Custom Development Project - Help Wanted - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello- I'm looking for a developer(s) to help me create an android-based "single-use" device, that only runs a single app, using off the shelf phones. This will be a paid project. Requirements, in brief, are:
Device is off.
User Presses Power Button
Screen is black during bootup, no logos, no jingles
No home screen, device boots straight into fullscreen app
On App exit, device shuts down / powers off.
If you can do this, please respond and let me know.

I do not know if it works but if you build (make) a clean android without a launcher app, you can test it on your own phone.. Or editing the original launcher from google to let it show an activity (your wanted one) instead of the drawer at the beginning.. Without bootanim (or a black picture instead) you can do your third wish. App finished and shuts down is only doable with root permissions, I guess.
Nothing is impossible, this could be easy to do, but I never did something like this. For which reason you need this special device? Sounds interesting..
Good Luck
BR
Marcus
Gesendet von meinem VTR-L09 mit Tapatalk

Related

Life After Rooting (please contribute)

For those new to the world of rooting or just not sure what to do next, please add to this thread what you think are "must haves" or "must do" after rooting the nook tablet. I am sure there are awesome apps and tricks etc out there and nobody knows everything so please post what you feel is something one shouldbdo or get or install after rooting.
I think the Button Savior app is a nice one to have. It lets you set up transparent "buttons" on the side of your screen enabling you to go back, or to your chose home screen, without hitting the "n" home button. Having this app enables you to use said "n" home button to take you only back to the original, stock Nook home screen.
Just my two cents....
npw1138 said:
I think the Button Savior app is a nice one to have. It lets you set up transparent "buttons" on the side of your screen enabling you to go back, or to your chose home screen, without hitting the "n" home button. Having this app enables you to use said "n" home button to take you only back to the original, stock Nook home screen.
Just my two cents....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I agree that is a good one. Another is AnyCut. Anycut let's you place shortcuts to virtually anywhere including settings menus that are normally hidden or hard to find otherwise.
Titanium Backup and AdAway are a couple of my favorite root applications.
AdFree, TitaniumBackup, Root Explorer, ButtonSavior, Terminal Emulator.... Those a just a couple that I would consider necessities.
Great idea for a thread. This was my first time rooting. I agree with all of the above and there are a couple I want to check out as I hadn't heard of them. Other than that I would say MyBookDroid as it lets you not only keep track of what books you own, but have read, want to read, want to buy, or are in the middle of reading etc. I have gotten OverDrive for the first time for reading library books and am enjoying that. I would like to locate an 'office suite' for some of my take a long projects. Other wise I think that is all I'm aware of so far but will be watching this thread for more suggestions.
Use bettercut instead of any cut it will give you access to more options and shortcuts that even anycut cant get you
ianc125 said:
Use bettercut instead of any cut it will give you access to more options and shortcuts that even anycut cant get you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for bettercut! There are things in there I've never seen so if you recommend using it for anything specific, let me know.
Screen Filter. Great app, I love it. It will allow you to lower the screen brightness below the default-allowable levels.
Most have been mentioned.
Right after you Root:
Definitely: Root Explorer and ES File Explorer. I use one or the other just about every day. Button Savior is a must.
Screenshot (app from kastor soft). Helps greatly when seeking help with OS/app issues to include a screencap if possible.
Use Anycut (or Bettercut) to make yourself a bunch of oft-needed shortcuts, like 'Home' (for the stock launcher), Appmenu, Debug Mode, Accessibility, etc. Put the shortcuts in a folder in GoLauncher for less clutter and convenient access.
If you think that you later may do some more in depth mucking around, Get SQLite Editor.
Cloud yourself up: Get Dropbox, Sugarsync, Box.net. and 4Shared. Together it's something like 20GB of cloud storage you can share directly with your NT. Very convenient to send yourself .apk, document, and media files via the cloud vs. USB.
Once you're feeling fairly confident:
1. Replace your stock keyboard with an alternative like Swiftkey Tablet X, hacker keyboard or whatever else is compatible. Read this thread, follow all the tutorial steps. This is a very forgiving hack, and you likely can't boot-loop your device even if something goes 'wrong'. Still, know what you're doing.
2. If you're using GoLauncher and having problems with widgets not loading after a reboot, follow the instructions in this thread to fix it. As above, read up and know what you're doing first.
3. Unless a more current Root method includes these: replace some system apps with stock Gingerbread versions. IE: email, keyboard, gallery 3D. Read through and understand the methods/files needed in this thread first.
Once you *really* know WTF you're doing:
Edit your build.prop file to spoof another device to add extra things to the Market. Build.prop can be safely changed in place (many other system files can't and can boot-loop your NT if you mess with them).
I've taken to keeping several build.prop files on hand- the stock, one to emulate a Nexus S, and one to emulate a Droid 3. I rename/switch them out and reset the Market, depending on what I'm trying to install directly from the Market. (For example, many Gameloft games show up when spoofing the Nexus S.)
Read up and know what you're doing before attempting. It's not a hard 'hack' but understand that applied incorrectly this could boot-loop your NT. When editing your build.prop file, ever point, every space, every character counts, so tripple-check your mods before committing and rebooting your NT. Backup and keep .bak copies of your working 'spoofs' and switch them if/when needed.
zaptoons said:
Screenshot (app from kastor soft). Helps greatly when seeking help with OS/app issues to include a screencap if possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unnecessary; you can take screenshots by hitting N + Volume Down.
Edit: Sorry if that sounded dickish, it's kind of late and I was distracted by The League.
As I use my NT mainly for entertainment while at work, the FIRST thing I researched how to edit my build.prop to spoof a Nexus S. Opened up a whole WORLD of compatible games!
Also, I got Mx Player, as an alternative to the stock video player. Mx is compatible with all of your major video codecs, and for the most part they play flawlessly. Occasionally, I find a vid that doesn't work with it, but that is largely due to the way the video was compressed.
Next thing I'm researching---Vuze ;-)
Sent from my rooted Nook Tablet using Tapatalk 8)
I recommend Opera Mobile for internet. It has great copy and paste function.
Swype keyboard is a must for me.
Taptu is an awesome way to consume information on your favorite topics.
Smart Rotate allows you to choose which apps rotate and which ones don't.
Quick Pic for a super fast gallery replacement that doesn't mess up wallpaper settings. (select the floppy icon to set the wallpaper)
any.do for an awesome to do app that is a joy to use.
Tapatalk of course.
Also, long press on the home button in button savior to access six previous apps.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
SG Pillar said:
Unnecessary; you can take screenshots by hitting N + Volume Down.
Edit: Sorry if that sounded dickish, it's kind of late and I was distracted by The League.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely forgot about that! Not dickish at all, thanks.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
deralaand said:
Also, long press on the home button in button savior to access six previous apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Never knew this! Very informative thread.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
deralaand said:
...
Also, long press on the home button in button savior to access six previous apps.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, great eye! I will be using this quite a bit.
Sent from my rooted BNTV250 using Tapatalk
The ones I couldn't do without are:
1) Go Launcher EX
2) Homecatcher - now the nook button takes me to my GoLauncher home screen and bypasses the stock nook screen altogether. It also eliminated my need for button savior. Not bashing the app, just didn't need it anymore since I wasn't using it for anything except getting back to my GL home screen anyway. I use the right to left swipe or even one press of the nook button in most every program to go back if I need to.
3) MX Video Player - like people are saying, plays anything and does it better than stock video player
4) ComicRack - suggested by people here on the boards, and again, better than the stock program for reading comics (more file types supported, better resolution, better functionality)
If you have access to a rooted phone and the app 'root explorer', you can capture many apps that would be 'incompatible' on the market.
This is how I originally got the Facebook and Twitter app working.
If you attempt this, you must be very careful using root explorer. It could allow you destroy your device.
Here are the steps I used.
1. Make sure the app you want, is loaded on the rooted Android device. (other than Nook)
2. Use root explorer on that Android device.
3. Navigate to data/app and search for the apk of the app that you want.
4. Long press on that apk and choose send.
5. I have dropbox installed, so I send apps to that so I can easily retrieve them whenever I want. You should be able to use gmail to mail them to your self on the Nook.
6. On the Nook, download the apk using whatever method you chose.
7. Install the file. Make sure to choose 'Package Installer'.
8 Enjoy!
Groove Ip
Im trying to get mine to make free VOIP calls. I have tried several different programs. With Groove Ip from Google Ive gotten it where I can hear the call over my nt but cannot seem to get the app to recognize the mic.
Any ideas how I can do this?
npw1138 said:
I think the Button Savior app is a nice one to have. It lets you set up transparent "buttons" on the side of your screen enabling you to go back, or to your chose home screen, without hitting the "n" home button. Having this app enables you to use said "n" home button to take you only back to the original, stock Nook home screen.
Just my two cents....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the "recent apps" button (the four squares icon) work for anyone? If so, how did you configure to get it going? For me it does nothing.
Note, I have granted BS superuser permissions, so it's not that.
Edit: now I find "Also, long press on the home button in button savior to access six previous apps." Excellent; solves the problem, but what is the 4-squares icon if not that?

[Q] How to access core Android functions like app switching

Is there any way to access core Android functions like app switching (holding down the Home button for a few seconds), to be used in other contexts? Similar to how you can access Activities from the apps installed and use them as Shortcuts.
What I'd like to do is this:
press Home -> bring up app switching interface
long-press Home -> go to Home screen
Basically I want to reverse the two functions that short and long pressing the Home button does.
If not that, I'm also interested in being able to access the "app switching interface" via a Shortcut (like a Shortcut you place on your Home screen), or via an app.
For example, you can long-press on the Home screen and add a Shortcut (different than adding a shortcut to an App) which basically includes various context functions of some of the apps you have installed. I want to be able to do this - add a Shortcut - in which the Shortcut I add launches the "app switching interface" that you normally get by long-pressing the Home button. That way I can put that Shortcut in Wavelauncher or wherever else I want to be able to app switch without the annoyance of having to long-press something.
Maybe this kind of thing requires root and hacking, but that's why I'm here! I'd be grateful for any advice and help; thank you!
As far as I know you'll need a custom rom like cyanogenmod or aokp to do things like that.Being able to do that in a stock rom would compose of alot of work within the framework-res.apk, systemUI.APK, and button maps. To flash a custom rom require root and clockworkmod. I want to help you but first what type of device do you have?
eugeneeaster18 said:
As far as I know you'll need a custom rom like cyanogenmod or aokp to do things like that.Being able to do that in a stock rom would compose of alot of work within the framework-res.apk, systemUI.APK, and button maps. To flash a custom rom require root and clockworkmod. I want to help you but first what type of device do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll be getting my new LG Optimus G Pro in a few days. I was hoping, if I can't reverse the functionality on the Home button, that I could maybe assign the "app switching interface" to the programmable button on the side. Thanks for helping out by the way.
Is your device rooted? Also thank me with the button
eugeneeaster18 said:
Is your device rooted? Also thank me with the button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have it yet, but I would be willing to root it. I'm using my good ol' GS2 Skyrocket for the next few days until it arrives.
Well I have my Optimus G Pro and I've been using it for a few days. I saw an app by the makers of Tasker that allows you to build your own app. Could I possibly use that to accomplish what I want (build an app whose function is to show the "app switching interface" )? Or would I really need to root it (and if so, what then?)?

Custom rom for father with Alzheimers, where to begin?

My father has early onset Alzheimers and I need to create a rom that when the device is powered on all he sees is 3 buttons call, end call, and text which brings up the plain texting option. Call shows square photos of people and services..etc.. tap on one it calls that person. I Would also like to do things like change the power button so it cant fully shut down the phone with out a specific combination of buttons or a pattern. Where do I begin to learn how to do this? I would really like to learn to do this on my own.
Hi there. Sorry to hear about your father. I've had a couple members of my family suffer from this and it's difficult, to say the least. As far as what you are looking for, well, I'm not sure you need to go all in and make a custom rom for this. I think many of the things you are trying to do can be done with existing mods.
As far as the power button, you can look into using the Xposed Framework and the Xposed Additions module which allows you to customize the activity of the hardware buttons.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/framework-xposed-rom-modding-modifying-t1574401
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/mod-xposed-additions-t2294274
For the buttons on screen for Call / End Call - Well, the Call with a link to favorite contacts with pictures is easily done with most launchers or a favorite contact widget. The End Call option though, I'm not so sure about. Reason being is that any time you're going to make a call, it's going to open the dialer app and the end button will be there. I can't really think of a way around that. I looked into adding a shortcut to that activity with Nova Launcher, but it's not an option available (though there are a dozen other shortcuts).
But with a launcher like Nova, you will have the ability to add / delete anything off the main screen besides what you want. You can lock the home screen so he can't inadvertently make changes to it and enable a gesture he wouldn't be likely to use to allow you to access the app drawer (like 2 fingers swipe up, etc). You can also use one of the variety of locking apps that will prevent access to any unwanted apps by requiring a password or PIN.
Ooh. Custom ROMs. A lot of work for such simple need. Maybe use Tasker instead? You can accomplish this with a scene and some profiles/tasks setup on stock ROM. Only disadvantage I see compared to making your own rom is long boot time. You can bypass everything in regards to Android UI just by making the scene fullscreen and disabling keyguard with a on-boot profile. That way, when he turns the screen back on, it goes right to your scene setup with no "slide-to-unlock" crap. I am very experienced in Tasker, so if you need any help, I can help you. I'd be willing to develop this for you, it would be about a half hour on my part
All the best,
Sent from my SCH-I605 using XDA Free mobile app
Thanks for the suggestions, these are great places to start.

[Q] Installing a widget from an APP.

Hello, I know i'm going to die as maybe i didn't place this post correctly, also i'm not a developer, only a graphic designer.
I'm looking for some advise, hope someone could help me with that.
Imagine that you launch your app, and within that there is a button that says "Install widget". You press that button, then the app closes and a widget appears on the home screen.
Is that possible?
i've been reading that before 4.2 i wasn't, but something changed from then. Problem is that i have no more information about this, and also i don't know if it changed over time.
I'm behind the graphic design of a widget. The idea is that you first download the app, which will help you to configure the widget, and then you have to manually place the widget in place.
They are afraid that some people wont understand, and they will cease trying.
I only would like to know if this is possible, (or something similar) and if someone knows any APP that does this thingie.
Note: APPS like "Swiftkey" guides you in the process of installing your keyboard. it asks you to go to a determinate place of the phone settings, and gives you a shortcut to that place so you don't have to go by yourself.
It would be amazing. To directly place a widget o to guide them trhough shortcuts.
Many many thanks in advance!

Changing mouse clicks

There is any way to change the mouse clicks behavior globally?
I saw that they did a launcher and a file manager that supports right clicks like in Windows, but I think that is a waste of time... All apps from android don't use that "right click menu" and I don't think that will happen in the future. Instead I will like to set the "right click" from mouse to "long press menu" action in android, that way will work like a "right click" in all android apps. For example if I press right click on a browser link -> will activate the long click action from android wich opens the right click menu on Windows. This applies to all current apps from android, in music players a right click on a song will activate the long press action menu from android... Same with all file managers and all other apps.
It's frustrating to select text only with long clicks ... And what is the purpose of having 3 buttons on mouse which all does simple clicks most of the time?
It is this possible or I'm dreaming? :laugh:
As far as I know it's not yet possible, because left and rightclick mappings are hardcoded as "tap". Some months ago I've tried to override these mappings, but it's impossible to remap these 2 keys using official, standard method - keylayout and keycharactermap files editing.
Here is my topic regarding this issue, it should say everything needed:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3190940
Wysłane z mojego Nexus 4 przy użyciu Tapatalka
Just after I installed Remix OS watched the introduction video "Remix OS : The Future of Android PC" and I heard this sentence: "At Jide we believe that future of computing is Android" and immediately felt the same thing... but once I started to use android on my pc I realized how far they are...
Seriously, I use my mouse in Remix OS exactly how a fingerless man use the new Samsung Galaxy.(no offense to anyone) But I simply don't know what to expect, sometimes when I press right click I get right click menu, sometimes without selecting nothing a copy option apear, sometimes I get a text selected and a dictionary apear to change the words and sometimes it acts like simple click. Most of the times I have a mouse with 3 buttons:first button click, second button click, third button click... Yeah that's what I call future of computing
If re-mapping the mouse buttons can't be done, than the logical approach will be to make a new hardware, a new mouse which fits for the purpose. Anyway re-writing all the android apps to fit the actual mouse behavior isn't the best solution.
I hope some Remix OS dev read this topic and if is kind enough,will share with us his vision about the Future of Android Computing.
@Domnea remember one thing here: Remix bases off Android-x86, which bases off AOSP. If a feature X is hardcoded in AOSP, then it will be hardcoded in all spinoffs unless they put the (mostly hard) effort of improving it.
This is the case with mouse. Android doesn't officially support rightclick for menus and because it's not yet made for PC UI, it's system apps and 3rd party are not made with desktop use in mind.
It will take a long time before a true android pc experience will be a thing.
Also remember that Remix OS is still beta.
To add more: try Phoenix OS, as far as I remember, they've modified mouse keymaps globally and generally, Phoenix has better UI.
Lastly: I think I know how to keymap the mouse now. I'll test and get back with results. I'll try to do that now or tommorow.
UPDATE:
i've tried again, but failed
Remapping is definitely possible, but I'm almost certain it would require modifying more "low-level" code files and then recompiling the whole Android image just to have a different mouse mapping. Google just needs to remove the hardcoding and add an option to map any device however you want - just like it is with keyboards.
I hope to find some more time soon to really solve this problem. Even if it could be solved with 3rd party apps, I wouldn't like that - it should be a basic built-in feature (keymapping).
Sent from [email protected] 4
I'm not a software developer, I'm just a software enthusiastic. When I found out about remix os (thanks to Google) in less than one hour was installed in my notebook. For me this is a hobby.
Yes, I know that android for pc is in early development, I'm just wondering in which direction will go...
I will keep RemixOS next to Windows and Ubuntu, tomorrow it's time for a new partition for PhoenixOS to give it a try. :fingers-crossed:

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