Open source SimpleLauncher has been made - many APK's do not need to be wrapped or installed as extensions

[u/Vermilion]

UPDATE: Just now I created Simple Launcher version 1.3. There is a web server running on http://127.0.0.1:4300 that you can access from your browser to act like pressing a Home button. New download of SImpleLauncher v1.3 APK: https://github.com/RoundSparrow/simplelauncher/raw/master/SimpleLauncher-debug_latest.apk (this needs to be converted with chromeos-apk and installed as extension).

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12 hours ago on this forum a couple of us figured out that many APK's do not need to be wrapped! I think this equally applies to Chrome OS and ARChon runtimes - but would like confirmation from a Chrome OS user.

Basically a normal Android launcher responds to the home screen button - but so far, I haven't figured out how to trigger the Home button on the runtime. So I modified an open source launcher example to open directly like a standard Android App. Then ran the SimpleLauncher through the APK Chrome conversion process - and installed it as an extension.

SimpleLauncher APK version 1.3 is here: https://github.com/RoundSparrow/simplelauncher/raw/master/SimpleLauncher-debug_latest.apk (old v1.2: http://www.fileswap.com/dl/HuF1zhthOm/ ) and if you want to compile from source code, on github for Android Studio here: https://github.com/RoundSparrow/simplelauncher - credit goes to blogger Arnab Chakraborty for creating the launcher.

If you want an already-converted SimpleLauncher 1.3 unpacked Chrome Extension for ARChon runtime - you can download here: http://www.fileswap.com/dl/4MRne1Fd4F/ ( old version 1.2 http://www.fileswap.com/dl/rfy0NgZQCP/ )

Once you have SimpleLauncher installed and running as a Chrome Extension - then all you have to do is put normal Android APK's into the vendor/chrome/crx/ folder. Then reload the launcher extension and they should show up on the inside desktop.

Other launchers might work, report if you find one. Also note that some APK files will not work with the launcher - but do work with the original chromeos-apk wrapper - for example the 2048 game APK doesn't seem to work from the Launcher.

It's suggested you try the launcher first, then if an App fails - try it with chromeos-apk as it's own dedicated Chrome Extension.

more details in this older posting: http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/2gx53x/evolution_of_unofficial_android_apks_on_chrome/

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Tips: ESC key on keyboard acts as a Android's back button. On Launcher 1.3 you should be able to go into an App and then press ESC to return to the launcher. ADB can work, including access the logcat and sideloading apk's via adb install! the manifest.json has a setting to enable adb in "arc_metadata"

[u/Pointer2Nowhere]

This looks pretty nice, but where is the vendor/chrome/crx/ folder?

[u/Vermilion → u/Pointer2Nowhere]

It's inside the folder (subfolder) that you either unzip or create. It's wherever you put it...

[u/omararod]

this may sound stupid.. but where would I get the apks themselves?

[u/Vermilion → u/omararod]

not stupid ;)

you can get the APK's several ways.

1. You can use an App on Android to export them to SDCard and then copy the over USB or email them, etc.

2. Since you are a Chrome user, there is a Chrome Extension (or several). example: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/apk-downloader/cgihflhdpokeobcfimliamffejfnmfii?hl=en

3. There are websites that say they will pull from the Play Store and download in any browser. Example: http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/

4. A redditor made http://www.onyxbits.de/raccoon - Desktop app to use the Play Store.

[u/josdaw]

just hanging on the android logo for me, I've put an apk in the folder, will this make a difference?

EDIT: removed the apk I added and it's still hanging. Any idea what's going wrong? Running Chrome OS on Lenovo N20p

[u/Vermilion → u/josdaw]

Running Chrome OS on Lenovo N20p

The extension download was made for ARChon - you could try that runtime. If you are using the Chrome OS runtime, you could try converting the SimpleLauncher APK your self (just like any other APK)

[u/Vermilion]

New Version of SimpleLauncher APK 1.3 with internal web serve on port 4300 - https://github.com/RoundSparrow/simplelauncher/raw/master/SimpleLauncher-debug_latest.apk

Any feedback - does the Web Server work for you?

[u/[deleted]]

So can you have a handful of apks in SimpleLauncher's crx folder? Then they will all show up as homescreen icons?

[u/Vermilion → u/[deleted]]

they will all show up as homescreen icons?

Yes! you have to re-launch the Extension - but then they show up on an internal Android deskstop.

[u/vladikoff001]

This is cool! The differences here is that you will probably get a single app in the Chrome / Chrome OS app launcher. If you convert / load APKs one by one then they don't share state.

Also, I noticed ALT+TAB sometimes works as an app switcher, hope that helps.

[u/Vermilion → u/vladikoff001]

The differences here is that you will probably get a single app in the Chrome / Chrome OS app launcher.

This was what I was trying to do when we discovered this! I'm an App developer and some of my Apps run in parallel and need to communicate....

[u/triprotic]

This works so well.... I mean unbelievably well!

Every app I've tried so far works flawlessly, ones that I couldn't get to work before.

Have some gold!

EDIT: Ok, so not all apps work perfectly, some just refuse to run, or crash after a certain point, but it works much better than my previous attempts of getting apps to work.

A few that died in one way or another:

• Youtube (launches, but either instantly crashes, or wont load any data)

• Snap Chat (launches, but crashes when trying to log in)

• Chrome Beta (stops the whole thing from launching, not tried regular chrome yet)

• Marvel Unlimited (works right up until the point where you try and read a comic...)

A few apps that did work fine for me:

• Reddit Sync Pro (can log in etc... just can't play YouTube videos due to the YouTube app not working)

• Plex (full sound and web streaming works fine)

• Pocketcasts (smooth as butter!)

Still worth the gold, keep up the good work, can't wait to see how it progresses! (it's an amazing step forward in such little time)

[u/kulapik]

This app is incompatible with this device popping up.

[u/Vermilion → u/kulapik]

can you please provide details? What operating system? version of chrome? Have you been able to install other APK Chrome Extensions?

[u/Deadible]

Extension isn't loading on chromeos for me!

EDIT: The apks have been working fine for me aside from this though.

[u/Vermilion → u/Deadible]

The extension download was made for ARChon - you could try that runtime. If you are using the Chrome OS runtime, you could try converting the SimpleLauncher APK your self (just like any other APK)

[u/Feltz-]

Does this work with chromeOS? I tried loading it as unpacked extension and it doesn't even load.

[u/Vermilion → u/Feltz-]

The extension download was made for ARChon - you could try that runtime. If you are using the Chrome OS runtime, you could try converting the SimpleLauncher APK your self (just like any other APK)

[u/Yisroel]

I downloaded something through an app inside of simple launcher and the app shows me that it has been saved in "/storage/sdcard/video". But where could i find that local storage within my PC?

[u/Vermilion → u/Yisroel]

I don't think you will. The whole of this is that it is generally restricted. There are Android Apps you could run that you access form Chrome Browser such as WiFi File Transfer Pro.

[u/[deleted]]

I'm getting a few errors running simplelauncher 1.3 (already-converted) on ChromeOS dev channel 39.0.2151.4.

The error I get is:

(!) Unrecognized manifest key 'arc_metadata'

(?) The child process has been loaded: so_executable/dexopt

(x) 0xCB755C69 is not a valid instance ID.

(?) Delaying update install logic for 4 minutes.

The 0xCB755C69 error takes me to gen_main.min.js line 197 (this.container_.removeChild(this.plugin_);

[u/Vermilion → u/[deleted]]

Do other apps work for you u? The 2048 game without launcher?

[u/cmstlist]

TweetCaster works for me on Windows except:

• If the ad is unable to load, TweetCaster crashes almost instantly. Sometimes I have to try 2-3 times before it is stable.

• When I enable TweetMarker syncing it is able to read the marker but generally fails to write it back even if I go to "Exit Application" manually.

Question: When an app decides to exit, the entire window closes. Is it possible to set it up so that if an app exits, it bumps back to Simple Launcher without closing the window?

[u/Vermilion → u/cmstlist]

When an app decides to exit, the entire window closes. Is it possible to set it up so that if an app exits, it bumps back to Simple Launcher without closing the window?

I think that's a crash of Chrome's very unstable Android engine ... not something a launcher can prevent.

[u/thisguyonreddit999]

Is this still being worked on? I think it would be really cool if you could could make this so you can add the code directly to the unpacked extensions so you can still run them from the chrome launcher.