Has anyone ever thought about building their own Android-based vehicle head unit? I'm looking to build an Android Honeycomb system running on a Intel Atom chip (D525MW motherboard). I don't want to insert a tablet into my car dash & I am hoping to stay away from using Windows or Linux. I know its an ambitious idea, building the hardware & the operating system, but if this works it will be an awesome customized head unit.
Is this a completely ridiculous idea that I should abandon & go with a Linux or Windows based setup (or a tablet)? Or is my idea of a custom Android, Atom based vehicle head unit a good idea? Granted I have never developed an android OS myself, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to learn & do this, however long it will take.
If this is a plausible idea, can anyone point me in the direction of a book or two or website(s)?
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Could anyone answer my few questions to help me get a grip whether the idea is feasible?
* How different is Android kernel from standard Linux (ie. Maemo) kernel?
* Is most of the hardware abstraction handled by Linux kernel, or the Dalvik VM internals and library?
* Is the kernel accessible? Ie. can I supplant my own init script and run custom binary in place of Dalvik?
* Is the Android hardware hackable? Ie. can I get direct access to the root partition and put custom content in?
I'm asking because I would like to get a better piece of hardware than N900 (namely HTC EVO 4G) and port Maemo 5 (ie. Mer) on it. But if Android hardware is a closed black box, I won't bother.
I don't have experience with Android (I like Maemo so much better) and I wouldn't like to spent a lot of money on hardware I could not hack.
Some android hardware is more open to changes, such as google's devloper phone.
People have managed to run Debian GNU/Linux on the nexus one, but not all the hardware is functional as of now.
There are some binary only libraries and drivers for some vendors, meaning you might not be able to use all of the hardware.
I do believe it is possible to port the Maemo OS on the nexus one, and I would love to try it if you gain momentum on this.
Unfortunately I do not know Maemo OS enough to be of any assistance apart from telling you that Android use a standard ARM Linux kernel with some modules added to enable the special IPC that Dalvik uses.
As the owner of an N900, I would love to see this project gain momentum. I don't dislike the N900 hardware, it is actually quite decent but I would prefer a smaller, thinner and lighter phone with a capacitive screen.
Maybe MeeGo is the other option to consider since that OS will be designed much more in the open which would possibly make it easier to port to various devices. (Keep an eye on the meego website for the May release, which will be the first release with UX)
Also, my brother owns a Nexus One by my recommendation so porting Maemo to his phone would be great. (Unfortunately I'm not a developer so I would rely on this forum for a guide)
I am considering getting Nexus One. As I understand it supports messing with rootfs without restrictions. (Of course you loose warranty this way.)
Byte_76 said:
Keep an eye on the meego website for the May release, which will be the first release with UX.
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Starting with MeeGo base is a viable option.
But the upcoming UX release will be a direct port of current Moblin UI. Maemo is a different beast.
And I am against Maemo 6 migration to Qt, so I would like to stick with current Maemo 5.
With Maemo 5 being a fully functional OS I think it makes sense to try to port it directly first, however if that doesn't work then MeeGo might be another option.
After some research I found that nor Qualcomm MSM7200A, nor Samsung S3C6410 chips have open 3D driver available.
Since Maemo 5 UI requires working OpenGL ES acceleration for its desktop and window management, I guess this project is in a dead-end until I find viable platform for experimentation.
Maybe Mer is another option:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=565480
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=626287
http://mer-project.blogspot.com/2010/02/mer-project-just-bunch-of-redshirts.html
http://wiki.maemo.org/Mer
Without Maemo 5 visual effects it's soooooo stone age, that I don't really care for.
Hey there, i hope i`m right in here and you pros can answer me some questions.
We are currently building a new software which will be released soon, i won`t go into details in here, because we not ready to release some infos about it yet. Anyway, thats not the problem....
Here is my question: Our Software could expand to TVs and now we are searching on how to get our solution onto TV Screens. We cam across all those Android based TV Boxes, we ordered some and tested them, unfortunatly they didn`t offer everything we needed.
Sooo, is it possible to release a custom Android Installation on such a Box?
What if we get the blank hardware boxes, can we get an Android Installation up and running? (With the paid help of some XDA-Developers..)
We would really need a stripped down Version only with our APP and some other stuff running.
Also another question, if it is possible to release a custom box, is it legal to Google`s Terms?
We are brand new in this field, so please be so kind and help us out. If it is possible and we can implement this thing we are definitly will be going over xda-developers, because we just don`t have any clue about Android Systems.
Are you meaning something like this?
http://www.pcworld.com/article/244278/meet_cotton_candy_the_dualcore_android_usb_device.html
We all know that Android is flexible enough to be put on phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs. FXI, a technology lab based in Norway, decided to add USB drives to Android’s host of platforms.
FXI’s Cotton Candy USB device might look like any other flash drive, but it packs smartphone parts like a dual-core 1.2GHz Samsung Exynos processor and its own ARM GPU for 1080p video playback. It also has lots of connectivity, including Wi-Fi, HDMI, Bluetooth, and a MicroSD card slot to expand its 1GB of storage.
This Raspberry Pi-eqsue miniature PC comes with Android 2.3 (also known as Gingerbread). When you plug it into a PC or Mac, it automatically bring up a separate pop up for the Gingerbread OS. This functionality could be used to bring Android apps or games to any computer. Alternatively, if your HDTV has HDMI ports, you could potentially turn it into a smart, Internet-connected monitor.
Angry Birds might be a little hard to play on your TV. [Photo: FXI]
The only down side of the device is that it is not supported by Google, so you won’t be browsing the marketplace anytime soon. Instead, FXI is working to get a third-party app store together. For now, though, you'll have to side-load any apps you want to run on it.
FXI is in talks with other companies to bring Cotton Candy to market by the second half of 2012 and predict that the device will cost "well under $200" according to The Verge.
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MoPhoACTV Initiative
Yes, thats also this kind of thing we might need. But currently we are more looking into these kind of Boxes: cect-shop.com/Android-TV-Box_c55_x1.htm
And we would need a custom Android installation on one of these boxes? As asked above, is this possible and legal?
Why android?
i don't know the exact details about, but I think getting regular linux to run on a set op box is easier and cheaper to customize with exactly the software you want it.
It doesn`t have to be Android. Andorid was just a possible solution we found and the other reason is that i`m capable of programming apps for Android so it was the closest possibility.
You say Linux...hmm... also a possible solution.
Lets tell you at least some details. The Box should run only with our application, and should be able to be connected to a TV where the application is started then and does their thing. It`s a specialized kind of Software Application for targeted companys.
What it should be able to do:
At least an output resolution of 1280 * 720
Connectable with HDMI, DVI etc. to Televisions
As you say Linux, are you capable of doing such a thing? We might need you...
Or do you have some resources where we can find some developer who can achieve this?
surekin said:
It doesn`t have to be Android. Andorid was just a possible solution we found and the other reason is that i`m capable of programming apps for Android so it was the closest possibility.
You say Linux...hmm... also a possible solution.
Lets tell you at least some details. The Box should run only with our application, and should be able to be connected to a TV where the application is started then and does their thing. It`s a specialized kind of Software Application for targeted companys.
What it should be able to do:
At least an output resolution of 1280 * 720
Connectable with HDMI, DVI etc. to Televisions
As you say Linux, are you capable of doing such a thing? We might need you...
Or do you have some resources where we can find some developer who can achieve this?
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Click to collapse
I think any experienced linux dev is capable of doing such a thing, not that difficult. Get a good supported distro, remove all the bells and whistles and let it just boot to your application. I think that is the most elegant solution. Android is much more difficult to customize in such a way. I might have the technical skills to pull it off, but I'm not interested, sorry.
It all depends on your needs and resources. Try googling for embedded linux. linuxfordevices.com is a good place to start i think.
Why the choice for a setopbox and not a regular application? In call centers and other businesses normal programs are used to display information on a large screen, while running on a regular OS. The cost of having to develop and deliver support on not only the software, but also on the setopbox and its embedded OS is quite large. You have to take that into account. Given that you post this question on this forum, I suspect that your resources are rather limited. If I were you, I would reconsider the choice for a setop box.
First, thx for your time...and second, i understand what you mean in your post, but our software already runs on Mac OS, Windows and iOs, so we already have an application running. The settopbox would just be an addition, because some of our customers might need such a thing. Thats the reason why i`m doggling around searching for some ideas.
Our resources are limited sure, but not too limited, the reason why i posted here, is because i`m searching for answers here too, and xda is always a good place to ask in my opinion. We are going other ways too, let me make that clear!
So, i understand what you meant by Linux, i am now contacting some Linux devs who might want to achieve this.
Thx!
Hello everyone.
Berfore I write anything, I am aware that ARM processors are not nearly powerfull enought for this to pay off, but I have some spare time on my hands and an old android phone (samsung galaxy S) that has no other use whatsoever.
So, here is what I was thinking:
Is there a way to completely strip the phone of android, so it runs an os (preferrably a flavour of linux) that is as easy on resources as possible and is capable of running wireless drivers and mining software. My knowledge on this part is full of holes, so there are several questions I would like an answer to:
1. Can an android phone (running an ARM processor) run ONLY a distro of linux. I do not mind loosing the phone's capabilities (camera, GSM, touchscreen...). It needs to support a usb mouse and keyboard, a wireless connection and basically run as low on power as possible.
2. Where would I start when reading up on such a thing?
3. Is there already such a thing out there and I'm just incapable of finding it?
Again, I just want this to be a fun project, I bet a lot of you guys have useless old hardware laying around, let's put them to work
JasonXtreme said:
Hello everyone.
Berfore I write anything, I am aware that ARM processors are not nearly powerfull enought for this to pay off, but I have some spare time on my hands and an old android phone (samsung galaxy S) that has no other use whatsoever.
So, here is what I was thinking:
Is there a way to completely strip the phone of android, so it runs an os (preferrably a flavour of linux) that is as easy on resources as possible and is capable of running wireless drivers and mining software. My knowledge on this part is full of holes, so there are several questions I would like an answer to:
1. Can an android phone (running an ARM processor) run ONLY a distro of linux. I do not mind loosing the phone's capabilities (camera, GSM, touchscreen...). It needs to support a usb mouse and keyboard, a wireless connection and basically run as low on power as possible.
2. Where would I start when reading up on such a thing?
3. Is there already such a thing out there and I'm just incapable of finding it?
Again, I just want this to be a fun project, I bet a lot of you guys have useless old hardware laying around, let's put them to work
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Click to collapse
Well, first of all using a Galaxy S as a mining rig would be very inefficient. It has a too small and old GPU, even on a Nexus 6 it would take forever to make even a LiteCoin or DogeCoin. So no, that's not really what you should do with it. The best way is to turn it into a mediacenter. You heard of XBMC?
Here is a really great guide on how to do that: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xpe...de-cracked-screen-beast-life-tv-xbmc-t2907921
I guess this is the best what you can do with your old phone. :good:
Besides, I sometimes use mine to experiment things in terms of Android. Like building an experimental ROM and flash on it, because a brick is not so terrible on such a old device.
Hope I could help you!
Thank you for your input
As I've stated, I am aware that I am barking completely up the wrong tree, but nontheless - I am interested in rewiring the SGS into a linux-only machine, meaning I want to eliminate android completely. The mining is just a bonus here, even if it does produce mHashes
you can mine with the app called miner gate . I mine on my s3 korean and get an hashrate of 8 mb s easily available on play store
So the whole idea of having a phone that can be put in a dock and used as a computer is really cool, but me and my friend came up with an idea to expand on that. Would it be possible to have both android and Linux on the phone and then have an app/desktop icon to switch operating systems? I know this can be done on other devices. My mate has a chrome book and installed Ubuntu on it. Just a keyboard shortcut will switch operating systems. So would it be possible to do the same thing just on an android device. Hardware wide, there shouldn't be any problems. His chrome book has a cpu that's low spec enough to not have any sort of cooling system/unit whatsoever and only has 4 gigs of ram. Since the ROG phone has a top of the line smartphone processor, an actual cooling unit, and double the ram I don't see why there should be any issues related to the hardware. The thing I'm not so sure about is software issues. From my perspective it should be possible to do something like this, but I'm not at all familiar with software and programming so I wouldn't have any idea if it were possible or not.
Oske829 said:
So the whole idea of having a phone that can be put in a dock and used as a computer is really cool, but me and my friend came up with an idea to expand on that. Would it be possible to have both android and Linux on the phone and then have an app/desktop icon to switch operating systems? I know this can be done on other devices. My mate has a chrome book and installed Ubuntu on it. Just a keyboard shortcut will switch operating systems. So would it be possible to do the same thing just on an android device. Hardware wide, there shouldn't be any problems. His chrome book has a cpu that's low spec enough to not have any sort of cooling system/unit whatsoever and only has 4 gigs of ram. Since the ROG phone has a top of the line smartphone processor, an actual cooling unit, and double the ram I don't see why there should be any issues related to the hardware. The thing I'm not so sure about is software issues. From my perspective it should be possible to do something like this, but I'm not at all familiar with software and programming so I wouldn't have any idea if it were possible or not.
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You can do it with linux deploy afaik.
Honestly, it would be much better to get a fully OpenSource build running on this hardware, no chroot env, no android kernel, no android libs, no proprietary closed drivers.
Since Asus is going with the ROG branding on this one, maybe they will make source code (drivers, libs etc) available for the the linux hackers in the ROG fan community to build images for it.
There is already a lot of linux use on ROG notebooks and a pretty decent following in the ROG fanbase as it stands but if we can't get a pure OpenSource build, at least a libhybris supported port using LXC and the android kernel as a start.
Recently I finally decided to change my car's headunit from a simple plain FM/CD player to something more new.
I was exploring the Android head units and the chinese headunits available in Amazon and Ebay and via my endless Google searches I stumbled upon a "Tablet variation" of a headunit system from the Android Authority guides. That was all I wanted and so I decided to go for the cheap route and choose the tablet method, as I want something that has the full Android experience but at the same time use my tablet at home.
I already have the most parts at hand, like the audio amplifier from my old radio unit (thank god I chose Alpine 8 years ago) and the cables needed to carry out such a project. I intend to use a Joycon EXR to control audio and app usage from my steering wheel.
Anyways, my question is, is there a ROM that uses Google's Android Automotive OS (not Android Auto App), the full Android Automotive OS variant? I know it may be difficult to actually produce such a ROM as only recently Google, released the APIs for developers. Or is there an Android ROM flavour that is minimal/light but at the same time offers the experience of the Automotive OS? I don't want to resort to the available Android launchers designed for such purposes, nor Android Auto, for the obvious reason of spending some time doing something that is fun and challenging. Apart from that, it is a project so any suggestions, ideas and help is greatly appreciated.
Note to moderators: If my thread post is not considered an Android Auto discussion please move it to the relevant category.
I also wonder this. Android Automotive is opensource. And rather then tablet I have crappy chinese noname unit, with standart android preinstalled. I also wonder about how can I transform this to "Android Automotive"
There is a port for Galaxy Tab S5e.
Android Automotive is made for cars but this developer ported it to a Samsung tablet
Android Automotive is designed to run on cars, but that hasn't stopped these developers from porting it to run on a Samsung tablet!
www.xda-developers.com
emirefek said:
I also wonder this. Android Automotive is opensource. And rather then tablet I have crappy chinese noname unit, with standart android preinstalled. I also wonder about how can I transform this to "Android Automotive"
There is a port for Galaxy Tab S5e.
Android Automotive is made for cars but this developer ported it to a Samsung tablet
Android Automotive is designed to run on cars, but that hasn't stopped these developers from porting it to run on a Samsung tablet!
www.xda-developers.com
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Click to collapse
You can compile Android Automotive from the AOSP source.