How to choose Google or Amazon Runtime?

[dasessig]

Hi,

I just received my new MacBook last week and now some things aren't working as before - I guess I mised to change some settings. I would be glad i anyone could help.

I have OSX10.9.1 on my MacBook. Flash CC 13.1.0.217 and AIR 3.9.0.1380.

On my old MacBook I was able to choose the AIR-Runtime from GooglePlay or Amazon for my Android App.

Now I can't check this button anymore and I don't know what do do to make this "choosable" again 🙂

Would be great if anyone could help!

Best regards

Jan

[Chris W. Griffith]

I think the runtimes are now always included in the apk, so there is no need to direct the end user where to download AIR from.

Chris

[dasessig]

Hi Chris,

hm - a customer told me one of my Apps crashed on his Amazon Kindle Fire HD7. He bought on the Google Play Store. I had a previous version of this App where I added the Amazon Runtime. So I gave him a direct link to this (old) Amazon Version and he said this one worked fine. It didn't crahs at startup.

So I guess it would still be good to have the opportunity to Add at least the Amazon Runtime for the Amazon Store.

Before - on my old Mac with OSX 10.7.5 I was able to choose the Runtimes - now I'm no longer able to click the button and to choose Google or Amazon.

Any ideas what might be mising on my new Mac / Flash?

cheers

Jan

EDIT: I also sent this customer a new Version (published on my new Mac, latest Flash CC, AIR 3.9.0.1380) He said this version also crashed on his Kindle Fire HD 7. ... so I must be able to choose the Amazon Runtime somehow.

[Chris W. Griffith]

If you install an older version of AIR, you should get that option back. I think the change occured with the 3.7 release.

Chris

[dasessig]

Hm - I have and AIR version 3.8.0.910 on my old Mac. And I am able to choose the Amazon Runtime there.

On the New Mac I have AIR 3.8.0.1430 and in this version I'm no longer able to choose Amazon or Google. 😞

... so I guess I'll have to add version 3.8.0.910 to my new Mac - and keep on publishing Amazon Apps with this AIR Version, right? Adobe?!? 🙂

Do you know if this feature will be gone in all new AIR versions or will it come back? As I said my customer said he was not able to start the App Version with the latest AIR 3.9.0.1380. It crashed when he wanted to start the App on his Kindle Fire.

[Lars Laborious]

Sound like a memory problem. Are you using preferExternal in the manifestAdditions in the app.xml? Like so:

<manifestAdditions>

      <![CDATA[<manifest android:installLocation="preferExternal" >

     Your permission here ...

[dasessig]

I have this in the app.xml:

<android>

            <manifestAdditions><![CDATA[<manifest>

               <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>

               <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>

          </manifest>]]></manifestAdditions>

</android>

... should I add your line here?

[Colin Holgate]

You see where you have or <manifest android:installLocation=“auto"

[Lars Laborious]

Yes, then your app will be installed on external storage by default (which the user can override).

[dasessig]

... so for the latest AIR Versions the code I should add from now on to my (Amazon) Android App.xml is:

<android>

            <manifestAdditions><![CDATA[

                <manifest android:installLocation=“auto">

               <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>

               <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>

               </manifest>]]>

             </manifestAdditions>

</android>

... correct?

[Lars Laborious]

Change "auto" to "preferExternal" so the app is installed on external storage. This would be preferable for all your Android apps. While your earlier apps didn't include the runtimes, and they therefore didn't take up that much space, they were less likely to run into memory problems.

[Colin Holgate]

I think auto would install to external if the user had set that as a preference wouldn’t it?

The main reason I don’t set external is because our apps need to work on Kindle Fire, and that doesn’t have external storage.

[dasessig]

... I'm still a little confused.

Doesn't this "<manifest android:installLocation=“auto" (or "external">" Line just tell the App where to install (when downloading it?) or what exactly does it do?

My customer said he was able to install both versions (the one with the latest AIR and the old one with the Amazon Runtime) on his Kindle Fire. I never had such a line in my app.xml.

But when he tried to start the App the latest Version (of my App) crasehd at "AppEntry" the other one (the old version with Amazon Runtime) didn't and works fine.

... I'd just like to know what this android:installLocation has to do wit hthe startup / crash problem

[Colin Holgate]

Kindle Fire doesn’t have external storage, so there is only the internal storage to use, the installLocation is probably ignored.

One thing to note, Kindle Fire may have 8GB, for example, but it can only use 1 GB of that for apps. You’ll often get situations where you managed to download an app, only to then not have the space to install it, even if you have 6 GB free at the time.

I’ve done lots of AIR apps that are captive runtime, and that run on Kindle Fire, so I’m not sure whey you’re getting a crash.

[dasessig]

hm, now I'm even more confused. I received my Kindle Fire HD 7 this morning ( the same this customer of mine has). I installed the GooglePlay Version of my App with the latest AIR Version 3.9.0.1380 (the one that crashed on his device).

I installed it successfuly, it stared well and runs perfect. No Problems at all. ... and no changes in the app.xml at all.

Once he sent me this screenshot of his device - did he do any strange changes on his Kindle Fire?

[Lars Laborious]

Colin, choosing auto, the application will be innstalled on the internal storage by default, but if the internal storage is full, then the system will install on the external storage. So auto would be good in many cases. But on the first startup, the runtime extracts and takes up more memory. This may cause crashes. 

dasessig, the customer may experience problems on the first startup if there is a lack of memory. Since the AIR runtime may have been installed before installing your previous apps, it didn't take up any extra memory. Now the runtime is included with each app and extracts on the first time running the app. If it's installed internally and the storage there is almost full, it might crash the app. So, "auto" or "external" might fix your problem.