Installing an android test device

[smattering]

Hello everybody.

I am trying to install an android device for testing.

I am using a Windows pc (win 7 / 32).

I have installed everything and even have several avds installed and running properly.

However, when I connect a Samsung galaxy s2 using a usb cable, I cannot see it as a test device target.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Mark]

Hi,

Why would you expect to "see" the device" Where would you expect to see it? Normally, you just create an APK and put it on the device.

Best,

Mark

[smattering]

Hi Mark,

I'm not talking about a virtual android device here. I only mentioned that to point out that my IDE and SDKs are working fine. No problem with regard to those. What I was wanting to find out is how to use an ACTUAL ANDROID DEVICE such as a Samsung Galaxy S2 (the specific phone I want to use to test the app on) to do testing on. Thanks again.

[Mark]

Hi,

I know you're talking about a real device. Do as I wrote in my previous post.

Kind regards,

Mark

[jacque]

Mark, he means it doesn't show up in the Test Target menu in LiveCode, which means the IDE can't find it either.

Smattering, LiveCode will see whatever adb can see. To find out if your device is really mounted, launch adb and in the command line type:

adb devices

If your device doesn't show up there then it isn't mounted. Navigate to the .android folder in your home directory “~/.android” (Linux,Mac OS) or c:\Documents and Settings[User Name].android in windows XP or C:\Users.android in windows Vista or Windows 7, and delete the debug.keystore file. Restart adb and try again.

Also, you must have adb running and the VM must be open and running before you try to work with Android in LiveCode. Get the whole Android environment set up and running before you launch LiveCode. If LiveCode is already running when you launch adb, try quitting and restarting it.

Go to Settings on your Android device, find the Developer options, and make sure USB debugging is turned on. It has to be on for adb to work with the device. The location of the developer options varies depending on the version of the Android OS you are using, and sometimes it's hidden. You might need to do a little goggling to find out how to display it on your device. Jelly Bean hides it really well.

EDIT: Mark's method assumes you don't want to deal with adb or terminal commands. If you prefer to do that, then build a standalone instead of trying to use the test environment. Use Dropbox or email, or mount the device on the desktop, and copy the standalone app to your device. You can launch it from there. The test environment is trickier to set up but allows faster testing. The standalone method is more cumbersome for repeated tests but doesn't require you to mess with adb and terminal commands. Which you choose is largely personal preference. I find that testing in the IDE is easier when I'm doing repeated tinkering on a stack. Creating a standalone and copying it manually is easier if I think I'll only need one or two iterations. Dropbox is a decent compromise because it lets you skip the manual copying step.

[smattering]

If you prefer to do that, then build a standalone instead of trying to use the test environment. Use Dropbox or email, or mount the device on the desktop, and copy the standalone app to your device. You can launch it from there. The test environment is trickier to set up but allows faster testing.

Thanks Jacque. I have tried building a standalone app and putting it on my test device via USB cable. I did that as a workaround when I couldn't get the device to show on the IDE. I'll try the method you've specified above as getting to test it via the IDE is my first preference. Will post updates. Thanks.

[LCNeil]

Hi Smattering,

With certain Android phones on the windows platform, you will also have to install any applicable drivers before the device shows in the test development menu. I believe in the case of the samsung galaxy series you would need to install Samsung Kies software which includes these drivers. This is available from here -

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/usefu ... e/KIES/JSP

Kind Regards,

Neil Roger

--
RunRev Support Team ~ http://www.runrev.com
--