Yes, you heard right, you’ll be able to enjoy Android on your computer , completely outside the SDK , come on in ‘alternative’ plan and 100% underground (sorry Google). No, it’s not a tall tale, but the magic of this tutorial arise there.

You no longer have an excuse not to try to convince you, so you want an Android phone.

Following closely the Android-x86 project will teach you, step by step, how to install and set in motion Android, contended in a .iso and executed in a virtual machine. Notice, if you have an iPhone near, self-destroy.

Android natively on your computer, preparing the material

There are several methods to get to have Android on your computer. One would find a netbook that meets the compatibility requirements, basically the same process to get a hackintosh (install OS X on your PC any). The difference is that a mobile does not require much power, so it can run virtualized on your computer, even if you do not own many resources.

The tutorial is made ​​on OS X, but the process is exactly the same on any platform, because the .iso containing Android run under VirtualBox , which has version for OS X, Windows and Linux. So no, let the mess:

1. We need the latest version of VirtualBox its website, so depending on your computer and you know what you should choose. Unfortunately, VirtualBox on OSX version only has Intel Macs:

 

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

 

• Now we need to download the .iso Android that we use virtualization. For that we go to the project website Android-x86 and in the case of this tutorial as of today, we got the generic version 2.2:

  http://code.google.com/p/android-x86/downloads/detail?name=android-x86-2.2-generic.iso
  We already have everything we need only note that, as time passes, more stable versions appear and finished it today.

 

VirtualBox, step by step how to install the virtual machine

1. After downloading the installer VirtualBox proceed to install without much contemplation. In OS X is up to open the .dmg and install, no strange choices, everything is ‘carry-continue-close’.

 

 

• Then run the application VirtualBox found in the Applications folder and we will welcome screen and little else. The column on the left is where the virtual machines that we create and the right you will see a preview of the selected virtual machine are displayed.
• We click New to create a new virtual machine and we fill in the following information:

 

Name: Android (why complicate things?) // Operating System: Linux // Version: 2.6(recommended).

 

Memory: they say, with 300 MB is more than enough.

 

VHD: no, we will resort to a .iso, so leave everything unchecked.

 

Then, HORROR , you will get a warning screen, but without fear you give to Continue. Andinstallation is complete, you must exit the installation summarized like this:

 

 

• Upon returning to the screen virtual machine management name we created should appearto the right a description and preview the state of the machine, which also initially is off:

 

 

Where appropriate, if we are wrong in the process, simply click the right mouse button on the name of the virtual machine and give remove , and then enlighten you want to delete all files.

VirtualBox, adding Android to your virtual machine

1. Well, as we said, the machine is turned off, so we give up the Start button or punctured 2 times on the name of the machine before operating, but is now empty. That done, you will get a window welcome and give it to continue.
2. Now we have to load the .iso Android-x86 to unload at first. I, to have everything well located, I left that .iso inside the VirtualBox VMs folder in OS X, has created me VirtualBox in my folder user. Really where you put the .iso anyway, is just a point of order. So you tell where the .iso and give it to continue.

 

That’s it, we should display another screen of summary data loading Android virtual machine. We give the button Finish.

Android-x86 on VirtualBox, starting and basic configuration

1. The next thing you will see is the boot or start the virtual machine much like any Linux boot.Now, either we give the first choice Enter or let the timer reaches zero:

 

Then, on a black screen, the Android logo appears. . Well, this march
Seconds later the lock screen of any Android device appears:

 

 

• By default VirtualBox starts with mouse misconfigured. I am running this tutorial on a Mac laptop with touchpad and it works perfectly, but you have to activate it. For that you have to click on the icon below I indicate and mark it with the option Disable mouse integration (Host + I).

 

 

Got this in OS X (I guess in Windows / Linux have their specific key) to press CMD or Manzanita getenable or disable the keyboard and mouse integration within VirtualBox.

Android-x86 on VirtualBox, setup internet connection

1. The network adapter in the virtual machine to the internet, by default, is set to NAT . To work, the ideal is to configure a bridge adapter. For that, we click on the icon below and do the same in the configuration. Obviously this step and depends on the network each but in my case and in most cases is less trouble and give.

 

 

• And finally, to make sure everything went well, we go to the Android browser and put a web test, in my case, as I am a fan of Engadget , was clear:

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial on VirtualBox native Android and to bring forth game. Try to investigate your options and will soon retake the second part of this tutorial explaining how to set up more stuff.