# Replace TiVo OS layer with Android



## bmalbert22 (Mar 20, 2010)

I was thinking about starting a project to port the Android OS for my tivo. What are your thoughts? Should be possible to get it to interface with the 2.1.24 linux kernel that runs as the backend on my series 2, right? What do you think??


----------



## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Don't waste your time. A) it won't work, and B) no one would want it if it did.


----------



## ewilts (Feb 26, 2002)

bmalbert22 said:


> I was thinking about starting a project to port the Android OS for my tivo. What are your thoughts? Should be possible to get it to interface with the 2.1.24 linux kernel that runs as the backend on my series 2, right? What do you think??


So you're going to replace the existing Linux kernel with another Linux kernel. And why?

The TiVo-developed applications probably won't work - there are drivers that are not open source - and if all you want is another Android computer not running TiVo software, the Series 2 is a pretty expensive underpowered platform to run them on.


----------



## scr3wlo0se (Apr 1, 2010)

Why would you say this is a great idea. I could see a lot of uses from a small android device connected to my TV. and a used series 2 now is in the sub $20.


----------



## Hichhiker (Apr 21, 2002)

scr3wlo0se said:


> Why would you say this is a great idea. I could see a lot of uses from a small android device connected to my TV. and a used series 2 now is in the sub $20.


If you look at it as using Tivo hardware for something else, it could be a cool thought, however for just a bit more you can get much better/faster hardware that is a lot more hacker friendly. The main issue with running Android on this box is the hardware drivers. Tivo contains a lot of very custom hardware, and I would imagine some, if not most, of the drivers are closed source userspace stuff. Now, Android, while running on Linux kernel, is NOT a Linux OS in broader sense of the word - it does not use most of the usual linux userspace stuff, so I would think its would be a significant time investment into something with a very limited supply of hardware.

That said, if someone figures out how to get it running, I would be happy to hack around on it.

-HH


----------

