Add Example for Android auto loading on sdcard directory.

[XiangyuDev]

Thanks for the OSGi Connect idea and implementation. Which make it possible to run bundle on android.
We are looking for a solution for common plugin framework, runing both on jvm and Android Runtime. After several hours searching I finally get to Atomos and get Android example running.

The Android Example works fine. I can see the web console page using chrome browser on Android.

But the example only demostrate, we have to put all bundles, and atomos framework, into app/lib of Android Project, before we can compile and get a apk.

Would anyone please share a way to make an ordinary bundle to be transformed into a Android readable zip package or aar? Inside the package, there shall be the Manifest and classex.dex which ART could read.

[tjwatson]

Would anyone please share a way to make an ordinary bundle to be transformed into a Android readable zip package or aar? Inside the package, there shall be the Manifest and classex.dex which ART could read.

I've not enough experience in Android development to know how to answer this question. I would have thought Android tools would have a way to depend on Java libraries and assist with creating the proper artifacts for deploying.

[scottslewis]

Sorry if this is peripheral to the original issue, but @tjwatson is OSGi dynamic classloading supported in atmos?

I see comments online about the DexClassLoader:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3022454/how-to-load-a-java-class-dynamically-on-android-dalvik

https://developer.android.com/reference/dalvik/system/DexClassLoader

Anyway...pointers appreciated. Thanksinadvance.

[tjwatson]

Sorry if this is peripheral to the original issue, but @tjwatson is OSGi dynamic classloading supported in atmos?

I see comments online about the DexClassLoader:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3022454/how-to-load-a-java-class-dynamically-on-android-dalvik

https://developer.android.com/reference/dalvik/system/DexClassLoader

Anyway...pointers appreciated. Thanksinadvance.

I've not tried that so cannot answer. That is not the goal of Atomos. It is more for creating an android application such that the built application is all controlled (loaded) by the Android loader (not sure if that is still called DexClassLoader).

Long ago I do recall some experiments both in Felix and Equinox to hook in a DexClassLoader such that bundles could be installed dynamically. But I am unsure if that is possible still or if a different approach would be needed.

[XiangyuDev]

@tjwatson In the Index example, we can use Atomos to run Web Console Bundle where we can upload standard bundles.

But I cannot do the same thing on Android. That same page provided by Web Console on Android.

Is it the scope of Atomos?

It looks like we use OSGi Connect to lower the barrier of running bundles. I thought it shall help on running bundles, as well as loading/unloading bundles. Or is it just for running but not loading/unloading?

[XiangyuDev]

Also I saw some long ago discussions about removing android support and add them back as below.
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/FELIX-5913
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/FELIX-5828

Also this is where I found Atomos through OSGi Connect: https://www.aqute.biz/2020/03/02/osgi-on-android.html