Google Glass modified to run on Linux Ubuntu instead of Android

At Google’s I/O 2013 conference, Google Glass was modified by Google’s software engineers to run the Linux distro Ubuntu.

Google through two of its engineers  - Hyunyoung Song and P. Y. Laligand – showed users at a session termed “Voiding Your Warranty: Hacking Glass”, how to root Glass and install Ubuntu on the system.

Google Glass hacked

Two hacks were shown to developers. The first is the debug mode which allows a Google Glass to run Android, and connect through Bluetooth to a secondary input source like a wireless keyboard. This allows navigation not initially supported by Google Glass.

After downloading the latest Android SDK and executing few commands, the Google Glass user will be able to see an Android screen in landscape mode on the Glass. In this mode, your warranty is still intact.

In the second mode where you lose your warranty, you will be able to root the Google Glass. This will allow you to run another operating system like the Linux Ubuntu on Google Glass. Rooting the device can also allow you to change system partitions.

Developers were warned that rooting the device would make it difficult to gain access to software updates when they’re available. Rooting eliminates all user data as well as all security precautions.

A question was asked about implementing a password on Google Glass to prevent other people from accessing your information. The explorer version will not have added security features, but the consumer version will have according to Google.

Does Google really want people to lose their warranty or want people to explore more uses of the Google Glass? To show more flexibility of the Google Glass?

Posted in Gadgets, Google