G. Meike

The Complete Guide to Customizing Android for New IoT and Embedded Devices Inside the Android OS is a comprehensive guide and reference for technical professionals who want to customize and integrate Android into embedded devices, and construct or maintain successful Android-based products. Replete with code examples, it encourages you to create your own working code as you read---whether for personal insight or a professional project in the fast-growing marketplace for smart IoT devices. Expert Android developers G. Blake Meike and Larry Schiefer respond to the real-world needs of embedded and IoT developers moving to Android. After presenting an accessible introduction to the Android environment, they guide you through boot, subsystem startup, hardware interfaces, and application support---offering essential knowledge without ever becoming obscure or overly specialized. Reflecting Android's continuing evolution, Meike and Schiefer help you take advantage of relevant innovations, from the ART application runtime environment to Project Treble. Throughout, a book-length project covers all you need to start implementing your own custom Android devices, one step at a time. You will: Assess advantages and tradeoffs using Android in smart IoT devicesMaster practical processes for customizing AndroidSet up a build platform, download the AOSP source, and build an Android imageExplore Android's components, architecture, source code, and development toolsUnderstand essential kernel modules that are unique to AndroidUse Android's extensive security infrastructure to protect devices and usersWalk through Android boot, from power-on through system initializationExplore subsystem startup, and use Zygote containers to control application processesInterface with hardware through Android's Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)Provide access to Java programs via Java Native Interface (JNI)Gain new flexibility by using binderized HAL (Project Treble)Implement native C/C++ or Java client apps without bundling vendor libraries

Inside the Android OS is the first comprehensive guide and reference for developers who want to customize and integrate Android into their own embedded devices. Replete with code examples, it encourages you to create your own working code versions as you read -- whether for your own personal insight or for a workplace project in the fast-growing marketplace for non-phone Android devices. G. Blake Meike responds to the real-world needs of embedded and IoT developers moving to Android, providing indispensable information without becoming obscure or too specialized. Meike teaches through a book-length project that covers everything developers need to know to create their own custom Android service. You'll find approachable yet precise coverage of: Why Android is becoming a pervasive embedded platform Using Android's four-tier architectural model in embedded devices Setting up a build platform, downloading the AOSP source, and building an Android image Walking through system startup on a running Android system Running native services on embedded systems Using Android's Native Development Kit (NDK) and HAL to link interpreted Java with native C/C++ code Taking a deep dive into the seminal Zygote application and its Dalvik interpreter Quickly building Java system services Working with Binder, Android's heart and the root of its security and access control models Establishing permissions and access control Enabling apps to use the services you've created Building SDKs that allow third-party developers to code for your device And much more If you're a software professional who wants to construct or maintain a successful Android-based product, this is the book you've been searching for.