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Android development guide with FydeOS

Last Update: 2023-07-18

Introduction

In 2016, Google expanded the Android ecosystem by integrating the Android operating environment into Chrome OS. This move opened the door for desktop Android applications designed for large screens, keyboard, and mouse operations. Over the years, Google has made significant enhancements to the Android environment on Chrome OS, encouraging more manufacturers and developers to get involved. In May, Google's open-source project, Project Crostini, brought a native Linux experience to Chrome OS, enabling daily development and debugging work on Chrome OS.

During the annual Google Developers Conference (Google IO), we witnessed the installation of Chrome on a Google Pixelbook during a presentation on "What's new in Android applications for Chrome OS". This Pixelbook supports large Linux applications like Android Studio and allows direct debugging and compiling of Android applications via ADB and the onboard Android environment, marking a significant milestone in the promotion of the Android desktop ecosystem.

FydeOS is a desktop operating system based on Chromium OS. It decouples the originally tightly bound Google services and adds self-developed modules and optimisations, making it more accessible to users in mainland China.

This guide will walk you through enabling the Linux subsystem in FydeOS, installing and running Linux applications, and working with the onboard Android environment to achieve high efficiency on Chrome OS + Pixelbook, as demonstrated at Google IO.

System Requirements

Minimum Configuration

Due to the high system performance requirements of large IDEs like Android Studio, we recommend installing FydeOS on devices with superior hardware than entry-level devices.

Incompatibility

  • The Android environment of FydeOS (public beta version) is currently only compatible with Intel series graphics cards.
  • The architecture design of Project Crostini requires the CPU to support hardware virtualisation (VT-x). Most mid- to high-end Intel CPUs, excluding the BayTrail family, carry this feature.

Getting Started

  1. Download, write, and load FydeOS onto your hard disk. Detailed instructions are available on the FydeOS official website and knowledge base.

    • FydeOS official download link: here.
    • Instructions for writing FydeOS to a portable storage device and booting up: here.
    • If possible, install FydeOS as the sole system on your PC to monopolise the entire hard disk. Alternatively, follow this tutorial to coexist FydeOS with other systems: here.

  2. Enable Android ADB debugging settings:

    • Launch "Android" from the application launcher.
    • Navigate to "System" → "Developer options" and enable the "ADB debugging" option.

Note: FydeOS does not include Google's service framework and Play Store. To install Android applications, download a third-party Android Market or install them directly from the .apk file. Installed Android applications will automatically appear in the "application launcher".

  1. Enable the Linux subsystem:

    • Go to "Settings" and locate the "Linux" settings.
    • Click "Turn On" and follow the prompts.
    • After the installation, FydeOS will add a new application called "Terminal" in the application launcher. This is a fully functional Debian with a complete and independent file system where you can perform daily Linux operations.

  2. Download and run Android Studio, and install additional tools:

    • Download Android Studio for ChromeOS from the official website: developer.android.com.
    • After downloading, double-click to install Android Studio.
    • Initialise Android Studio according to the on-screen prompts and download the required SDK and accessory toolset.

  3. Connect to the ADB target in the Linux environment:

    • Allow the Android subsystem of FydeOS to establish an ADB connection with Android Studio.
    • When Android Studio is running, right-click the "Terminal" icon in the taskbar and select "Open New Window". Run the following command in a new Terminal session:
sudo apt-get install adb
adb connect 100.115.92.2:5555

  1. Deploy from FydeOS:

    • After connecting to the ADB target in the Linux environment, you can load an Android application directly onto your FydeOS device using Android Studio or load an APK using the Terminal.

  2. Connect to ADB over a network:

    • Ensure ADB debugging is enabled.
    • Get the IP address of your FydeOS Device and connect to your FydeOS from your development machine using its IP address.

  3. FAQs and Help:

References

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