux swap

Goal

I want to install Remix OS on /dev/sda3 while using current GRUB2 in MBR to load it.

Hands On

Prepare Partition

1. Boot into Windows.

2. Format /dev/sda3 as FAT32 or NTFS since Remix OS support both. Here we use NTFS. In my case, I only have C: in Windows, so the new partition will be D:.

Prepare Files

1. Download Remix OS zip file from their website.

2. Unzip the file and you will see three files: a readme file, an iso file and an installation tool (an exe file which only runs on Windows).

   Note: There is a way to even extract the iso file to manually boot from them to install, but since the offical zip file comes with the Windows version of installation tool, we are going to use it to make it easier.

Install Remix OS

1. Run the installation tool. Pick the iso file and choose the new partition (D:) and install.

2. Reboot the system into Remix OS.

   Note: Since now Remix OS is installed under Windows, the boot menu is also subject to Windows which creates a boot up path like this: GRUB2 -> Windows -> Remix OS. Go ahead and follow the path to boot into Remix OS.

3. Now Remix OS will prepare the disk partition and load system and applications. After that, finish the welcome wizard.

Create Boot menu

Now we have Remix OS installed, we want to make a new standalone boot menu for it so that we can boot into it directly from our current GRUB2.

1. Reboot the system into Linux.

2. Open the config file to add new entry:

    $ sudo gedit /etc/grub.d/40_custom
   

   Add a new entry as follows:

    menuentry 'Remix OS' --class android-x86 {
        insmod part_msdos
        insmod ntfs
        set root='hd0,msdos3'
        linux /RemixOS/kernel root=/dev/ram0 androidboot.hardware=remix_x86_64 androidboot.selinux=permissive quiet SERIAL=random logo.showlogo=1 SRC=RemixOS/ DATA= CREATE_DATA_IMG=1
        initrd /RemixOS/initrd.img
    }
   

   Note: You don’t have to write it all on your own because you can copy most of the content from an existing file found at /RemixOS/menu.lst on the Remix OS partition. Since the menu.lst is an old style boot menu for GRUB version 0.x and GRUB2 is using different gramma, we need to alter it like above.

   Some explanations:

   • The two insmod command loads MBR and NTFS support.
   • Replace find --set-root /RemixOS/kernel with set root='hd0,msdos3'. Here hd0,msdos3 means disk 1, MBR partition table, partition 3 (/dev/sda3).

3. Save the file and run the following command to update GRUB:

    $ sudo update-grub
   

4. Reboot your system and you will see a new entry called Remix OS in the boot menu.

Clean Up

There is still a Remix OS menu entry under Windows boot menu, we need to remove it together with those boot loader files sitting in C:.

1. Reboot system insto Windows.
2. Download and install a tool called EasyBCD.
3. Go to Edit Boot Menu and delete Remix OS entry.
4. Go to C: drive, delete following files that Remix OS installation tool created: remixos_install.log, ubnldr, ubnldr.exe, ubnldr.mbr.