I thought one of the core tenants of Android was that developers could write, and end users could install, apps that replaced the default apps. (Such as k9 and k9sms.)
Is this not, in fact, true? (And please don't try to claim that sms/mms isn't a core feature of a mobile phone OS. And both of those projects are, from the start, forks of the AOSP applications.) Looking at the Android page (http://code.google.com/android/) I see: *Any app on the mobile device can be replaced or extended -- even core components such as the dialer or home.* ..the dialer has already been hashed over (at best, you can make non-emergency calls, but you cannot in fact "replace or extend" the dialer completely.) Are you now saying that the entire statement is false? On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 2:41 PM, Dianne Hackborn <hack...@android.com>wrote: > Yes in this case probably what is desired is changing the package name, > though that wasn't explicitly requested. But in Android that is how you > install an alternative version of an app -- by installing a -different- app > with the same public capabilities (handling the same intents etc) as the > built-in app. Then the user is free to decide when and where they want to > use that new app, if at all. > > For the desire to just install a custom version of a built-in app that has > the same name, and is thus treated as a new version, of the built-in app, > the basic answer is: > > - In the current platform, it is not possible to install an UPDATE (key > word) to a built-in application in to the data partition; updates can only > be done by replacing the app in /system. > - In Cupcake we will have this facility, HOWEVER: > 1. You still must be able to sign the app with the same certificate as > the version in the system partition. If you can't, you can't update it. > Only the original author of an application can create new versions of their > own applications. You won't be able to do this with any of the built-in > apps, because HTC and Google own the various certificates. > 2. It simply is not correct to install a your own update to one of the > system apps (contacts, calendar, etc) because those are part of the open > source platform and the company who made the phone you are installing it on > could have customized that app in significant ways. Your "update" could > actually be a regression, or completely incompatible with how the built-in > app stores its data. > > > > > On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 9:42 AM, Disconnect <dc.disconn...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> ..android-platform covers building apps with the sdk? Thats new. >> >> I think he's looking for info on changing package names so that he can >> replace the default apps. (I don't have that info handy, sorry..) >> >> >> On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 12:14 PM, Andrew Stadler <stad...@gmail.com>wrote: >> >>> >>> Wrong list. Please see android-platform, which covers topics such as >>> this. >>> >>> http://source.android.com/discuss for more information. >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 12:24 AM, Gerald <myq...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> > >>> > Hi, >>> > I want to customize some built-in applications on android, for example >>> > Launcher or Contacts, etc. >>> > I've downloaded the source code and compile it by eclipse >>> > successfully. >>> > But when I tried to run it, a signing error comes: >>> > [2009-01-20 16:17:27 - Launcher] Installing Launcher.apk... >>> > [2009-01-20 16:17:35 - Launcher] Application already exists. >>> > Attempting to re-install instead... >>> > [2009-01-20 16:17:43 - Launcher] Re-installation failed due to >>> > different application signatures. >>> > [2009-01-20 16:17:43 - Launcher] You must perform a full uninstall of >>> > the application. WARNING: This will remove the application data! >>> > [2009-01-20 16:17:43 - Launcher] Please execute 'adb uninstall >>> > com.android.launcher' in a shell. >>> > >>> > I followed above instruction: adb uninstall com.android.launcher, but >>> > it failed (Can't remove the application). >>> > The official document only provides "How to sign a new application", >>> > but it's not usable in my case. >>> > >>> > Does anyone know how to do it? >>> > Thank you very much >>> > >>> > Gerald >>> > >>> > > >>> > >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> > > > -- > Dianne Hackborn > Android framework engineer > hack...@android.com > > Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to > provide private support. All such questions should be posted on public > forums, where I and others can see and answer them. > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
