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Best Computer OS for Android Development?

Hey guys, I'm new here and new to Android Development. I would like to try my hand at it. Can you guys suggest the best OS for Developing Android Apps.
Linux (Which Distro)
Windows
Thanks
Andrew

I to have been curious as to the best linux distro for android development. I'm not looking for afull blown linus os...more along the lines of dsl for android and app development. I have only dabbled with linux, mainly dsl and phlak livecds. I want something a little more capable then that.

avacomputers said:
Hey guys, I'm new here and new to Android Development. I would like to try my hand at it. Can you guys suggest the best OS for Developing Android Apps.
Linux (Which Distro)
Windows
Thanks
Andrew
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UBUNTU IS THE BEST OS because android is developed under linux with java base...
if you tray windoze you must to adjust a lot of thinks and make compatibilities... don´t complicate and try UBUNTU 10
An answer of one ubuntu lover!
sorry somtimes my english is poor

Linux is best os android development application. Android is an operating system based on Linux and a robot body or synthetic. It is open source as a Java library. It is a software stack for mobile devices because it includes an operating system and middleware, application key.

I think the best Linux for Developing Android is Ubuntu. There is a new version, 11.04. Try it

i know linux is the obvious choice for android development as it has the same base as android. i also understand ubuntu is the most popular of the linux brands, but i dont really need a full blown linux os. i curently use my mobile-ap for internet with about 2 bars if that...so internet speeds are slow. i dont want to spend alot of time and bandwidth downloading a linux os with features i will probably never use. or is there a light version of ubuntu with just a basic environment i need to develop for android?
as for my other computing needs, im still a windows fan!

Is Fedora on GNOME 3.0 a good platform for development?

yea i like linux mint its more user friendly than ubuntu

Since you might be using Eclipse as IDE, there shouldn't be too much difference using a windows or linux OS.
We're using windows and we're satisfied...

Just try different OSs. You'll notice windows is slow when compiling Java. Why is that - the OS, or the usual virus scanners sitting on it - don't know. I'm pulling my hair right know why my Macbook Pro on a 7000 rpm drive is much (3x) faster to compile than windows XP on a 10K rpm drive. My office buddy's telling me Linux is faster then windows.

Wow... some of the answers in this thread are just... wow...
Ok listen up people!
For just pure development it doesn't matter which OS you choose. You can code just as well in Linux, Windows or Mac since they all run the JDK, Eclipse and the Android SDK just as well. HOWEVER:
Linux has some advantages over the two:
1. The Android emulator will run better on certain versions of Linux depending on how they are set up. The AVD works by using an emulation technology called qemu which is now integrated in the Linux kernel giving it direct access to the processor thus improving the speed of the emulator significantly. Windows and MacOS don't have qemu integrated in their kernel as far as I know therefore the emulator works like S**t.
2. Linux distributions by default are optimised to work faster on hardware than Windows. Take note of the words "than Windows". MacOS is highly optimised to work as fast as possible on Macs therefore it can't really compete in this category. But for PC users, if you invest the time and effort to make your Linux machine tweaked accordingly to your hardware settings it will blow windows away when it comes to processing speed, therefore enhancing the quickness of your IDE as a result.
Now that we got that out of the way, I do have a warning: Linux Is Hard To Configure Properly! Unless you know exactly what you are doing you will brake it over and over and over again until you get it working. If you really must use Linux, here are the distributions I recommend for developing Android apps:
Linux Beginners: Ubuntu - any version above 10.04 I think. Take your pick at what works best for you
Linux Intermediate: Spend some time configuring a Slackware Machine with Eclipse + ADT + JDK + qemu. You won't be sorry.
Linux Advanced: Gentoo or Archbang depending on preferance
Linux Experts: The bloody hell are you doing on this thread?

taranasus said:
Wow... some of the answers in this thread are just... wow...
Ok listen up people!
For just pure development it doesn't matter which OS you choose. You can code just as well in Linux, Windows or Mac since they all run the JDK, Eclipse and the Android SDK just as well. HOWEVER:
Linux has some advantages over the two:
1. The Android emulator will run better on certain versions of Linux depending on how they are set up. The AVD works by using an emulation technology called qemu which is now integrated in the Linux kernel giving it direct access to the processor thus improving the speed of the emulator significantly. Windows and MacOS don't have qemu integrated in their kernel as far as I know therefore the emulator works like S**t.
2. Linux distributions by default are optimised to work faster on hardware than Windows. Take note of the words "than Windows". MacOS is highly optimised to work as fast as possible on Macs therefore it can't really compete in this category. But for PC users, if you invest the time and effort to make your Linux machine tweaked accordingly to your hardware settings it will blow windows away when it comes to processing speed, therefore enhancing the quickness of your IDE as a result.
Now that we got that out of the way, I do have a warning: Linux Is Hard To Configure Properly! Unless you know exactly what you are doing you will brake it over and over and over again until you get it working. If you really must use Linux, here are the distributions I recommend for developing Android apps:
Linux Beginners: Ubuntu - any version above 10.04 I think. Take your pick at what works best for you
Linux Intermediate: Spend some time configuring a Slackware Machine with Eclipse + ADT + JDK + qemu. You won't be sorry.
Linux Advanced: Gentoo or Archbang depending on preferance
Linux Experts: The bloody hell are you doing on this thread?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awe but Archbang is easy, how about pure Arch Linux ;D

is ubuntu still best OS to develop android apps?

how to take back up of only videos on my Android device?
taranasus said:
Wow... some of the answers in this thread are just... wow...
Ok listen up people!
For just pure development it doesn't matter which OS you choose. You can code just as well in Linux, Windows or Mac since they all run the JDK, Eclipse and the Android SDK just as well. HOWEVER:
Linux has some advantages over the two:
1. The Android emulator will run better on certain versions of Linux depending on how they are set up. The AVD works by using an emulation technology called qemu which is now integrated in the Linux kernel giving it direct access to the processor thus improving the speed of the emulator significantly. Windows and MacOS don't have qemu integrated in their kernel as far as I know therefore the emulator works like S**t.
2. Linux distributions by default are optimised to work faster on hardware than Windows. Take note of the words "than Windows". MacOS is highly optimised to work as fast as possible on Macs therefore it can't really compete in this category. But for PC users, if you invest the time and effort to make your Linux machine tweaked accordingly to your hardware settings it will blow windows away when it comes to processing speed, therefore enhancing the quickness of your IDE as a result.
Now that we got that out of the way, I do have a warning: Linux Is Hard To Configure Properly! Unless you know exactly what you are doing you will brake it over and over and over again until you get it working. If you really must use Linux, here are the distributions I recommend for developing Android apps:
Linux Beginners: Ubuntu - any version above 10.04 I think. Take your pick at what works best for you
Linux Intermediate: Spend some time configuring a Slackware Machine with Eclipse + ADT + JDK + qemu. You won't be sorry.
Linux Advanced: Gentoo or Archbang depending on preferance
Linux Experts: The bloody hell are you doing on this thread?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you guide me how to take back up of only videos on my Android device
using own made program or application software.
Means from where to begin ?
What to cover first ?
File system of Android ?
Or direct using system calls I can copy videos directly ?
regards
matt

You suggested its worth time & effort to properly setup Slackware it would be worth our while. Ok found u page2. Let's see is the needed software list still valid 2015?
Where can I go for support setting up Slackware for android development.
Plus FYI can't watch tutorial video be.cause Flash no longer supports Linux.

I have UBUNTU 16.04.
I've noticed a lot of people saying to use Ubuntu 10. is that because the post is old or is the 10th generation Ubuntu the best for android development. i also am a noob. i can root, i have successfully flashed a lg stylo once with katana rom. i still use it to this day,,,,, bc my gf "accidentally" broke my 500gig hdd that i was booting windows ten from via usb on my dell inspiron. i was using mainly odin and lg flash tool which i rem was hard to get up and running on Ubuntu which if i rem correctly is why i went to windows when i am flashing. Any suggestions or refferences would help greatly. i fig if im starting over id better do it the correct way. My end goal is to try my hand at learning android development. Ty LOVE THE SITE

[Q] Best Machine Build for Development

I want to start development of roms and apps for android phones and tablets. But I'm in the market for a new computer considering the one I have is issued to me through work and I don't want to run it down with extra drivers and such. What kind of machine do I want/need? Will a laptop suffice? Desktop preferred? And then after that point, what programs are out there to kick start the dev process? Thank you ahead of time for your responses. XDA forever!

Well, if you get a laptop, you're not chained to a desk, and Linux is basically the father of Android, so I would recommend a laptop with a disc drive, and installing a GNOME-based distro of Linux (such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint). If you need to, you can always dual-boot with Windows.
Swyped from my HTC Desire running Oxygen 1.0.4 with Tapatalk.

The Android SDK can be downloaded here
http://developer.android.com/index.html
Versions exist for Windows, Mac and Linux, but as mentioned above it will probably be a little less hassle under a Linux distro, and also it is gratis! There are loads of samples and tutorials on the above site.

Thanks guys. I didn't think anyone would ever reply to this after awhile. I've wiped my old Toshiba and installed Windows 7 Ultimate for now. But I've been toying with the idea of running Ubuntu.

[Q] Ubuntu or Windows 7

I've been reading up on this subject ... I really want to try Ubuntu but I hear it has major bugs ...which on in y'all opinions do you prefer and why?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

i recocmend u try a dual boot its actually really easy if u follow the instructions.
i installed ubu about 3weeks ago and i love it because u can customize it to no end and it really dosnt have that many bugs.
i installed inside of windows and did a 20gig partition so its defiantly not my daily, but its still fun to mess around with.
and if you need help with the installation feel free to pm me.

You can try the live image, to test if it suits your purpose. Also, you can use virtual machine to install ubuntu with Windows to test it.

Id reccomend the liveCD or as mentioned running in a virtual machine if your pc can handle it.
This will allow you to explore Ubuntu without any major bugs or chances of wiping your hard drive
Personally i prefer Windows for a development environment, but Ubuntu has its advantages.

I suggest you to choose windows, the best ever, ubuntu is good but not like windows

I have test Linux one times per Year. I will never love it. I use Windows since 3.1. Linux/Ubuntu is not Windows. If you know how windows work use this.

Tri boot OSX Lion, Arch Linux, and Windows 7.
Ubuntu is bloated, and Unity is TERRIBLE.

actually ive been hearing really good things about linux mint isadora its pretty much the same as ubu but has a cleaner overlay and more user freindly.
arch linux just has way more repositorys than ubu and arch linux is more complicated to install.
man the geek radar just went off the charts with that one lmao.

I'm standing at the edge on this one as well. I really like the way Ubuntu looks and how it operates, I'm just not 100% sold yet.

it is what it is, its a love hate relationship with me i love the open source like android but i hate how it looks.
i would definitely recommend running it in virtual machine to try it first before you do any hdd partitions.
if you like mac youll probably like linux since mac is pretty much linux on steroids lol.

Bierce22 said:
actually ive been hearing really good things about linux mint isadora its pretty much the same as ubu but has a cleaner overlay and more user freindly.
arch linux just has way more repositorys than ubu and arch linux is more complicated to install.
man the geek radar just went off the charts with that one lmao.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LinuxMint is based off of Ubuntu, but, is much more user-friendly for beginner Linux users (comes will all codecs and what not pre-installed, saves having to play around with the Package Manager, etc).
With Linux, there are several different desktop environments. KDE, is the Windows look-a-like, so, choose a KDE version if you prefer and are used to the Windows layout.
I suggest to the OP to go to http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php and download the DVD edition. Burn it to a blank DVD disc, put it into the computer and restart, and start trialling Linux from there (yes, it's that simple). To get the best of both worlds, dual boot (we can help you with that if you're having difficulty ).
It's entirely up to you though. There are advantages and there are disadvantages for choosing one over another. But, there is a learning curve to Linux. It isn't like Windows and you'll just be asking yourself for a recipe for disaster if you just go straight in and expect it to be the same.

man i almost crapped myself the first time i installed ubu i did it without anyones help and the first time i did it i did what u said and restarted with the dvd then hit escape for options then somehow crashed my system it seriously took 2hrs for my computer to restore its self after that one but thankfully it did. once it fully booted again i just popped the dvd into the tray and ran wubi installer on my desktop and i was done in about 5min i was seriously punching myself on that one lol.
also if u dont have any blank dvds laying around im pretty sure you can use daemon tools to mount the iso if your installing inside windows like i did.

If you have to ask then I suggest Windows 7 (if you have sufficient hardware). If you're interested in getting to know Linux then Ubuntu, Mint or any other variation of Ubuntu would be best. Granted there are better distros out there but they require a fair bit of knowledge.
Someone suggested Arch to a noob!?! Why not Slackware??
I'm running Lubuntu on an old machine only because XP is too heavy for it. Bottom line as a Desktop I still like Windows (let the hazing begin...)

heres kde or kubuntu in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyEx3hVTGDk&feature=related
and heres ubu in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFCnNs8jbgw
both are not my videos fyi

just out of curiosity has anyone got tethering to work on ubu 11.0.4 because for me itll recognize the ssid but will never connect to it usb tether works fine though.

ApplesRevenge said:
Id reccomend the liveCD or as mentioned running in a virtual machine if your pc can handle it.
This will allow you to explore Ubuntu without any major bugs or chances of wiping your hard drive
Personally i prefer Windows for a development environment, but Ubuntu has its advantages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, everyone has his/her own taste of OSs (and any other things ), so I suggest you should answer by yourself.
In my oppinion, there no bug in Ubuntu. One difficult thing when using Ubuntu is: it cannot run our Windows software (for instance: MS Office, IDM, WinRar, etc)
You can try Ubuntu by use Live CD (download from ubuntu.com) or install it in dual mode. This way you can use Ubuntu w/u effecting your Win 7.
Enjoy.

I think window 7 is really good. Relatively easy to operate.

for common use windows,
for developing, ubuntu

Hey people, windows 7 or Linux???

I know this has nothing to do with phones but I want to know what minds on this forum think. Thanks!
Sent from my MB870 using XDA App

Linux, of course.
Sent from HTC G2

I use Linux, Win7 and OSX depending on what I'm doing...but Linux is certainly my favorite, especially for development, and for phones!!! = : ]
By the way this should probably have gone into the off topic section (although I did just tie it back into phones!!!)

MrBultitude said:
I use Linux, Win7 and OSX depending on what I'm doing...but Linux is certainly my favorite, especially for development, and for phones!!! = : ]
By the way this should probably have gone into the off topic section (although I did just tie it back into phones!!!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what he said. I have a macbook pro,and through Vmware Fusion I use win7, Ubuntu and CentOS when I need them. I find CentOS to be the lightest and fastest Linux I've used although I haven't really tried alot of the other Linux images.
MoPhoACTV Initiative

I have installed both Linux (openSUSE) and Windows 7. I only need Windows if i need to run a Windows program which I can't run in Linux using wine, so I use Windows very, very seldom.

I also have both installed. it's a matter of what do you need. I only use Linux for software developing but, W7 is more "friendly" to the user..

windows 7 ....

Ihave windows 7 installed, and use a few different Linux live distro's for work and play.
Knoppix
Kubuntu
Ubuntu
UBCD
Gparted
Android X86

Ohschit said:
I know this has nothing to do with phones but I want to know what minds on this forum think. Thanks!
Sent from my MB870 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both. I am primarily using Windows 7 until I can freaking get adb set up on Linux. The only thing I don't like about Linux is how almost everything is done through terminal.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

Waddle said:
I have both. I am primarily using Windows 7 until I can freaking get adb set up on Linux. The only thing I don't like about Linux is how almost everything is done through terminal.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're scared of the terminal, then start off with beginner's Linux, Ubuntu. I'm not poking fun at you or anything, but my 14 year old sister uses Ubuntu. She prefers it over Windows. Linux isn't the ugly monster it once was. Personally, I use Windows 7 Pro x64 for work, and Mint Linux for personal use. I'm following the development on Haiku very closely, though.

I'm using linuxmint. I think it's easier to use linux with my android, especially to connect to it using adb and running root shell, because the terminal is the same.
Sent from my SK17i using XDA App

wow - all people so calm here
Where are the ****ing nerds - freaking out when the word windows even comes up? *lol*
Well I loved those question ever since - as u can't tell this in general at all.
- user friendlyness and hardware support:
still win7 since any hardware developer focuses on win drivers
even linux is a lot better now compared to former times (I still have some pieces of hardware wich are not or just half working)
-stability:
never had a bluescreen with win7 again, even some crappy hardware drivers still can affect it
linux stable anyway as long as u dont play around with the kernel
-networking
u got other win7 pc's at home or even use homegroups,... -> win7
(since ms changed something in the smb encryption in win7)
But the most important question is:
What are u doing with your computer?
e.g.
- Games:
defnitly Win7
- Programming:
in general -> Win7 or linux
.Net, VB, C#, Win Phone,... -> Win7 (as u won't find software for linux)
- surfing and all other stuff u want to do:
doesn't matter at all - beside some flash and silverlight functionality
- and what is most important!:
Do u need some programs like: Ableton Live, any Adobe, most CAD,...
Cause those will force you to win7
From my stand atm:
I tried linux again and again over the past 12 years now and each time I came back to win due to some missing applications or some malfunctioning hardware.
Anyway there are just a few things u can do with linux that u can't do with win7.
But there are several limitations on linux due to missing professional programs.
Even there is wine,... and dualboot and VM's
But as I hate to reboot I use Win7 as main operating system and linux in a VM (wich i barely use).
Actualy there are just 2 things I miss on my win7: fancy accelerated desktop, pulseaudio (for sound over ip)
Anyway:
From starting point. If somebody doesn't own a system yet and just want's to do basic stuff (office, surfing,..) or even some programing -> use linux as its free
If u then need some other fucntionality u need windows for -> go buy it

Well I'd say Linux, Ubuntu is a very good one to use and now you can use Gnome 3 with it which is just...so so good
What applications do you use on Windows? If you struggle after saying browser and Itunes, it's a no brainer. Also Antivirus doesn't count
If you use Office applications such as Word, Libre office is a great replacement and there are many add-ons you can install to improve the usability.
I Dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 7 and have OpenSuse, Mint, Backtrack and Fedora on live USB's and plan on having them on a separate laptop once I can afford it. If it wasn't for my study I wouldn't even use Windows 7
Oh and you can save some cash!

Hey guys,
just wondering if I installed Linux can I switch back to Windows 7 easily or not? Also will programs such as Adobe software, iTunes, uTorrent and Microsoft Office work fine?
Thanks

Windows 7...Direct X.

CurtisAndroid5 said:
Hey guys,
just wondering if I installed Linux can I switch back to Windows 7 easily or not? Also will programs such as Adobe software, iTunes, uTorrent and Microsoft Office work fine?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can it's quite simple. You may want to Dual boot though, which is very simple and Ubuntu is one of the best for this (By this I mean the guide it gives you while doing it, mainly yes, and no questions)
Although the software will pose a problem, you will need to find alternatives for Itunes you have banshee inbuilt into Ubuntu, as well as Libre office and there is a download for torrent on Linux and there are multiple alternatives. As for Adobe software which do you mean? GIMP is a good alternative to Photoshop and you can download a flash plugin to view flash.

For me, its LinuxMint Debian Edition (With Gnome3) on my main laptop. I have been Windows Free for 5 years and loving it

Amosela said:
Yes you can it's quite simple. You may want to Dual boot though, which is very simple and Ubuntu is one of the best for this (By this I mean the guide it gives you while doing it, mainly yes, and no questions)
Although the software will pose a problem, you will need to find alternatives for Itunes you have banshee inbuilt into Ubuntu, as well as Libre office and there is a download for torrent on Linux and there are multiple alternatives. As for Adobe software which do you mean? GIMP is a good alternative to Photoshop and you can download a flash plugin to view flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the informative reply.
I meant as in Adobe Master Collection (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro etc). I'm familiar with GIMP, it's how I first got into graphic-design! I'll definitely do some reading up on Ubuntu and Linux in general.
Thanks a bunch.

CurtisAndroid5 said:
Thanks for the informative reply.
I meant as in Adobe Master Collection (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro etc). I'm familiar with GIMP, it's how I first got into graphic-design! I'll definitely do some reading up on Ubuntu and Linux in general.
Thanks a bunch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I can help.
Unsure about alternatives on the others, some research into it should have some promising alternatives. Glad your familiar with GIMP!
Good luck I hope everything goes well.
Once again glad I can help.

surfer2.3 said:
Windows 7...Direct X.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Direct X is one of the worst things about Windows.
Sent from HTC G2

[Q] What is linux box?

what is the linux box mentioned in the unbricking devices?

Gonna go off on a limb here and say that by linux box they mean a desktop or laptop running Linux. The most common and user friendly distribution is Ubuntu. Linux distributions are free and usually take 20 to 40 minutes to install. You can install them side by side with Windows or OS X or completely replace either.
Some applications are made to run specifically under Linux, that's why you need one. If you wanna try Linux, I'd recommend going here: http://www.ubuntu.com/
If you feel you're more of a power user, I'd recommend Fedora.