Angband on Android

[retrobits]

We don't have an Android expert on the devteam. IMO it would be really good to integrate Android support into the official repo, with main-droid.c and whatever else is necessary. Does anyone familiar with the android port have any idea how much work this would be? Is it worth aiming for?

I'd be willing to take a crack at it. The Android port is built with java and ant, but I could front end it with make. Not sure how I could include the makefile.src/makefile.inc stuff yet, but there's probably a way. The Android native libraries are built a little differently than the standard set of make rules.

[geoff_tewierik]

We already have a nightly build set up based on the angband git, details at angdroid.org. Using the Android browser, just tap the link to the nightly apk. When the download is complete, just tap it to pop up the installer.

Here's where I failed, I downloaded the nightly apk from angdroid onto my work PC (Windows XP) and then, because I couldn't open it, started the process of downloading the required Android files to acess it. Never thought of accessing angdroid with my phone.

Not sure what you mean about not wanting an apk? Android only installs apk. Thats like asking for a ride in a car, but not an automobile. Maybe you mean that you want the nightly apk hosted on the Market? Unfortunately I don't know an automated way to make that happen.

I appreciate your efforts in explaining, my not wanting an apk was due to my misunderstanding of how to install the nightly on my phone. Thanks for the tips, best thing about this happening is I learn more about what Android can do.

Cheers,

GT

[Magnate]

I'd be willing to take a crack at it. The Android port is built with java and ant, but I could front end it with make. Not sure how I could include the makefile.src/makefile.inc stuff yet, but there's probably a way. The Android native libraries are built a little differently than the standard set of make rules.

Well, I'm not an expert - if they're too different there's little to be gained from integration. But my original thought was that it would be good to integrate because we can auto-build to check that changes haven't broken any of the ports. (One of the devs regularly breaks the GTK port!)

Do you know anything about building for android on i386 linux? I currently build gcu, x11, gtk, sdl and windows, and would be happy to set up a regular android cross-compile.

[d_m]

Do you know anything about building for android on i386 linux? I currently build gcu, x11, gtk, sdl and windows, and would be happy to set up a regular android cross-compile.

You can totally develop Android apps on Linux. I actually just built a (very) simple one at work. If you google it there are great instructions provided by the Android folks.

[Magnate]

You can totally develop Android apps on Linux. I actually just built a (very) simple one at work. If you google it there are great instructions provided by the Android folks.

Sure, but I'm not looking to set up an android dev env from scratch - I'm interested in adding it to my home git environment. For example, to cross-compile for windows I did "sudo apt-get install mingw32" and added a single alias to .bashrc (cd src; make -f Makefile.win -longcrosscompilewibbleoption). I was kinda wondering whether cross-compiling for android can be boiled down to something not much more complex than that ;-)

[retrobits]

Sure, but I'm not looking to set up an android dev env from scratch - I'm interested in adding it to my home git environment. For example, to cross-compile for windows I did "sudo apt-get install mingw32" and added a single alias to .bashrc (cd src; make -f Makefile.win -longcrosscompilewibbleoption). I was kinda wondering whether cross-compiling for android can be boiled down to something not much more complex than that ;-)

EDIT:
sorry, I see what you are asking now. The short answer is that it really doesn't make sense to cross compile android like that because there's no way to execute the result. To use an emulator or real device you need an apk which can only be produced from a full android dev kit.

Like I mentioned before, I would be willing to invest some time into integrating with the existing angband build system... but the result would still require java and sdk/ndk. At that point the android code could move into git. Probably better for the future to keep all the ports in one place. I'm new to git and reading up on how the merge-into-staging code life cycle works.


Ignore earlier post:
Its not too difficult to set up for android dev either. I use ubuntu to do all android dev. Android apps are java, but call into native code libraries built using the android ndk (native dev kit). These are compiled using ant, and ant in turn executes the appropriate cross compiler bundled in the ndk. At the end everything is bundled into an apk (essentially a java jar file)

here's the steps to set up:
1) install java sdk (I use openjdk-6) and ant
2) download & install latest android sdk and ndk (detailed instructions on developer.android.com)
3) then use ant or eclipse to compile (depends on project -- for angband we just use ant)
4) for angband, get source from http://angdroid.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/, set build.properties, run ant. (details in readme.txt in root dir)

[geoff_tewierik]

Playing the Android nightly 3.2.X, (found that version under the Settings/Applications section of the OS) and swapped my known bow for an ego sling and got the following messages:

Illegal object choice (normal)!
You were holding a Long Bow (x3) (+2, +6) (v)
Your bow tingled in your hands
You are shooting with a Sling of Extra Shots (x2) <+1> (splendid) (b)

Would have expected the sling to tingle and not the bow.

Not sure what base nightly the Android version is based on so can't report specifics for it.

Edit. Forgot to add, movement is a pain in the nightly I am playing. Running works but won't allow you to stand on an item to pick it up if in a room, I have to go into preferences and change the move delay setting to 1, then move onto the square to pick up the item. The because I have movement delay setting of 1, every time I want to move a square by tapping the screen the game prompts me for a direction. Means I have to double tap to move one square. Normal Angdroid doesn't have this problem nor does the PC nightly.

Could be I have a setting my preferences that is stuffed, but stuffed if I can work out which one.

[retrobits]

Not sure what base nightly the Android version is based on so can't report specifics for it.

type a capital V and the game should print the date and time of compile. This is when the nightly build grabbed the source from the Angband git and is the best way to track back to whatever version you are using when reporting a bug.

Edit. Forgot to add, movement is a pain in the nightly I am playing. Running works but won't allow you to stand on an item to pick it up if in a room, I have to go into preferences and change the move delay setting to 1, then move onto the square to pick up the item. The because I have movement delay setting of 1, every time I want to move a square by tapping the screen the game prompts me for a direction. Means I have to double tap to move one square. Normal Angdroid doesn't have this problem nor does the PC nightly.

Could be I have a setting my preferences that is stuffed, but stuffed if I can work out which one.

Not sure what this is but I'll see if I can duplicate this behavior. Do you use roguelike or standard keys?

[geoff_tewierik]

V = April 14th build.

Standard keys.

Also just suffered rapid loss of hit points from "Something makes a strange noise", yet nothing is visible and ?DI shows nothing. Made me dive down a stair rather than harvest Uruks.

[Derakon]

That's what happens when monsters cast spells and you can't see them, now. There's currently a bug where you aren't informed of what you're hit by, though if the monster was casting curses then you wouldn't see anything anyway.

[geoff_tewierik]

Ok, so it was possibly a group of priests out of LOS that were doing it.

[Gorbad]

Just received an updated Angdroid from Google. Very happy to see there is still active development going on! One of my all time favourite apps on my S3.

Any developers here that have a changelog available?