Course Overview

Course Length: 
4 Days
CEUs: 
3.0
Format: 
Hands-on/Lecture

Barr Group's Embedded Android Boot Camp™ is a 4-day immersion into the Linux kernel and Android operating system and its use on embedded hardware platforms. This intense educational (yet fun) program is designed to lead software engineers through the steps of bringing up embedded hardware with the Android OS, developing custom device drivers, and publishing the APIs of those custom Linux device drivers to Android apps.  Android Oreo features, such as the Soong build system and Project Treble will also be included.

Attendees will complete approximately ten hands-on programming exercises, including a large app-to-driver capstone. Exercises are interspersed with the lectures and all take place on an ARM Cortex-A8 processor board that attendees can keep. Students will use dedicated, high-performance cloud servers to modify and build Android and the Linux kernel.  

Topics covered during this course include:

  • Building and Installing Linux and Android
  • Linux Kernel Architecture
  • Linux Kernel Modules
  • Linux Drivers
  • Android Architecture
  • Java and JNI
  • Android System Server
  • Exposing Unique Hardware to Android Apps
  • Android Security
  • New Android Oreo Features (Project Treble and Soong Build System)

Attendees will also learn to:

  • Build a bootloader, the Linux kernel, and Android
  • Create and debug Linux and Android device drivers for unique hardware
  • Add custom system services and frameworks to Android
  • Call custom C libraries from Java using JNI
  • Integrate custom Android and C apps into Android
  • Use Binder for Interprocess Communication
  • Improve the security of your Android device
  • Tips for speeding Android ports and AOSP builds

This course is appropriate for:

  • Embedded software developers moving up to the Android operating system or Android app
  • Linux software developers who want to learn the internals of the Linux kernel or Android OS

Prerequisites:  Attendees should arrive with a working familiarity of the C programming language and experience writing embedded software.

Requirements:  Each student will need to bring a computer, such as a laptop, running Windows 7 (or later), Mac OS X, or Linux with at least one available USB port — two are recommended — and administrator privileges. Students will be required to install course materials and several small development tools on their computer.

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Syllabus

The following summary covers the major course topics and may be modified at the instructor's discretion based on the needs and pace of the class.

Building and Installing Linux and Android

  • Embedded Android Development Process
  • Architectural Overview
  • ARM SoC Development Kit Overview
  • GNU Toolchain
  • Kernel Build Configuration
  • How to Build U-Boot
  • How to Build the Linux Kernel
  • Android Development Workstation Setup
  • Downloading AOSP
  • Version Control (Git and Repo)
  • How to Build Android
  • Installing / Booting Android
  • ADB (Android Debug Bridge)

Linux Kernel Architecture

  • Introduction to Software Frameworks
  • Linux Kernel Architecture
  • ARM Linux Boot Process
  • ARM Linux Machine-Specific Initializations
  • Introduction to Platform Bus Devices
  • Debugging the Linux Kernel

Linux Kernel Modules

  • Introduction to Kernel Modules
  • Kernel Module Framework and Lifecycle
  • GNU Makefiles
  • Building a Loadable Kernel Module (LKM) Out-Of-Tree
  • Installing a Loadable Kernel Module (LKM) Using ADB

Linux Drivers

  • Linux Device Model
  • Sysfs Attributes
  • Bus Devices and Frameworks
  • Bus Device Drivers
  • Class Devices and Frameworks
  • File Operations
  • Kernel Memory Allocation
  • Passing Data Between Kernel and User-Space
  • Accessing MMIO

Android Architecture

  • Multi-User Security
  • Android Init Process
  • Android Boot Scripts
  • AOSP Directory Structure
  • AOSP Device Configuration
  • AOSP Build System
  • AOSP Makefile Templates
  • Soong Build System (Android Oreo)
  • Logcat and Android Debugging

Java and JNI

  • Java for C Programmers
  • Java Implementation and Evolution on Android
  • Zygote
  • Bionic
  • Shared Libraries
  • JNI Introduction
  • Android NDK Overview
  • Adding Components
  • Debugging AOSP Using Logger

Android System Server

  • System Server Architecture
  • Android HAL
  • Binder
  • Project Treble (Android Oreo)
  • Adding Custom System Services
  • Modifying Android Application Frameworks

Exposing Unique Hardware to Android Apps

  • Reaching the Kernel from Android Apps
  • Pros and Cons of Different Approaches

Android Security

  • Application Security Issues
  • Obfuscation
  • Best Practices
  • SE Android Overview

Related Courses

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Contact us now to find out more about this course or to enquire about an on-site training at your company.

Recording Policy

Barr Group's courses may not be audiotaped, videotaped, or photographed without consent from Barr Group's executive team.