source code - Android Community

Tagged: source code

Five custom skin and ROM features that stock Android needs

By Michael Crider
on 29 May, 2012

We love the Open Source Android Project. It's where the Android community starts, where ROM developers go for "blessed" code, and without it, Android would still be puttering along behind lesser platforms. But the really great thing about Android is that it's adaptable - and anyone can adapt is. Many custom ROM developers out there (and, to be fair, manufacturers as well) have made natural and obvious additions to Android that are so useful, Google should go ahead and add them right into the main development tree. Here are five of my favorites:

Samsung Galaxy Note ICS source code now available

By Michael Crider
on 23 May, 2012

For all the ire that Samsung draws with its TouchWiz interface and mostly late software updates, the company is surprisingly forward when it comes to supporting the open source aspects of Android. Bootloaders aren't an issue (we're looking at you, Moto and HTC) and source code is delivered in a timely manner. So it is with the Galaxy Note: a couple of weeks after sending out the Ice Cream Sandwich update to international models, they've posted the source code for same.

ASUS Transformer Pad 300 firmware update and source code released

By Cory Gunther
on 4 May, 2012

The brand new ASUS Transformer Pad 300, also known as the TF300T, has been available for a few weeks and already ASUS is pushing a firmware update that is bringing tons of new features, and making a couple of quick changes. Not only have they released an update, but ASUS has also made the source code available for download to those interested.

Latest Linux kernel release adds Android code

By Michael Crider
on 19 Mar, 2012

It's often forgotten these days, but at its heart Android is a Linux-based operating system (with a healthy dose of C and Java thrown in). Today that association gets a little closer, as the primary Linux kernel version 3.3 is adding some Android-specific code into the primary development branch. Android is technically a "fork" of Linux, but this brings a little of the work that Google and others have done on the Android Open Source project back into the main Linux project directly.

Aura Slate is a mod-friendly Android tablet on the cheap

By Michael Crider
on 16 Feb, 2012

Between the hubbub over the Eee Pad Transformer Prime's locked bootloader and the continuing fervor surrounding Motorola's locked down models, the ability for end users to access the hardware and software that they've purchased is becoming a major theme in the Android world. The level of access is, for some users at least, one of the most important factors in their buying decision for a new smartphone or tablet. A tiny startup called Aura Design aims to shake up the market with a new series of Aura Slate tablets, which not only open up the software, but the hardware as well: in addition to an open bootlader and easily modded Android build, the source code for Android and the hardware dirvers is ade easily available.

HP releases source code for its internal TouchPad Android kernel to CyanogenMod

By Michael Crider
on 7 Feb, 2012

Right about the time that HP ran its now legendary TouchPad fire sale, a few lucky customers received TouchPads inexplicably running Android. Apparently the PC manufacturer had been testing Gingerbread builds on its tablet (which runs Palm's WebOS natively). As a show of solidarity to the development community, HP has now released the source code for its own internal version of the Android kernel to the CyanogenMod team. CyanogenMod maintains the most popular TouchPad Android port, CyanogenMod 7 Gingerbread, as well as the new CM9 Ice Cream Sandwich. You can read all the juicy details over at RootzWiki.

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note source code released

By Cory Gunther
on 1 Feb, 2012

More source code news today -- and no we don't mean the Jake Gyllenhaal movie either. Today Samsung has just pushed the kernel source code out for their new Samsung Galaxy Note with AT&T LTE. The code was released some time ago but this new release is specific to the AT&T 4G LTE model that was announced last month.

HTC releases source code for Sensation, Sensation XL, Rhyme, and more

By Cory Gunther
on 14 Dec, 2011

HTC is at it again today and have released the source code for many of their current and recently updates smartphones. It's nice to see that HTC is continuing to honor the GLP terms by offering these releases -- although I'm sure many wish they'd offer them a little faster. The Sensation has been around for a while but at least we finally have access to the code now.

Android is the most closed open source OS, say analysts

By Michael Crider
on 13 Dec, 2011

Google gets a lot of praise for bringing open source to the masses with Android, and a lot of flack for some of its more closed-off activities. On a technical level the company complies with the fundamental principles of open source software, but not always in the way that FOSS proponents would like. A perfect example is Android 3.0 Honeycomb, which never saw an open source release until version 4 was already available. These tendencies and more technical details led VisionMobile to rank it the "most closed" open source OS among a field of the most popular examples.

ASUS Transformer Prime kernel source code leaked, quickly removed

By Cory Gunther
on 25 Nov, 2011

Last week the official ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime product page went live from ASUS and while we already know plenty about this quad-core packing tablet it was good to finally see everything official. Apparently the same product page over in Germany had the entire kernel source code nicely listed right on the download page last night, but has since been taken down.