Improving Ubuntu's application upload process [LWN.net]

Improving Ubuntu's application upload process

Posted Sep 6, 2012 17:42 UTC (Thu) by khim (subscriber, #9252)
In reply to: Improving Ubuntu's application upload process by drag
Parent article: Improving Ubuntu's application upload process

There are alternative app stores for Android. Have been since the beginning. And not just Amazon. There were others before that.

example:
http://slideme.org/

What devices they are selling? AFAICS this is just an app store for the Android. This is not what Amazon and Nook are doing and this is not what I'm talking about.

The problem you are alluding to, of course, is that while Android is open source the Android apps are not. So Google has certification requirements for the platform before you can distribute their software at no-cost.

Yup. Please read the requirements before you'll go any further. For example, though the Android source code could be ported to run on a phone that doesn't have a camera, the CDD requires that in order to be compatible, all phones must have a camera. This allows developers to rely on a consistent set of capabilities when writing their apps.

"Certification" is not something you can do as afterthough: if you want to receive Google Play then you must design your device specifically for the Google's requirements.

This is not a insurmountable barrier. I don't know what would be required for Ubuntu to make a 'frankenstein' OS, but it's something they will have to work with Google to do if they want people to have access to the Google applications they are familiar with.

This is not about 'frankenstein' OS. This is about 'frankenstein' hardware. I doubt Google will want to certify any hardware which needs third-party platfrom to be fully usabled as "compatible device". This is what happened with tablets, for example: third-party tablets all lacked Google Play till Honeycomb. Because it was impossible to certify them.

And if Android will be extended to effectively support mouse, keyboard and large monitor then why will you want to develop programs for Ubuntu? You'll develop them for Android instead - this will cover larger audience.

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Improving Ubuntu's application upload process

Posted Sep 8, 2012 16:17 UTC (Sat) by cesarb (subscriber, #6266) [Link]

> the CDD requires that in order to be compatible, all phones must have a camera.

That FAQ seems to be outdated. Take a look at the current CDD (https://source.android.com/compatibility/4.1/android-4.1-...):

> Device implementations SHOULD include a rear-facing camera, and MAY include a front-facing camera.

That is a SHOULD, not a MUST.

Improving Ubuntu's application upload process

Posted Sep 8, 2012 18:17 UTC (Sat) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

Yes, the requirements changed with Android 2.3. This is when MUST was replaced with SHOULD WRT camera.

But I'm not talking about sepcifics here, I'm talking about the fact that to get Google Play you need to satisfy pretty long and detailed list of requirements.

Want to create something new and exciting? Feel free: Android is FOSS, after all! Want to get hundreds of thousands applications and, perhaps, small percentage of sales (not sure if Google actually does this or not but this is logic approach)? Talk with Google first and see if they'll be interested in your creation enough to alter the CDD.