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Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

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Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#51

Post by jasonostrander »

feralchimp wrote: post #48
blantonl wrote: post #36

I've heard so many complaints from developers about the delayed source release, however I've never known Google to withhold source code for Android. Could the slight delay in release simply be due to legal issues such as scrubbing patent issues and verification that OSS code isn't infringing?

Honest question from a maybe-future Android dev: is it notably more challenging to develop for Android during periods when the source is not yet public? For example, is a lot of platform doc written from the POV of someone who expects you'll just peep the code when questions arise? Update: +1 to everyone thinking 'man, I bitch about google sometimes, but this kind of thing is totally legit and awesome'

I do Android dev full time and it's pretty rare to actually need to look at the source. The only time is when encountering a strange bug that you suspect is caused by the underlying implementation.

Google has generally been good about releasing emulator images prior to releases, though usually it's only a few weeks. Luckily, it takes time for Android versions to achieve large market share, so any bugs can be squashed before it's a big problem.

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#52

Post by adgar »

redthrowaway wrote: post #37
melling wrote: post #27

Now the only thing missing is a winning strategy for desktops/laptops. :-) Seems like Chrome OS should be folded into Android and many people would be comfortable using it at home. Same apps could run and sync on all devices.

Google seems to be trying to position itself as the Microsoft of the post-PC world. I doubt ChromeOS, as an operating system designed for the now-defunct netbook, plays much of a role in that strategy.

> I doubt ChromeOS, as an operating system designed for the now-defunct netbook

Actually, ChromeOS isn't just for netbooks. It's for a world where everything you want to do on your computer is available via a web service. Netbooks happen to be suitable for ChromeOS now because the web services available today generally don't require much heavy lifting client-side. Especially if NaCl/PNaCl takes off (who knows?) that very well may change soon.

That's why ChromeOS as designed is, in my opinion, actually unlikely to become defunct anytime soon: I personally suspect the percentage of consumers for which ChromeOS's capabilities are sufficient will continue to rise over the next few years.

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#53

Post by ubernostrum »

pingswept wrote: post #6

In the past, I've spent a fair bit of time criticizing Google for calling Android "open source", but not releasing the source. Now that it appears that they are actually doing it, let me be the first to say that this is great. Well done, Google.

So... call me crazy, but I think it's wrong to praise a project which claims to be open-source for, um, actually releasing source. And honestly, the fact that we've come to this indicates just how completely Google has failed at being an open-source citizen.

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#54

Post by decklin »

There are two links to this post on the front page right now. This one, https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/android-building/T4X... , loads fine on my computer and comes up in the "new" Google visual design. It completely fails on my phone (Android 2.3), displaying "Loading..." for a while and then bumping me to the front page of Google Groups with a little message saying I am now logged in (I tried several times). The other link, https://groups.google.com/group/android-building/msg/c0e01b4... , just works, everywhere, but shows the old Groups interface.

This is a really sad state of affairs. If Google can't guarantee that their fancy new Javascript-dependent links won't work everywhere, they should not be used as permalinks.

I really don't care about any arguments people might want to make about the visual redesign, or how to properly implement #! paths, or the extra effort involved in generating resilient URLs, or Google paying special attention to how the Android browser handles pages, or what evil things my phone company might be doing my my data stream, and how that's not their fault, or whatever. Permalinks should work. Everywhere. Period.

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#55

Post by juliano_q »

Google releases every source code except Honeycomb. I think the code was really ugly, released urgently to support tablets. I cant blame Google, we who works with software in big companies know how pressure and strict timelines can be a pain, but I am glad that things are back on track.

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#56

Post by pingswept »

ubernostrum wrote: post #53
pingswept wrote: post #6

In the past, I've spent a fair bit of time criticizing Google for calling Android "open source", but not releasing the source. Now that it appears that they are actually doing it, let me be the first to say that this is great. Well done, Google.

So... call me crazy, but I think it's wrong to praise a project which claims to be open-source for, um, actually releasing source. And honestly, the fact that we've come to this indicates just how completely Google has failed at being an open-source citizen.

Yeah, I see your point. But I think it would be lame for me to make fun of them for a year (or however long Honeycomb has existed in closed-source form) and then not at least acknowledge that they did finally release the source. I said "well done," but maybe "at least you're in compliance with the GPL" would be more appropriate.

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#57

Post by ubernostrum »

pingswept wrote: post #56
ubernostrum wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So... call me crazy, but I think it's wrong to praise a project which claims to be open-source for, um, actually releasing source. And honestly, the fact that we've come to this indicates just how completely Google has failed at being an open-source citizen.

Yeah, I see your point. But I think it would be lame for me to make fun of them for a year (or however long Honeycomb has existed in closed-source form) and then not at least acknowledge that they did finally release the source. I said "well done," but maybe "at least you're in compliance with the GPL" would be more appropriate.

"Well done, you've put in the bare minimum amount of effort required to still get away with the open-source moniker" is not particularly flattering...

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#58

Post by orangecat »

feralchimp wrote: post #48
blantonl wrote: post #36

I've heard so many complaints from developers about the delayed source release, however I've never known Google to withhold source code for Android. Could the slight delay in release simply be due to legal issues such as scrubbing patent issues and verification that OSS code isn't infringing?

Honest question from a maybe-future Android dev: is it notably more challenging to develop for Android during periods when the source is not yet public? For example, is a lot of platform doc written from the POV of someone who expects you'll just peep the code when questions arise? Update: +1 to everyone thinking 'man, I bitch about google sometimes, but this kind of thing is totally legit and awesome'

is it notably more challenging to develop for Android during periods when the source is not yet public?

Not really. It's occasionally convenient to have the source, but it's not at all required and the documentation doesn't assume that you do.

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#59

Post by pingswept »

juliano_q wrote: post #55

Google releases every source code except Honeycomb. I think the code was really ugly, released urgently to support tablets. I cant blame Google, we who works with software in big companies know how pressure and strict timelines can be a pain, but I am glad that things are back on track.

I agree that pressure and strict timelines can be a pain, but compliance with the GPL is not optional.

Re: Google releases full Android 4.0.1 source code, includes Honeycomb too

#60

Post by orangecat »

ubernostrum wrote: post #53
pingswept wrote: post #6

In the past, I've spent a fair bit of time criticizing Google for calling Android "open source", but not releasing the source. Now that it appears that they are actually doing it, let me be the first to say that this is great. Well done, Google.

So... call me crazy, but I think it's wrong to praise a project which claims to be open-source for, um, actually releasing source. And honestly, the fact that we've come to this indicates just how completely Google has failed at being an open-source citizen.

And honestly, the fact that we've come to this indicates just how completely Google has failed at being an open-source citizen.

Actually it just indicates the large number of analysts/trolls who were confidently proclaiming that Google would never release Android source again.

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