[Ohrrpgce] Plan for Android 8.0 target

[Ralph Versteegen]

Changing the target SDK changes system behaviour.
According to
https://developer.android.com/distribute/best-practices/develop/target-sdk#prenougat,
setting the target to API 24+ (Android 7.0+) might break our function to
email files. I'm not really sure, because the code calls
"FileProvider.getUriForFile"... does that count as using FileProvider
(required), or does that count as using a file:// URI (not allowed)? I
think it's probably OK, but will need testing.

On Fri, 28 Sep 2018 at 15:48, Ralph Versteegen <teeemcee at gmail.com> wrote:

> I found something else in a roadmap:
> "2019 onwards: Each year the targetSdkVersion requirement will advance.
> Within one year following each Android dessert release, new apps and app
> updates will need to target the corresponding API level or higher."
>
> On Fri, 28 Sep 2018 at 15:17, Ralph Versteegen <teeemcee at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It drives me crazy that Android and its SDK and NDK use so many different
>> version numbers and names, which don't match up in any way!
>>
>> A week ago there was this commit to pelya's port:
>> "SDL: support for NDK r18, set minimum API level to 16 (Android 4.1),
>> which is the minimum level NDK r18 supports"
>> Switching to r18 is a big change because it gets rid of GCC and
>> libstdc++. That's why so a bunch of work has been required in the SDL port.
>> But if we can continue to use an older NDK then we don't need all these
>> upstream changes from the SDL port.
>>
>> NDK r18+ supports Android 4.1+ (API 16+)
>> NDK r15-17 support Android 4.0.0+ (API 14+)
>> NDK r12-14 support Android 2.3+ (API 9+)
>> Also, NDK r17 removed ARMv5 (armeabi) support, which is what we build for
>> by default. Various deprecations as well.
>> NDK r15 *(July 2017) *added Android 8.0 native APIs.
>>
>> So clearly NDK r15 can be used with Android 8.0 as the target, and it
>> might even be possible to target Android 8.0 with earlier NDKs and SDKs. So
>> I recommend we try to build with r15.
>>
>> Of course it would be nice to not be stuck on a years-old fork of pelya's
>> port.
>> Many of our additions to pelya's SDL 1.2 port should be moved to .java
>> files contained in the OHRRPGCE source code rather than mixed in with
>> unrelated code in project/java/Video.java
>>
>> Oh, also I just found this:
>> "The Play Store will require 64-bit support when uploading an APK
>> beginning in August 2019" "*32-bit support is not going away. Apps that
>> include a 32-bit library just need to have a 64-bit version too"*
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, 28 Sep 2018 at 12:43, James Paige <Bob at hamsterrepublic.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Oh, and I forgot to mention.
>>>
>>> Android 8.0 is the "target" but the apk files will still run on older
>>> versions of android too.
>>> The current "minimum" version supported by pelya's commadergenius
>>> sdl_android is Android version 4.1
>>>
>>> (I looked up statistics, and apparently the percentage of android
>>> devices running versions older than 4.1 is something like half of 1%)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Sep 27, 2018 at 8:31 PM James Paige <Bob at hamsterrepublic.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> So starting pretty soon, only android apks that target Android version
>>>> 8.0 will be allowed in Google play.
>>>>
>>>> I have done a little research, and I learned that pelya has done a lot
>>>> of recent work on updating the commandergenius sdl for android port to work
>>>> with the latest Android NDK.
>>>>
>>>> So here is my current plan:
>>>> * I will clone a new fork of pelya's source
>>>> * I will patch in or re-implement all the modifications that the
>>>> ohrrpgce needs (this is mostly gamepad stuff and a few platform-detection
>>>> functions. The ouya store purchase stuff can be removed completely)
>>>> * I should be able to re-build the games that I have already packaged
>>>> as apks
>>>>
>>>> I am glad I have a plan now, I was worried about that part-- but the
>>>> bad news is that this plan is a lot of work, and my current free time is
>>>> very limited right now.
>>>>
>>>> I am budgeting my time and so one hour each Thursday evening is
>>>> "OHRRPGCE time" for the foreseeable future.
>>>>
>>>> Persons wondering how they can help without knowing how to comb through
>>>> git commits and patch them onto a newer tree can help by sending me kind
>>>> words and encouragement via e-mail on Thursday mornings to get me hyped up
>>>> ;)
>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Ohrrpgce mailing list
>>> ohrrpgce at lists.motherhamster.org
>>> http://lists.motherhamster.org/listinfo.cgi/ohrrpgce-motherhamster.org
>>>
>>
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