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Embedded Android: Porting, Extending, and Customizing
Looking to port Android to other platforms such as embedded devices? This hands-on book shows you how Android works and how you can adapt it to fit your needs. You’ll delve into Android’s architecture and learn how to navigate its source code, modify its various components, and create your own version of Android for your particular device. You’ll also discover how Android differs from its Linux roots.
If you’re experienced with embedded systems development and have a good handle on Linux, this book helps you mold Android to hardware platforms other than mobile devices.
Learn about Android’s development model and the hardware you need to run itGet a quick primer on Android internals, including the Linux kernel and Dalvik virtual machineSet up and explore the AOSP without hardware, using a functional emulator imageUnderstand Android’s non-recursive build system, and learn how to make your own modificationsUse evaluation boards to prototype your embedded Android systemExamine the native user-space, including the root filesystem layout, the adb tool, and Android’s command lineDiscover how to interact with—and customize—the Android Framework
If you’re experienced with embedded systems development and have a good handle on Linux, this book helps you mold Android to hardware platforms other than mobile devices.
Learn about Android’s development model and the hardware you need to run itGet a quick primer on Android internals, including the Linux kernel and Dalvik virtual machineSet up and explore the AOSP without hardware, using a functional emulator imageUnderstand Android’s non-recursive build system, and learn how to make your own modificationsUse evaluation boards to prototype your embedded Android systemExamine the native user-space, including the root filesystem layout, the adb tool, and Android’s command lineDiscover how to interact with—and customize—the Android Framework
590 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2011
28 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 19, 2019
This is a must read book for Android AOSP tinkerers.. But not much for the Android application developers.The book has a breadth wise approach to all topics where it almost covers the key topics but it limits itself to provide only less information about each topic but when this book is used along with the Android Internals Confectioners cookbook.They go well together and this book acts as a starting book to learn how Android works at the OS level and for further reading checkout the Android Internals book.
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December 29, 2020The best book for an informative and accessible peek under the hood of Android platform. This is all in the first chapter which is 70 pages long. Later chapters provide interesting details about the organization of Android code, various components of Android, how they are related, and how they cooperate. This also covers a bunch of tools (such as adb) used make sense of Android while debugging. A great place to start peeking under the hood of Android platform.
June 18, 2017
A must read for anyone looking to build their own Android fork. Although it doesn't go to deep in how to support your own device, the explanation about the internals and how all the components connect to each other is fundamental.
August 17, 2019
So good, as a read front to back and now as a reference book. Need to find more like this.
August 17, 2012
I read an early release from 2011 which gave a good, if brief, overview of AOSP's history, subsystems, build system, and board interface. This book gets down and dirty with the sources in a way I haven't seen in other Android books. Where in-depth analysis of a system is beyond the scope of the book, the author provides links to related documents and key source files.
Some of AOSP is self-explanatory with a bit of exploration, but some things, like the build system and device trees, are rather esoteric. The chapters covering these topics were particularly helpful to me.
My only complaint is that the book, at 133 pages, was too brief, but again, I read an old early release. The latest 2012 release is 300 pages. I'd love to read the latest and greatest, but $24 for an early release ebook is a bit much in my mind.
In any case, this book should be considered required reading for anyone interesting in porting Android to new hardware, or creating custom source-level mods. It will, without a doubt, save a great amount of time that would otherwise be spent grepping and grokking the AOSP sources.
Some of AOSP is self-explanatory with a bit of exploration, but some things, like the build system and device trees, are rather esoteric. The chapters covering these topics were particularly helpful to me.
My only complaint is that the book, at 133 pages, was too brief, but again, I read an old early release. The latest 2012 release is 300 pages. I'd love to read the latest and greatest, but $24 for an early release ebook is a bit much in my mind.
In any case, this book should be considered required reading for anyone interesting in porting Android to new hardware, or creating custom source-level mods. It will, without a doubt, save a great amount of time that would otherwise be spent grepping and grokking the AOSP sources.
July 12, 2013
Buon manuale che riesce a spiegare bene una buona parte dell'architettura di un sistema Android, e dà buone indicazioni su dove mettere le mani in caso si volesse realizzare un dispositivo Android o, ma non lo dichiara apertamente, una ROM personalizzata per un dispositivo esistente.
In diversi campi è abbastanza carente di dettagli e approfondimenti, ma d'altro canto il codice è open source e quindi può (e deve) essere letto, quindi già sapere dove iniziare a guardare è un ottimo punto di partenza, e non esistono altri manuali sull'argomento.
Consigliato sia che vogliate fare piccole modifiche alla vostra ROM non standard, sia che vogliate costruirvi un dispositivo Android, ma in questo secondo caso consiglio anche la lettura di altri manuali sull'architettura del kernel Linux.
In diversi campi è abbastanza carente di dettagli e approfondimenti, ma d'altro canto il codice è open source e quindi può (e deve) essere letto, quindi già sapere dove iniziare a guardare è un ottimo punto di partenza, e non esistono altri manuali sull'argomento.
Consigliato sia che vogliate fare piccole modifiche alla vostra ROM non standard, sia che vogliate costruirvi un dispositivo Android, ma in questo secondo caso consiglio anche la lettura di altri manuali sull'architettura del kernel Linux.
June 28, 2013
A fascinating book that serves as a good introduction to the internals of the Android Operating System.
For those interested in getting Android up and running on a new piece of hardware, this book will serve as a guide that tells you how to download Android and how to start building and customising it to your requirements.
It also serves as a good book that gets you started on understanding just how Android works from the system point of view; what are its underlying services, what they do and how to modify the services or add new custom services to your Android system.
If you are interested in programming and running an Android app, this book is not for you.
For those interested in getting Android up and running on a new piece of hardware, this book will serve as a guide that tells you how to download Android and how to start building and customising it to your requirements.
It also serves as a good book that gets you started on understanding just how Android works from the system point of view; what are its underlying services, what they do and how to modify the services or add new custom services to your Android system.
If you are interested in programming and running an Android app, this book is not for you.
January 5, 2019
Obviously this is a very technical book, with a nice overview of the Android system at the beginning which gives a basic grasp on the core principles. Otherwise will only be useful to people actually working on Android OS.
February 1, 2013
It is the only and the best resource of Android Embedded Developers and System Integrators
January 8, 2015
One of the best and unique book on Android internals. Very clear stated, practical and useful.
April 10, 2015
Excellent book, unfortunately the book is getting old very fast.
April 24, 2017
First two chapter of the book is awesome, i wish this book was 2000 pages and all was like first two chapter. Discussions and analysis of architecture of android with a little bit of code in some places.
But it isn't. From chapter 3 it starts describing details about command line and stuff which most of them you can find with single google search.
I am not saying this is bad book. No it is not, but it was not useful for me and was not kind book i like to read.
But it isn't. From chapter 3 it starts describing details about command line and stuff which most of them you can find with single google search.
I am not saying this is bad book. No it is not, but it was not useful for me and was not kind book i like to read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews