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Google releases partial L source code

.:MARK:.
By .:MARK:.
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Seems that Google is toying with us devs, So Google released some source code that is nowhere near complete for the new android L dev preview. IMO they shouldn't have released any source code just yet, but oh well... Chances are that if they gave out full source for android L, then the community would pretty much finish the OS before Google gets to finish it and release it to nexus devices, which is a bit of a hassle from a business perspective. Google should probably put more effort into fixing the obvious flaws in the UX and interface of the dev preview before releasing any sources.

 

android-l-release-apis-710x393.jpg

 

 

 

When the source code for other Nexus devices hit AOSP a few hours ago, there was hope that developers could use it to create full ROMs for other Nexus devices. Unfortunately, the release includes only some GPL-licensed portions of the L preview source code, meaning that it can’t be used to compile working images.

 

 

Source

http://www.androidauthority.com/android-l-release-source-code-nexus-399746/

Comb it with a brick

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I'll always support open-source for further development, great move Google.

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I'm pretty sure Android has always been open source. :)

 

Maybe he's an iPhone user? :D But ye, open-source is always a good thing.

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I'm pretty sure Android has always been open source. :)

I know.

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I guess some are missing the point, this would be open source anyway, but open sourcing an unfinished OS and the code is barely usable is just frustrating. They shouldn't be doing this in the first place IMO.

Comb it with a brick

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I'm pretty sure Android has always been open source. :)

Sadly that is slowly coming to an end.

A lot of Android components have become closed source over the years, and Google just keeps on making more and more of them closed source.

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Sadly that is slowly coming to an end.

A lot of Android components have become closed source over the years, and Google just keeps on making more and more of them closed source.

 

Yeah the new Android Auto and Wear are off-limits to devs I believe...

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I'm pretty sure Android has always been open source. :)

 

Honeycomb aka Android 3 was not open source but further more, today most of Android is not open source. You know how Google takes parts of the operating system and puts them on Google Play Store for Nexus devices. Well while doing that Google actually replaces an Android Open Source Project application with its own proprietary application. Camera, Calender, Keyboard, Dialer... They are not open source anymore.

The stone cannot know why the chisel cleaves it; the iron cannot know why the fire scorches it. When thy life is cleft and scorched, when death and despair leap at thee, beat not thy breast and curse thy evil fate, but thank the Builder for the trials that shape thee.
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Yeah the new Android Auto and Wear are off-limits to devs I believe...

I was actually talking about Android as a whole.

Google has slowly phased out the open source versions of their programs for closed source version. Pretty much every time they rebrand and/or release one of their apps in the Google Play store they have also made it closed source.

 

The Search program got replaced by Google Now which is closed source.

The stock music player was replaced by Google Play Music which is closed source.

The calender is now closed source.

The keyboard went closed source when they added things like the swipe typing and released it in the app store.

They added Photosphere and merged the gallery and camera app, and in the process they also made it closed source.

The messaging app is no longer open source since they changed it to Google Hangouts.

The launcher is not open source anymore.

The new dialer is closed source.

 

Google Play services has become closed source.

For example the location APIs, in-app purchases, "play games", Google Maps APIs and the list goes on. All of them have gone closed source in the last few years.

 

We already got a decent list and I am probably forgetting something. The most frightening thing is that the list grows at a very rapid rate. People are praising Google for locking down Android Auto and Android Wear, without even realizing that it hurts what made Android good in the first place.

I wouldn't be surprised if we are left with a tiny part of Android being open source (mostly for marketing reasons) and then rest being closed source, in like 5-10 years.

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Does this mean cyanogenmod could get android L before the initial release date?

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I have a lot of upgrade plans, and no money  :)
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Does this mean cyanogenmod could get android L before the initial release date?

Don't count on it.

The stone cannot know why the chisel cleaves it; the iron cannot know why the fire scorches it. When thy life is cleft and scorched, when death and despair leap at thee, beat not thy breast and curse thy evil fate, but thank the Builder for the trials that shape thee.
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Maybe he's an iPhone user? :D But ye, open-source is always a good thing.

 

I'm an iPhone user... :P

 

I just keep up with all things tech, open minded and all that. :)

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I'm an iPhone user... :P

 

I just keep up with all things tech, open minded and all that. :)

 

Was never meant to be a snipe at iPhone users. Just meant as a cheeky joke. :D

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Was never meant to be a snipe at iPhone users. Just meant as a cheeky joke. :D

 

I know, lol. I meant it in a joking way. :)

 

Worst thing about text based communication, no context to the words being read. :/

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