Step by step guide to your first android app (DACU)

Info Box Applies to Android Applies to Dacu

Introduction

This tutorial shows you how to develop your first Android application and run it on the DACU platform.

Boot the system

Let's assume the system is configured to boot loading the kernel and root file system from the internal flash.

Start the system as described in the Running Android in "normal mode" section.

The default IP address is 192.168.0.122

Change the default ip address

If the default ip address is not suitable for your network configuration, you need to modify it. The first thing to do is to connect the null-modem serial cable to the J3 connector

Dacu serial cable

and start your preferred terminal emulator, as described in the Running Android in "full control mode" section.

On the u-boot console, please enter the following command to check the default ip address:

=> print ipaddr                                                                                                    
ipaddr=192.168.0.122                                                                                               

To change the ip address, please enter the following commands:

=> setenv ipaddr <enter-new-target-ip-address>                                                                                                          
=> saveenv                                                                                                         
Saving Environment to Flash...                                                                                     
Un-Protected 1 sectors                                                                                             
Un-Protected 1 sectors                                                                                             
Erasing Flash...                                                                                                   
. done                                                                                                             
Erased 1 sectors                                                                                                   
Writing to Flash... done                                                                                           
Protected 1 sectors                                                                                                
Protected 1 sectors                                                                                                
=>                                                                                    

Once configured, you can start the system launching the following commmand:

=> boot

For further information, please refer to the U-Boot section.

Check the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) and connect to the target

Start a connection through the Android Debug Bridge as described in the Running ADB section. Please note that setting the correct IP address on the target and is mandatory to make ADB work.

Develop your first application with Eclipse

Start working with Eclipse

Launch the Eclipse IDE and start the AVD Manager to create a DACU emulator. To do that:

1. click on "Window" on the top menù
2. select "AVD Manager"
3. on the "Android Virtual Device Manager" window, click on "New" and create a DACU emulator with the following settings:
   • Name: DACU
   • Target: Android 2.3.3 - API Level 10
   • CPU/ABI: ARM (armeabi)
   • SD Card: Size 4 GB
   • Skin: Resolution, 800x480
4. click on "Create AVD"

Please refer to the following pictures:

• Creation of a DACU virtual device
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Create the application

Follow the instructions provided on the Creating an Android Project page to create a new project. The default project includes a simple application skeleton which runs a simple Activity which shows the "Hello Android" message. You can extend this application adding some other features. When you are comfortable, you can jump to the next step.

Please refer to the following pictures:

• Creation of the default application
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Launch the application on the emulator

To launch the application on the DACU emulator:

1. click on "Run" on the top menù
2. select "Run Configurations..."
3. on the "Run Configurations" window, enter the project name and select the "do nothing" option
4. click on "Run"
5. after a while, the emulator will start and you'll see the Android lock screen
6. drag the "lock" icon upwards to access the Android desktop
7. on the right of the desktop there are three icons: click on the middle one (between the globe icon and the phone icon)
8. click on the "MainActivity" icon: it will open the "Hello, world!" window.

Please refer to the following pictures:

• Running the application on the emulator
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Deploy the application on the target

To install the application on the target, please follow these steps:

1. close the running emulator
2. check that ADB is running
3. open a shell and move to the workspace directory containing the project files (example: /home/user/workspace/MyFirstApp)
4. enter the bin sub-directory. If you list the content of this directory, you should see the application .apk file
5. Using ADB, please lauch the following command:

adb install MyFirstApp.apk

Now you can access the device, go to the applications screen and touch the "MainActivity" icon to run the application.

Please refer to the following pictures and watch the Running "Hello, world!" app on DACU video:

• Deploying the application
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Useful links

Running "Hello, world!" app on DACU

Android Developer Website

First project tutorial