Google Nexus 7

All information here is related to 2012 version of Google Nexus 7 manufactured by ASUS and how to do various things with, or to, it from GNU/Linux. 99% of information here can be found on intranets. These are, pretty much, personal notes. Respect to all those people for all work they've done!

Speaking of which, here are some links:

• unlocking boot loader by grey_olli
• replacing recovery image by grey_olli
• rooting nexus 7 summary by dmmarck with links to guide and video. Beware, though, as it has obfuscated links for non-registered users(which I think, sucks)

Detailed information about hardware can be found at wiki. I see no reason to duplicate this information.

• CPU - Nvidia Tegra 3 T30L ARM Cortex-A9, quad-core, 1.2GHz
• GPU - Nvidia ULP GeForce, twelve-core, 416MHz

I didn't put this under How to for couple reasons - it would be lost there and unlocked boot loader is building block for pretty much everything.

• you need Android SDK to get adb and fastboot. Look for adt-bundle-linux-x86_64. Note, however, despite it's 2013, “compat” libs are still required by 64bit version(what a shame!). This is covered by installing ia32-libs on Ubuntu. I don't know about other distros.
• enable USB debug mode by:
  • go into Settings → About tablet and click on Build number seven times
  • go into Settings → Developer options and enable USB debugging
• # ./adb devices

List of devices attached 
015d46d948101e11        device

• # ./adb reboot-bootloader or, I guess, this would do too: power off Nexus 7, hold simultaneously buttons Volume Down, Home and Power
• # ./fastboot oem unlock
• press Power button to unlock boot loader

• enable USB debugging, if you haven't already
• # ./adb devices
• # ./adb reboot-bootloader
• # ./fastboot devices - if it doesn't list your Nexus 7, you can't continue
• download clockworkmod recovery image here - based on version of Nexus 7 you have, choose either WiFi or GSM
• # ./fastboot flash recovery <path_to_image>
• # ./fastboot erase cache
• use Volume Down/Up buttons to choose Recovery mode and Power button to boot into recovery mode
• once in ClockworkMod
  • go into mounts and storage and mount /system
  • also, I think I had to format /cache partition(?)
  • go into backup and restore and backup and “create image zip”
  • you get get these files off the device by # ./adb pull <remote_file> <local_file> - highly recommended for later use, resp. restore
  • you'll be asked on exit whether to install ClockworkMod permanently or not - yes, to keep; no, to use only once. This can be reversed via backup/image(?)

• boot into ClockworkMod recovery image
• get SuperSU
• push SuperSU on Nexus 7, eg. # ./adb push <path_to_SuperSU> /sdcard/
• in ClockworkMod, install zip → choose zip from sdcard and locate SuperSU
• reboot device and you should have SuperSU icon in your menu

1. Go to Settings → About tablet
2. Click on Build number seven times

1. Go to Settings → Developer options
2. enable USB debugging

1. Go to Settings → Storage
2. open USB computer connection menu(three vertical dots in the right top corner of the screen)
3. choose either MTP or PTP mode

I've been using go-mtpfs to transfer files between 'droid and Linux.

• How to install Arch Linux on Nexus 7
• XDA Dev forum thread related to Arch Linux on Nexus 7

• https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Nexus7/Installation

• https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Nexus7 * [[http://www.nexus7tablethelp.com/2012/07/connect-nexus-7-to-linux-via-mtp-using.html
• http://thegreyhats.blogspot.cz/2012/12/nexus-7-file-transfer-with-linux-via-usb.html
• https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/MTP
• https://sourceforge.net/projects/libmtp/
• https://github.com/hanwen/go-mtpfs
• http://hanwen.home.xs4all.nl/public/software/go-mtpfs/
• http://grey-olli.livejournal.com/697276.html
• http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-7-2012-rooting-roms-hacks/200444-guide-release-kraken-rooting-hacking-your-nexus-7-a.html
• http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-7-2012-rooting-roms-hacks/189900-guide-mac-pc-linux-4-2-unlock-root-flash-recovery.htm