Ubuntu Touch Emulator

Ubuntu Touch Emulator is a cool open-source tool that lets you test out the latest version of the Ubuntu Touch operating system, which is designed for mobile devices. It's especially handy for checking out apps too!

What Inspired It?

This emulator takes some inspiration from the Android Emulator that Google offers with its SDK (Software Development Kit). Fun fact: it even uses some tools from the Android SDK package, all found in the same PPA repository as Ubuntu Touch Emulator.

Requirements to Get Started

Before diving in, make sure your computer has enough RAM. The emulator needs at least 512MB of RAM, and you'll need a minimum of 4GB of free disk space. Don’t forget about your graphics drivers! They should be OpenGL capable to work well with the OpenGLES 2.0 translator.

Installation Steps

If you want to install Ubuntu Touch Emulator, you’ll need one of these operating systems: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin), Ubuntu 13.10 (Raring Rintail), or Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr). Start by adding the ppa:phablet-team/tools PPA repository, then update your sources and install both ubuntu-emulator and ubuntu-emulator-runtime packages.

Create Your First Emulator Image

You can create an emulator image using this command: sudo ubuntu-emulator create --channel=ubuntu-touch/utopic-proposed --arch=i386 test_x86. To run it, just type: ubuntu-emulator run test_x86.

Troubleshooting and Testing Apps

If everything goes smoothly without any odd error messages popping up, you'll see a prototype Ubuntu Phone running the Ubuntu Touch OS. You can test various applications and even add your own! How awesome is that?

A Final Word on Compatibility

The good news: We can say that Ubuntu Touch Emulator is a solid fit for the GNU/Linux community. The only downside right now is that it works only on Ubuntu-based operating systems.

If you're interested in giving it a try, check out this link for more info! You can download it here: Download Ubuntu Touch Emulator!