Project Android [Begin]

Enough is enough.

I've been clashing into Linux systems since the end 90's and I still don't get it.

Currently I'm faced with a minor challenge that my oldest is coming of age and this means Mobile phones.

I came across, more by accident an article asking for what cheap smart phones to acquire for kids. And reading through it I find myself in the same spot.

I'd love to hand down a smart phone rather than the simplistic Nokia phone we currently use as kid deployment. It's a mobile phone, done, nothing more nothing less.

Reading this article I find loads of good advice, yet all of them are a good bid outside the price range except one: Rooted Android phone.

Now that strikes a nerve in me, as I'm already looking for a low cost Android GPS phone to use for stuff like #Ingress and #turfgame. Sure I have the slate, but it's very unhandy for outside usage, and it is most often packed away in a travel case when in transit.

So what does rooted Android phones and Linux have in common?

They are both at a level that they can be used for the simplest tasks, but they aren't as "safe" as the default choice. And messing about with settings to make everything work just the way you want it is becoming a complex matter.

With Ubuntu for instance once installed you have a nice working system for browsing, email, IM and so forth, and it's stable. Until you want to do something else, or you want to do something specific.

A good friend of mine helped me drop the RIM development platform I was working hard to put together, using a rule of thumb: In Linux, if you spend more than 2 hours finding the solution. Drop it.

Taking into account I'm somewhat slow in the uptake, let's say 6 hours.

So how much can I learn about the android system in 6 hours?

Not much I’m sure.

Frag me, then what?

Well, I’m not directly stupid. It’s just that the eco system is already way too big for me to keep up and dive into. This is what I often refer to as getting old and slow. My brain simply won’t assimilate enough information fast enough anymore to keep pace.

BUT:

If I was to get hold of a decent device, I could root it and get to work on it. After all I did manage to learn how computers work on a rather detailed level (I’m not an expert, but I know a few tricks of the trade and people to ask for help) so diving into an android thing to mess up with custom ROMS, learning how to pick a ROM, how to test a ROM, troubleshoot a ROM. That would get me into having the basic skills to learn how to use it.

Well let’s begin. I’ve got a limited budget (no money what so ever) so finding a device will be my first concern.

Taking the information from the article I saw today, I have a few basics to go by, what to look out for so as to avoid the most blatant mistakes.

Once a device is found, next step will be to root it.

Keeping in mind I have a goal (giving one to my kids); I’ll have some default apps and ideas I’d like to implement. But baby steps, remember I’m getting a bit old and slow here.

I’d be happy to see any type of advice and recommendations. There’s only one way to get better here and that’s by getting deeper into it. I’ll try out pretty much anything to progress.