There is number of options available, but generally Ubuntu Oneiric Ocelot is what you are looking for.

GET UBUNTU 11.10 NOW!

Ubuntu is definitely the easiest way to get Linux onto a AC100. However - if you are a Linux-User with more experience - or - if you want to learn more about how Linux works - then Gentoo might be an interesting alternative. All software is compiled during installation (interesting for all NON-X86 architectures) and therefore the assortment of software is bigger and your are not dependent on the choice the distribution made for you. Another advantage of Gentoo is shurely the possibility to get the smallest Linux running (light-weight) which fits exactly to your demands. But WARNING: This stuff is not for Linux-Newbies!

• install nvflash or putusb (warning: with putusb you're on your own, it's not fully tested and you might have problems restoring your backups)
• backup your AC100. Did I already say it ?
• you might want to repartion your internal MMC

• First install nvflash and make a backup.
• Download boot-installer-2.6.37-1-ac100.img.
• Start AC100 into developer mode (CTRL + ESC + POWER).
• nvflash -r –download 6 boot-installer-2.6.37-1-ac100.img
• Download ubuntu-natty-netbook-2.6.37-1-ac100-rootfs.tgz to a usb stick and put it into the AC100.
• Restart the AC100 normal.
• Installation to mmcblk0p7? ⇒ yes [it is the biggest partition 14, the storage-partition of android]
• After a automatical reboot some error message ocurrs (plymouth…). But it doesn't matter.
• Now go through the normal installation process.
• If the mouse pointer freezes please unplug the usb stick and plug in a usb mouse.
• If all finished, please upgrade with the following: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install linux-ac100

Same as the above but use the rootfs from here: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/oneiric/release/

Install instructions can be found here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/TEGRA/AC100

Note on suspend: It works out of box if you're running Android 2.1 bootloader, otherwise you'll need either revert to 2.1 or tweak /boot/bootimg.cfg:

1. remove lp0_vec option from cmdparam line in /boot/bootimg.cfg
2. <ctrl-C> whole line with resulting cmdline
3. execute sudo abootimg -u /dev/mmcblk0p2 -c “<ctrl-V>”

Examples:¹⁾

bootimg.cfg

bootsize = 0x800000
pagesize = 0x800
kerneladdr = 0x10008000
ramdiskaddr = 0x11000000
secondaddr = 0x10f00000
tagsaddr = 0x10000100
name = Ubuntu Boot Img
cmdline = mem=448M@0M tegrapart=recovery:300:a00:800,boot:d00:1000:800,mbr:1d00:200:800 root=UUID=3aee423d-d428-4e01-9804-0aa1948099e8 quiet splash

aboot-update.sh

sudo abootimg -u /dev/mmcblk0p2 -c "cmdline = mem=448M@0M  tegrapart=recovery:300:a00:800,boot:d00:1000:800,mbr:1d00:200:800 root=UUID=3aee423d-d428-4e01-9804-0aa1948099e8 quiet splash"

linux-ac100 package is provided in Oneiric repositories, not need to add ppa. Atomatic kernel update is supported.

Continue installing properitary video driver (see L4T drivers linked here), flash support and further apps

With Beta 2 release and kernel 2.6.38-1000-ac100 as provided in the Oneiric repository since 2011/09/24 all the features of previous versions are supported (suspend, headphone sound, lid events) and we recommend an Oneiric install instead of Natty.

Anyway, it is adviseable to use some lightweight desktop environment. I can recommend LXDE on the Ubuntu basis. It is much faster regarding boot time, tool launch, file manager, etc and uses less RAM/eMMC in contrast to Ubuntu Unity/Gnome. — Peter Ibach 2011/10/02 15:58

See ubuntu_deubuntuization on how to cleanup your installation.

• phh (ubuntu with kernel version 2.6.32, working suspend and headphones audio)
• ubuntu (offical ubuntu page with install instructions for kernel version 2.6.38 and later. Automatic kernel updates through Oneiric repositories or PPA ²⁾ for Natty. Status 2011/10/01, Ubuntu Oneiric Ocelot Beta 2 with kernel 2.6.38-1000-ac100: suspend works with Android 2.1 bootloader, audio working over headphones
• debian
• Fedora
• Gentoo
• ArchLinux - Status 2011/10/01: latest zram support. More in this thread.
• RedSleeve Enterprise Linux (RSEL) soon-to-be-released RHEL6 port by Gordan Bobic.

SOSBoot

Ubuntu 10.10 The following HowTo is copy-pasted (and formatted) from http://ac100.gudinna.com/. You better read the README supplied there to get the most recent infromation: different machines use different partition numbers. Update the bootloader Get the linux4tegra package from tegradeveloper.nvidia.com, so you have the nvflash utility Connect an USB to USB mini cable between your host PC and the AC100 On your ac100 hold down ctrl and esc on boot; the device will go into flash mode Pull the tegra-2.6.29-arm2-ac100-boot.img from http://ac100.gudinna.com Make a backup of the existing partition 5 (recovery mode) of the AC100: sudo LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./nvflash -w –bl ../prebuilt/fastboot.bin –read 5 tegra_partition_5.bin –go Write the linux autodetection boot image to partition 5 on the device (do not reboot between these commands): sudo LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./nvflash -r –download 5 <path to downloaded tegra-autodetect-boot.img> Note: Apparently some people are having problems when backing up and writing the boot image right after another. In that case you have to reboot your AC100 between the two commands and use: sudo LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./nvflash -w –bl ../prebuilt/fastboot.bin –download 5 <path to downloaded tegra-2.6.29-arm2-ac100-boot.img> From now on, the recovery mode on your AC100 will scan for linux on the SD card slot and USB port if you enter the recovery mode (hold down Home during boot, press 1 if the recovery menu shows up). Create a rootfs SD card Grab the tarball called tegra-rootfs.tgz from http://ac100.gudinna.com Prepare an SD card, it should be at least 4G big and formated as ext3 with a single partition Mount the SD card (e.g. to /mnt/sd) and uncompress the tarball to it (this needs to be done as root!) Example: sudo tar xzvf tegra-rootfs.tgz –numeric-owner -C /mnt/sd Do not forget to properly unmount the card afterwards Instead of an SD card you can also use a USB-stick, the boot image will detect either. Booting Plug the SD card into the SD slot of the AC100, hold down Home while pressing the power button Once the recovery menu shows up, press 1. Be patient until the welcome screen to configure the system comes up Enable the network if you want to use a different language on the device, the language packs will be installed during configuration Finish the Welcome screen and you will be dropped into your newly configured Ubuntu install Known Issues There is currently no sound driver, so no sound will work on the ac100. However, phhusson's version has sound working (it's linked on gudinna, same installation procedure). If you have problems using your touchpad: the Welcome screen (oem-config) is usable via keyboard (apart from the timezone selection) Finish the setup by using the keyboard, then use the test-ec command (preinstalled) with values as described on the Peripheral Control (ec_odm) page To check the touchpad is working run the following in a terminal: sudo cat /dev/input/event1 If it works you should see grabage in the terminal as you move your fingers on the touchpad On some devices the touchpad shows up as a different event device, so test others too. If this is the case, please adjust the touchpad entry in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

Related external resources Ubuntu for ARM Ubuntu Netbook Remix for ARM ARM/RootfsFromScratch Linux for Tegra (L4T)