Ubuntu Touch SDK Alpha and Developer Preview now available for Nexus devices

On Tuesday, we reported that the Ubuntu for tablets OS would be released for the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10, as well as the smartphone version for Nexus handsets, as a developer preview today. Canonical has officially announced its availability, saying that enthusiasts and developers alike can grab the source code now and get busy. The company stresses, however, that this is not something you'll want to run on your daily device.

It stresses this point with bold text, stating that the Touch Developer Preview is meant for those who want to contribute to the platform and for those who want to test it out. Installing the Touch preview on the tablet you use on a daily basis will likely result in a lot of frustration and little else. If you're sure you want to proceed, you can find everything you need here.

Public images are available for the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and the Nexus 10. After flashing the device, Canonical says to expect that you'll have access to core and shell apps, wifi, functional cameras, connectivity via Android Developer Bridge, as well as GSM network connectivity and text/talk access for the two Nexus handsets.

Along with this is the release of the SDK, which now allows users to execute and deploy apps directly from the IDE. A shortcut (Ctrl+F12) has been added to make the transfer and execution of an app from Qt Creator easier, while all the complex aspects off the process is "hidden" from the dev. Those who want to grab the latest SDK can get it now from here.

[via Ubuntu]