[Q] Android, an open system ? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi everybody,
I have been advised to seek for information on your forum by people from a french forum, Phon Android.
I am trying to understand limitations put by Google on the access to Android system. Here a few pieces of information I have, which might not even be exact. Please, correct me and supply with the right info:
- Google provides some access to the Android functionalities, but not all,
- For example, one restriction is access to GPS switch,
- No one knows on which basis Google forbids such or such access,
- So, Google provides some library syntax to use Android system, but not its code ?
- There are systems, like Cyanogen which allow to use all the functionalities brought by Android. But from where do the developpers of such system get the information, if Google does not give the full info. on its system ?

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[Q] Developing a non-market App with updates

Hello all,
I'm a developer (with less experience) for a company which is developing an app which will be side loaded on devices which are to be distributed. I've read about, and tested some methods with linking Android Market apps to sideloaded apps, provided they have the same signature and .apk file name, but our company does not want market exposure for this app.
My idea is as follows:
1. App checks an ftp server running in some location for a file with version info to see if the current version matches the version on the device.
2. App downloads .apk and relevant data to device
3. App then triggers some sort of "update" which will install the new .apk and replace the necessary data.
Alternatively, what is typically done in this instance when someone wants to update a non-market app? The Amazon App store is an example of a non-market app which updates itself, so I know it's been done before.
How does one go about writing a class which will update the app that it's currently running in? Are there any tutorials or code walk-throughs for this?
Any help from fellow developers is appreciated.
Look at this links:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/...o-automatically-update-application-on-android
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2631255/ideas-for-android-application-update
Thank you for the links - I've been toying with code since then.
But wow, it seems there is very little information out there about this . . .
If you don't want to maintain you own update server, you may try this: auto-update-apk.com
Android client is open-source under Apache 2.0 license, so you may see how it works and make any changes, if necessary, before incorporating into your own project or using it as a starting point of your project.

[Advice] Android app development advice

I'm currently doing a project to develop and implement an android application based on research. I'm new to this area and my knowledge is very limited, however I have basic knowledge only in Java. I really would appreciate if anyone could point me in the direction with relevant guides/tutorials on development of this specific application and the basic tools required as starting point.
The application is intended to do the following:
Works like an image gallery by default
Provide pattern authentication on one of the image the user selects from the gallery (Inital setup)
The pattern zone/click areas must be invisible to all (Including the intended user)
The user should be able to use that pattern over the image to unlock the application (without any trails/patterns visible)
Once authenticated, it must unlock the application and provide access to the user to use certain websites/information etc..
I would highly appreciate if I could get advice on how to go about this project.
Thanks in advance !
Superxan said:
I'm currently doing a project to develop and implement an android application based on research. I'm new to this area and my knowledge is very limited, however I have basic knowledge only in Java. I really would appreciate if anyone could point me in the direction with relevant guides/tutorials on development of this specific application and the basic tools required as starting point.
The application is intended to do the following:
Works like an image gallery by default
Provide pattern authentication on one of the image the user selects from the gallery (Inital setup)
The pattern zone/click areas must be invisible to all (Including the intended user)
The user should be able to use that pattern over the image to unlock the application (without any trails/patterns visible)
Once authenticated, it must unlock the application and provide access to the user to use certain websites/information etc..
I would highly appreciate if I could get advice on how to go about this project.
Thanks in advance !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read this sticky?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=667298

[Q] Device-agnostic application to access root privilege

Hello everyone!
I am creating an application which needs access to root privileges in order to be able to modify Call Manager given in the Android OS framework.
While I have been able to create an sample application with the help of a platform signature, but this solution is ROM-specific and we really need a way to develop an application which works on multiple platforms.
Any ideas/pointers would be deeply appreciated.
Thanks,
Vincent
Hi all,
I am still looking for an answer, but in the meanwhile I found that sharedUserId uses platform signature for accessing internal/hidden classes.
This is exactly what we have been doing and would like to know if we can have an alternate way to access and modify internal classes without using platform signature.
Thanks

Create global content filter for files

Hey guys!
I´m new here and I hope you can help me with some questions... I didn´t know if I´m right here, so please correct me if I do something wrong
My "setup":
- Samsung S3 international with CM13
I like to create a global "Content Filter", which filters files (pictures, videos, documents, etc.) on my smartphone. So what I mean is something like what the UserManager (sorry I can´t poste the Link to Android API) from Android framework does:
User A (owner) creates pictures with the camera, download files, etc. and if User B (guest) logs in, User B can´t access the files from User A and vice versa.
The diffrent part is that I like to "hide" or better make them not accessable by custom criteria - for example "only pictures from the last two hours will be shown to User B". And the main point ist that every application gets the same content.
I thought I have to edit and extend the internal/external storage functions (or ContentProvider?) by my custom filter. Later there will be a system app for controlling the behavior of this filter.
Now there are some question, which I ask myself:
- Is it possible to implement this functionality in Android specific code and not in device specific code? So is it possible to make it portable for other devices and Android versions (Custom ROM, manufacture ROM or the pure Stock Android from Google´s Nexus phones) without "much" effort?
- Does it make more sense to use the original Stock Android instead of Cyanogenmod to reach the portability?
- Where do I have to start? I downloaded the source Code of CM13 for the Samsung S3. But how I ask before - is there a generic way for all devices and android versions? I started to look into the framework specific code of android (system/frameworks/base/... ). I thougth I can build the filter between the api calls (java -> jni bridge -> c/c++), but that would be not the right place, yes?
I hope someone understand my plan and can help me with some informations and tipps or where I have to look to get them!
Thanks!!
Fabian
I think you might mean the profile system that android used to have on ICS?.
Unfortunately I can't answer why they removed that feature. Does the phone not have an option or something if you have 2 or more google accounts registered to the device?..
Beamed in by telepathy.

[Q] Develop system android application for vanilla android

I have to develop an android application for a headless device. That headless device is provided by the manufacturer. I want to make an android application that doesn't needs to ask permission from user regarding location etc. I also want that application to never get killed.
My question is that, is this even possible? To make a system application for vanilla android. I can contact manufacturer for keys.
Is rooting the only way out?
If it is possible, is there some text I can rely upon for this process?

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