preface

Since 2016, when Google announced the addition of the Android operating environment to Chrome OS, there has been a new entry to the Android ecosystem — a desktop ring with large screens and keyboard and mouse controls. Over the past two years, Google has made a number of improvements to the Android environment on Chrome OS to encourage more vendors and developers to participate. In May, The Google-led open source Project Project Crostini brought Chrome OS closer to native Linux, making it possible to perform routine development and debugging on Chrome OS.

At this year’s annual Google IO conference, In the “What’s New in Android Apps for Chrome OS” talk, we saw that Google Pixelbook with Chrome OS implements large Linux applications like Android Studio Application support and the ability to debug compiled Android applications directly through ADB and the on-board Android environment is a milestone in advancing the desktop Android ecosystem.

FydeOS is a desktop operating system product based on secondary development of Chromium OS, which decoups the originally strongly bound Google service in the system, adds self-developed modules and optimization, ADAPTS more hardware categories, and enables more users to use it barrier-free in mainland China.

The rest of this article focuses on how to enable Linux in FydeOS (beta), install and run Linux with the on-board Android environment implementation, and Chrome OS + Pixelbook on Google IO Demonstrates the ability to debug Android applications efficiently (without any emulators or virtual machines).


0. Hardware requirements

  • minimum

    Due to the high performance requirements of large ides such as Android Studio, FydeOS is recommended to be installed on better than entry-level hardware. The following PC configuration is for our reference only:

    • Intel Ivy – Bridge i5-3427 – u 1.8 GHz
    • 4GB RAM (occasionally running out of memory, 8GB is recommended)
    • Integrated with Intel HD Graphics 4000
    • 128GB SSD

  • Incompatibility condition

    • FydeOS (open beta) is currently only compatible with Intel graphics cards
    • Since Project Crostini uses a virtual machine + container architecture, it requires CPU support for hardware virtualization (VT-X). With the exception of the BayTrail family, most mid – to high-end Intel cpus carry this feature.


1. Preparation

Download, burn, and load FydeOS onto hard drive. FydeOS ‘official website and knowledge base have more detailed explanations, which will not be repeated here.

  • FydeOS official download address is here, you can also obtain the image of the domestic web disk in the Chinese community.
  • Instructions for burning FydeOS to mobile storage devices and booting are here.
  • If you can, follow this tutorial to install FydeOS as the only system on your PC, monopolistic to a hard drive; Or you can follow this tutorial to co-exist with FydeOS as a second system.


2. Enable Linux (beta)

Click “Settings” and find the relevant Settings for “Linux (Beta)” as shown below:

FydeOS set

Click “Enable” and click “Install” on the pop-up prompt box:

Install the Terminal

Depending on your hardware configuration, it may take a few minutes to install and enable Linux (beta) for the first time. After installation, FydeOS will add a new program called “Terminal” in the application launcher (click ⭕️ at the lower left corner of the screen to enter), and click the icon to start:

Terminal

This is a fully functional Debian 9 (Stretch). In contrast to FydeOS’s native Crosh Shell, Terminal has its own complete and separate file system in which we can perform familiar Linux operations. FydeOS has set the default APT software source as the image of Ali Cloud in China. You can replace it according to your own preference. You can update the Debian and install some common tools by using the following commands:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install wget unzip nano
Copy the code

FydeOS has mapped user folders in Linux (beta) to the system’s own file manager. Using the “Files” program in the launcher, you can see FydeOS has added the new option “Linux Files”. And it is the same as the home folder in Terminal:

Linux file


3. Download and run Android Studio, and install the accompanying tools

We need to download Android Studio for Linux on developer.android.com:

Download the Android Studio

Here, you can download the ZIP package directly through the browser, and copy it to the Linux File in the file program. You can also copy the download link and download it directly from Terminal command line:

Wget HTTP: / / https://dl.google.com/dl/android/studio/ide-zips/3.1.4.0/android-studio-ide-173.4907809-linux.zipCopy the code

Once done, we need to unzip the zip package and run the startup script to enable Android Studio:

cd/ path/to/your/download/dir unzip android - studio - ide - 173.4907809 - Linux. Zip. / android - studio/bin/studio. ShCopy the code

The Android Studio graphical interface starts up immediately, and the experience is indistinguishable from that of other Linux distributions. At this point, follow the on-screen instructions to initialize Android Studio and download the REQUIRED SDK and associated toolsets.


4. Enable FydeOS’s Android environment

After FydeOS runs for a few minutes, the system automatically pulls the latest version of the system’s components from FydeOS’s servers, including FydeOS Android Settings. In order to activate and enable FydeOS ‘Android operating environment, FydeOS Android Settings should be run in the “Program Launcher”, and the relevant use agreement should be agreed. Then FydeOS’ Android subsystem Settings program will be launched.

FydeOS does not currently carry the Google Services framework or the Play Store, the google-provided app marketplace. To install android applications, users can download third-party Android market programs or directly download. Apk files to install. Already installed Android apps will automatically appear in the App Launcher.

For development debugging needs, we need to enable FydeOS Android subsystem “ADB debugging” function. Click “FydeOS Android Settings” to open “Settings” of Android subsystem – “About device” – click “Version number” for 7 times – return to the previous menu and select “Developer Options” – open “ADB Debug” :

Enable ADB debugging


5. Connect to the ABD target in Linux

We need FydeOS’s Android subsystem to make ADB connections to Android Studio.

To do this, while Android Studio is running, right-click the “Terminal” icon in the taskbar and select “Open New Windows.” Run the following command ina new Terminal session:

Sudo apt-get install adb adb connect 100.115.92.2:5555Copy the code

At this point, android subsystem will receive the corresponding ADB connection request, and a confirmation window will pop up. You need to click “OK” to agree to the connection request:

Agree with ADB debugging


6. Compile and debug Android applications in Android Studio

After completing the above steps, Android Studio automatically adds a “Connected Device” that you can use for debugging. After completing Sync and Build, click “Run” and select the Android subsystem Connected by ADB in the “Connected Devices” dialog box to implement real-time debugging:

debugging


7. Frequently asked Questions and where to go for help

Q: What if my “Connected Devices” is empty?

A: You can stop ADB and reconnect in A new Terminal session:

adb kill- connect server the adb 100.115.92.2:5555Copy the code


Q: What if my Android Studio flashes back?

A: Take A look at the java_error_in_studio_XXXX. log log file generated under “Linux Files”. In most cases, it is due to insufficient memory.

For more tips on using FydeOS and Linux (beta), see the FydeOS Repository.

If you have more specific technical questions, please post to FydeOS Chinese community for help.


8. References

Chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/… Developer.android.com/topic/arc/s…