This document provides an introduction to Android system development. It outlines the Android boot process and components. The key differences between Linux and Android are described. It also introduces the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and how to work with the AOSP source code. Open hardware platforms like the Cubieboard that can be used for Android development are presented. Tools for interacting with Android devices like Fastboot and ADB are explained.

1. Mobile & Embedded Computing Lab
An introduction to
Android system development
Siji Sunny
Director, MELabs
siji@melabs.in
www.melabs.in

2. Outline
● Linux Vs Android
● Android Boot Process
● AOSP (Android OpenSource Project)
● Open Hardware
● Cubieboard
www.melabs.in

3. Linux Vs Android
www.melabs.in

4. Linux
● Linux Kernel
● Glibc
● Other Libraries
● X-Server
● X-Client
● Application Tool-Kits
● Applications
www.melabs.in

5. Android
● Linux Kernel
● Android Patches
● Bionic Libc
● Other Libs
● Dalvik Vm
● Application Framework
● Applications
www.melabs.in

6. Operating System
Middleware Libraries
Application Framework
Applications
Software Development
Kit (SDK) and
Developer tools
www.melabs.in

7. www.me-labs.com
Dalvik Vm
● Process Virtual Machine
● The software that runs the apps on Android devices
● It's fast, even on weak CPUs
● it will run on systems with little memory
● it will run in an energy-efficient way

8. Compiling & packaging
.java files
source code
.class file .dex file .apk file
Java compiler
javac
Dex compiler
(dx)
Packaging
(aapt)
www.melabs.in

9. Zygote Service
(Started at boot)
Zygote Dalvik VM
Process 1
Shared Memory
VM 1
Application 1 Process 2
VM 2
Application 2
Process 3
VM 3
Application 3
www.melabs.in

10. Working With Source
(AOSP)
www.melabs.in

11. Major Components
●Bootloader
●Linux Kernel
●RootFs
● Bionic
● OSS packages
● Dalvik
● Hardware Libraries
●GNU tool chain
www.melabs.in

12. Getting the source tree
● Location:
http://android.git.kernel.org/
● Get “repo”:
$ curl http://android.git.kernel.org/repo > ~/bin/repo
$ chmod a+x ~/bin/repo
● Fetch the AOSP:
$ repo init -u
https://android.googlesource.com/platform/manifest
-b
android-4.0.1_r1
● $ repo sync
www.melabs.in

13. Interacting with
Android Devices
Android has very nice tools to interact with the devices
– Fastboot
– ADB
www.melabs.in

14. Fastboot
“fastboot” is a diagnostic protocol to modify the flash
filesystem via a USB connection from host computer.
• Fastboot operations
– Install kernel
– Install new flash image
– Boot directly from host
– format - Format a specific partition. The file system of
the partition must be recognized by the device.
• Very useful for test automation
www.melabs.in

15. ADB
Android Debug Bridge
•Android Debug Bridge
●ADB is a toolkit included in the Android SDK package
• Tool for all kinds of target interactions
(install, logging, remote shell, file copy)
shell [<command>]
push/pull
Logcat
install/uninstall
www.melabs.in

16. How to Start with
www.melabs.in

17. www.melabs.in
Open Hardware
Opensource - “A key to your Future”
OpenSoftware
A software whose original source code is made freely
available and may be redistributed with or without
modification
OpenHardware
Is hardware whose design is made publicly available so
anyone can study, modify, distribute, make and sell the
design or hardware based on the design

18. Open Hardware Movement
Ardunio TI's Bealge/Panda
boards
RPi
Cubie board
www.melabs.in

19. Twitter : siji_sunny
Gtalk : sijisunny
siji@me-labs.com
sijisunny@gmail.com
www.melabs.in

20. Twitter : siji_sunny
Gtalk : sijisunny
siji@melabs.in
sijisunny@gmail.com
Thank You
www.melabs.in