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The Cabin >> Raspberry and Other Pies >> Android on Orange Pi, A Review.
http://www.hondosackett.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1506284080

Message started by Fernando on Sep 24^th, 2017, 4:14pm

Title: Android on Orange Pi, A Review.
Post by Fernando on Sep 24^th, 2017, 4:14pm

The Android distribution that I got off of FaceBook’s Orange Pi Users Group was useful. I forgot to check what version it was, though it looks like it is “Lolipop” (aka Android v1.5 or 5.1 – depending on the format one follows; it’s confusing, I know). Android is a distribution of Linux created and maintained by Google for Smartphones, Tablets and Netbook style laptops. They also released a version for desktops and larger laptops.

Original post: http://www.hondosackett.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1505278945

The Bad News:
Unfortunately, this distribution of Android does not work on the O-Pi Lite, O-Pi Mini and the O-Pi One. Since it will not work on these systems, they will not work on the O-Pi Zero. These systems are, on average, 512MB of RAM and their CPUs are running at 1.2GHz. The issue is, the O-Pi Lite and the O-Pi One are so close to the O-Pi PC, that it should run in theory but they don’t.

The Good News:
Fortunately, this distribution does work on the O-Pi PC. The O-Pi PC runs at about $25, which is cheaper than the R-Pi 2 and R-Pi 3 which are $35. System wise, it is a H3 CPU system running at 1.6GHz and with 1GB of RAM. Though it does not have Wifi or BlueTooth, it has everything else in such a system should have: 4 USB Ports (3 regular UBS and 1 Mini USB-OTG), HDMI, Composite Video/Audio, SD Card Slot, etc. It does not have EMMC Flash RAM; of this larger board series, the O-Pi PC is the lowest cost with the minimal system access.

I was amazed; Android boots up from the SD in about 30 seconds. 30 Seconds! It comes with the standard Android software one would expect on a smartphone or tablet. To get access to the software library, you have to register with Google – like you do with a typical smartphone or tablet. Registering means connecting an email to the Android system. This opens the Google Play store and all the software within for your choosing; 90% of the of this software is free including MS Office series, which you need to install in parts – MSWord, Excel, PowerPoint and whatever you may need. Open Libre is also available for Android, so it is something good to look at. Having an Office Suite set of programs and apps separates a “toy” computer to an actual “working” computer.

One of the things about this Android system is its Media Center: Qodi. Qodi is a clone of Kodi, a very popular open source Media Streaming Center. Going through the menus, to me it looks like Kodi, at least v1.4 to v1.6; I’m using v1.7 on my R-Pi Kodi set up. As is Qodi is good to go, and from what I read, plug ins that work on Kodi will work on Qodi. That part I did not test as I did not have net access for the O-Pi PC.

For me, there are many pluses for this Android set up for the O-Pi PC. Unfortunately, it not working on the O-Pi Lite, or O-Pi One limits this to this one system where other systems work across the board from the O-Pi PC to the O-Pi Lite, and O-Pi One. I will need to ask of there is a version for these boards. But running on the O-Pi PC, it runs fast!

My next step is to download the version of Android they have on OrangePi.org; I know it is in Mandarin but I seen some guy on Youtube switch it from Mandarin to English, but he does it so fast, it was difficult to see what he did but it is doable. Many people get this version of Android, see that it in Mandarin, get mad and format their SD cards in frustration and put in another system on it. I did a walk-through of going to the System Settings where Language is on this version of Android. It is only about 4 steps to get there, and then switch the language. If I can do that, getting the Mandarin Android from OrangePi.org and switching it to English should be simple.

Title: Re: Android on Orange Pi, A Review.
Post by Fernando on Sep 25^th, 2017, 4:25pm

Update:

Spoke with the poster of the original FB Post for this Android release. According to him, there is no other version of Android that does this, and no one is doing such work to make it so for other system boards. Somebody might be doing it but no one is aware of it.

So in this format, this is the only version of Android release that sets up and works like this.

Title: Re: Android on Orange Pi, A Review.
Post by Fernando on Sep 25^th, 2017, 4:35pm

Update 2:

This has my head scratching. as I was looking for Android images for the O-Pi One and O-Pi Lite, I found on OrangePi.org website's OS download page that the Orange Pi PC and the Orange Pi One share the OSes listed between the two systems, INCLUDING ANDROID! But this version of Android does not boot on the O-Pi One.

Scroll down the the bottom 1/3rd of the page on "Orange Pi PC and Orange Pi One" and look over the OS Listing there, and you will find Android on that list.
http://www.orangepi.org/downloadresources/

Title: Re: Android on Orange Pi, A Review.
Post by Hondo I. Sackett on Sep 25^th, 2017, 8:11pm

hmm, interesting. thanks for the info!