Android Question Run Native Android Apps in your PC using Google ARC Welder

[tdocs2]

Greetings.

Mashiane had reported on early stages of this development (here).

Google now provides the capability to run Android Apps in "Chrome" using Google ARC Welder (ARC for Chrome, ART for Android 4.4 and above - replaced Dalvik). ARC Welder is in BETA mode.

I tested it successfully in Win8.1 64 bit with an app I had published in Google Play.

Please see:

https://developer.chrome.com/apps/getstarted_arc

Any input/experience added to this thread will help us all.

Best regards.

Sandy

 

[Mashiane]

@Mashiane @Edgar

Did you get the Arc Welder? Are you adding one of your apk's that you have published in Google Play (even as alpha)?

View attachment 33917

On mine it just shows a blank screen and there is not even the button to add an apk. Perhaps its my computer I'm not really sure. I am however excited and cant wait to test it and see what it does. I will try again in due time.

 

[tdocs2]

On mine it just shows a blank screen and there is not even the button to add an apk. Perhaps its my computer I'm not really sure. I am however excited and cant wait to test it and see what it does. I will try again in due time.

Hello, Mashiane.

Do you have the latest Chrome - 41 or higher? I have v 42. I recall your mentioning you had Win 7 64 bit. I have read there are many issues with 32 bit.... See post by wonder above - ran on 64 bit but not on 32 bit.

PROLOGUE

Google has to address many issues if Chrome OS is going to run Android apk's seamlessly as well as the Android platform. There are 1.3 million apps running on Android....

It looks like Google wants to make Chrome OS their flagship OS??? But who knows? Microsoft and Google seem to be headed for a fight for market dominance.

My preference would be to have an Android PC, Android tablet, and an Android phone. The Android PC would run Chrome as a browser. The only way you can come up close to the Android "PC" is by either buying a box like Tronsmart or Minix or the HP 17 inch Android... Or alternatively, Miracast tablet onto a large screen, attach a keyboard, etc.

But the last time I looked someone else is running Google.

Best regards.

Sandy

 

[Troberg]

Pretty limited at the moment. I can't access the computer disk, and I can't size the window to full screen.

 

[tdocs2]

Pretty limited at the moment.

Agree, but maybe not for the same reason. runs one app at a time. No Google Play so you cannot download ES File Explorer or another version. It seems to try to accept some intents, but I have not tried Implicit Intents - to see what it does....

I can't access the computer disk

I can see the updates in my app. I get in and out of the app. I can see the folder structure of my app, but what disk am I supposed to see? My PC's? I cannot find where it is storing my files. And Google has not defined where this is going. Have you or anyone read what the Google strategy is? Also, they call this version a Beta - maybe an Alpha...

I can't size the window to full screen

When you add the app, ARC Welder gives you a choice of phone, tablet, or maximized. If you want to change it, it removes the app with the previous settings and then installs the app with the new settings.
Best regards.
Sandy

 

[tdocs2]

It seems to try to accept some intents, but I have not tried Implicit Intents - to see what it does....

Well, it works. This is the code in my app:

'implicit intent
    If File.Exists(File.DirRootExternal, "nophoto.txt") Then File.Delete(File.DirRootExternal, "nophoto.txt")
    File.Copy(File.DirAssets, "nophoto.txt",File.DirRootExternal,"nophoto.txt")

Try
   Dim i As Intent
   i.Initialize(i.ACTION_VIEW, "file://" & File.Combine(File.DirRootExternal, "nophoto.txt"))
   i.SetType("text/plain")
   StartActivity(i)
Catch
   ToastMessageShow("No matching application.", True)
   Log(LastException)
End Try

And this was the response in Chrome OS:

The Arc Welder did not give Content Chooser. It just defaulted to HTMLViewer.

 

[tdocs2]

Greetings.

Chrome v43 has been released. The ARC Welder updates are linked to the new Chrome releases.

The ARC Welder seems a bit more solid now, but the only marked change I saw was that the time of day is correct - it was off by 8 hours of EST (my time zone).

The app under ARC Welder cannot identify its IP address in the LAN. I have reported this problem to the Chromium team and they have acknowledged it.

Also, if you are going to run this on Windows, remember that Windows monitors are often 120 dpi (not dip), while scale=1 for Android is 160 dpi.

EDITORIAL
I still do not understand Google's rationale behind this strategy - if you go to the Chrome Store, it looks like a Walmart with no merchandise - HUGE contrast to the Google Play Store for Android. Why not strengthen Android - encourage manufacturers to build an ANDROIDBook... As all of you know, in 2014, ASUS came out with a dual boot PC (Windows and Android) and both Google and Microsoft literally KILLED it. Intel may still be pursuing it.

Regards.

Sandy

 

[Mike Maurice]

I noticed someone asking where the data files from an app are located...

The location of the data files from an android app running in Archon 2.1, Windows 7:
c:\Users\Mike\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Storage\ext\hagebchhbjlpcogcfoffgiglkcbccmnc\def\File System\primary\p\00

Where the \ext\hag... is the id of app, the data files are stored in \p\00, and have names like 0000001 or 2, etc.
I haven't figured where the connections are kept between the apps file names and the ones in \p\00.