A developer by the name of AndrewDB is currently in the processing of modding Ubuntu Linux so that it runs on inexpensive PCs-on-a-stick powered by Rockchip RK3066 processors.
The first pre-alpha builds of Ubuntu 12.10 are rolling out for the UG802, MK802 III and MK808 mini PCs.
As Liliputing’s Brad Linder notes, the above-mentioned device are essentially all tiny PCs or TV sticks that sell for less than $100 and allow users to run Android apps and access Google’s Play Store on the big screen.
Although the PCs-on-sticks are already considered versatile devices with Android as the base OS, loading Ubuntu would allow users to configure a Linux-based home media server, web server, or simply run Linux software.
Even in pre-alpha, Ubuntu recognizes most of the hardware, along with plug-in USB webcams, mice and keyboards. As of now, onboard WiFI isn’t working, so a USB WiFi adapter, along with a USB hub for peripherals is somewhat of a necessity.
However, installing the Linux flavor on a mini-PC with a Rockchip CPU remains a complicated process, requiring root access, an external PC, a custom recovery partition and a removable microSD card.
Fortunately, AndrewDB says he’s plans to simplify the installation process by the time Alpha 0.4 goes live.
Alternatively, a pre-built rooted version of Android has been coded by ArcTablet with the custom kernel, so all you have to do is flash the ArcTablet update.zip to your device and load Ubuntu on a microSD card.
