Android Open Source Project management and Applications



Android Open Source Project  management and Applications


The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) includes individuals working in a variety of roles. Google is responsible for Android product management and the engineering process for the core framework and platform; however, the project considers contributions from any source, not just Google. This page describes the kinds of roles that interested parties can take on. Trade Federation is a continuous test framework designed for running tests on Android devices. It's a Java application which runs on a host computer, and communicates to one or more Android devices using ddmlib (the library behind DDMS) over adb. Anyone who is interested in exploring and contributing to Android can use the Android Open Source Project resources. "Contributors" are those making contributions to the AOSP source code, including both employees of Google or other companies, as well as individual developers who are contributing to Android on their own behalf.  "Developers" are engineers writing applications that run on Android devices. There is often little difference in skill set between a developer and a contributor. "Verifiers" are responsible for testing change requests. After individuals have submitted a significant amount of high-quality code to the project, the project leads might invite them to become verifiers.  "Approvers" are experienced members of the project who have demonstrated their design skills and have made significant technical contributions to the project. In the code-review process, an approver decides whether to include or exclude a change. Project leads (who are typically employed by Google) choose the approvers, sometimes promoting to this position verifiers who have demonstrated their expertise within a specific project.  The preferred license for the Android Open Source Project is the Apache Software License, Version 2.0 ("Apache 2.0"), and the majority of the Android software is licensed with Apache 2.0. 
Android applications extend the core Android operating system. There are two primary sources for applications:
·         Pre-Installed Applications: Android includes a set of pre-installed applications including phone, email, calendar, web browser, and contacts. These function both as user applications and to provide key device capabilities that can be accessed by other applications. Pre-installed applications may be part of the open source Android platform, or they may be developed by an OEM for a specific device.
·         User-Installed Applications: Android provides an open development environment supporting any third-party application. Google Play offers users hundreds of thousands of applications.

Google provides a set of cloud-based services that are available to any compatible Android device. The primary services are:
·         Google Play: Google Play is a collection of services that allow users to discover, install, and purchase applications from their Android device or the web. Google Play makes it easy for developers to reach Android users and potential customers. Google Play also provides community review, application license verification, application security scanning, and other security services.
·        Android Updates: The Android update service delivers new capabilities and security updates to Android devices, including updates through the web or over the air (OTA).
·         Application Services: Frameworks that allow Android applications to use cloud capabilities such as (backing up) application data and settings and cloud-to-device messaging (C2DM) for push messaging.


References:
http://ontarget-group.com/images/project-management-diagram.jpg


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