
64-bit Android L developer preview - nantunes
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AndroidDevelopers/posts/XG1WmNDMe8H
======
blinkingled
Google's (or is it Intel) got to be out of decent QA people. The 64 bit image
doesn't even start on Linux and the G+ post has people complaining the same
about Windows and OS X.

~~~
nodata
Tell me about it. And if you dare to mention it, then "Well nobody else has
reported this problem". So next time you don't bother.

~~~
donniezazen
What? I have the same problem. It starts as blank. Nothing happens.

------
gcb0
title should say 'emulator' or it is mostly pointless.

------
yourad_io
Sidenode - Chromium 37.0/Ubuntu bug - crashes if I attempt "right click-save
link as" on any of the download links here
[https://developer.android.com/tools/sdk/ndk/index.html#Insta...](https://developer.android.com/tools/sdk/ndk/index.html#Installing)

Anyone else seeing this?

Edit: Found it -
[https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=357473](https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=357473)
\- carry on.

------
suyash
Intel had been pushing hard for supporting x86 based devices running Android.
Glad to see it coming thru for Android developers with L release.

~~~
personZ
You aren't necessarily saying differently, but it's worth noting that Android
has supported x86 for quite some time (the platform, the runtime, the NDK
cross-compiling, and the x86 emulator image -- all have been available for a
couple of years).

And to the other comment (from a different user, though I am responding here
while on the topic of x86) claiming that Intel support doesn't matter -- it
very much matters. Already there are a large number of deployed x86 devices
(even ones that people don't realize are x86, like the Dell Venue 7), and
Broadwell will only accelerate that. Supporting multiple platforms is awesome.

~~~
suyash
It has supported for a long time but that's for C++ native development not for
Java developers. This is a big change in x86 support in L.

Which other comment, I never said it doesn't matter.

~~~
kllrnohj
Uh, no it isn't? Dalvik has had x86 codegen since ICS:
[https://android.googlesource.com/platform/dalvik/+/ics-
mr0/v...](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/dalvik/+/ics-
mr0/vm/compiler/codegen/)

And that's for JIT codegen, the interpreter will obviously run just fine on
every architecture.

MIPS becamse first-class supported in KitKat, by the way.

------
srcmap
Is the source code for the emulator available? L maybe not ready, but is the
kitkat x86 emulator source code part of the AOSP where I can build completely
from src?

~~~
tadfisher
[https://github.com/android/platform_external_qemu](https://github.com/android/platform_external_qemu)

------
higherpurpose
Unfortunately it doesn't come with support for what _really matters_ : 64-bit
_ARM_. Support for Intel's 64-bit chips is irrelevant.

~~~
Zigurd
Who's got 64 bit ARM in a handset other than Apple? x86 is the way to get to
64 bit hardware fastest.

~~~
krzyk
Why 64bit is needed in phones right now? Is there a memory limit similar to he
one on PCs where 32bit can support up to 4GB RAM? If so then I think there
aren't many phones that have 3GB, not to mention 4GB.

~~~
cpeterso
64-bit address space significantly improves ASLR protection.

~~~
rbanffy
It's fair to say ASLR is about 4 billion times better with a 64 bit processor.

------
kolev
Anybody using Android L? I've been using it on my primary phone for a month
and I'm not impressed. It freezes too often needing a reboot, Hangouts Dialer
often cannot complete or receive calls, the screen lock is buggy requiring a
workaround how to get in without having to reboot, the bright theme is a step
back when a dark one is not available. Many basic apps don't work or misbehave
(Swarm, Square Cash, etc.). Worst of all, there are no frequent updates (if
any), no autoupdate either.

~~~
Someone1234
This line:

> Worst of all, there are no frequent updates (if any), no autoupdate either.

Is a little odd. Didn't you install the L developer preview by manually
downloading the ROM from here: [https://developer.android.com/preview/setup-
sdk.html](https://developer.android.com/preview/setup-sdk.html) and then
flashing it yourself? Then you're strangely shocked there isn't a consumer-
orientated auto-updater?

I can absolutely see that criticism if the auto-updater didn't exist, wasn't
working, or there were no updates upon the retail release of L. For a
developer preview you personally installed knowing full well it was a
developer preview that criticism is hard to take at all seriously.

~~~
kolev
I got a gazillion updates from Yosemite and Xcode.

~~~
danieldk
Yes, but Google's goals was never to run a semi-public beta. The L developer
images were provided so that developers can develop/test their apps on L.

~~~
kolev
Well, that's fine, but then Google failed. Delivering some dated and possibly
insecure copy is not how everybody else does it in 2014. There are high
standards for prelease software today - other Google projects follow them, so,
Android shouldn't be an exception.

~~~
makeramen
This is the first time they're offering a peek into a pre-release of their OS,
ever. Apple has done multiple times with a track record of auto-updates, so
yes, that can be expected of Apple, and Apple only.

Google never promised updates, never promised stability, it's not a beta, it's
not a GM, it's not even alpha. It's simply a preview. You get what they say
you get. Don't set iOS's standards on Android, they're completely different
products, with completely different cultures, release cycles, everything.

There are a lot of products, Google and otherwise, that go straight to release
without any prereleases. If anything Android has has a very strict record of
that, so I think your expectations of much more from them on such a large
release like L is simply unfounded.

~~~
kolev
So, because it's first time, but in contrast with their other teams and with
other companies, I should be satisfied? You guys are a bunch of low-standards
fanboys, especially those who take pleasure in downvoting every single comment
I made here as a punitive action against daring to state the obvious. Android
prerelease process should improve, I'm not satisfied and I don't care that
some people are okay with everything and don't bother to demand more! Even
Play Store now has the concept of prelease software that autoupdates! And they
have a completely separate static build for Android Fit. Just ridiculous!

~~~
hahainternet
> You guys are a bunch of low-standards fanboys, especially those who take
> pleasure in downvoting every single comment I made here as a punitive action
> against daring to state the obvious

It's more the terrible quality of your posting. You've been given reasonable
answers but instead you respond with demands you have no position to be
making.

~~~
kolev
"Reasonabe" according to a low-standards crowd. I'm a different breed. I
demand high-standards from myself and others. There's a fierce competition
today, if you haven't noticed. And Google lags behind.

