[Connected Car] donaldta:
I'm sorry, it was not my intention to come off so trite or overbearing. It is just that I know how long [MENTION=2123836]jaanusj[/MENTION] has been working on modifying AcuHome to get it working on the Parrot Asteroid Tablet. It was much longer than root was made available to SCT. It occurred to me that he would have already tried what you did but to be honest I don't know for sure which tests were performed. So, when I read and responded to your response, it was interpreted as "I know better" as opposed to "there should be a simpler way" and for that, I offer my apologies.

Anyways, I took a look at what you tried and it seemed pretty clever even if it didn't work for what you intended to do. Though, I didn't use the pull and push method that you did with the Nexus. Instead, I used SQLite Debugger to view and modify the "/data/data/se.volvocars.acu/database/Applications.db" file while on the system. It seemed to be a much simpler and more direct approach at changing SQLlite3 databases on Android since we already have root access.

It looks like there are three tables for AcuHome; android_metadata, applications, and sqllite_sequence. The android_metadata table seems to hold the language localization record. The applications table appears that to retain the list discovered apps as it parses through the "AcuHome.apk\assets\FactorySettings.json" file while AcuHome loads. And finally, sqllite_sequence table seems to be a checksum of the registered applications found.

While I do not think that it is possible to add additional applications to the current AcuHome launcher without modifying "AcuHome.apk" file, I do believe that your method would allow one to customize the application table to redirect the application shortcut from the Acu's home screen to a different application. In the example screenshot, I changed the default Gallery app from "com.cooliris.media" to "com.android.gallery". Although, it probably won't change the icon since that seems to be hardcoded to the relative icons which are embedded into the "AcuHome.apk\assets\sprites\icon_atlas.png" file. It is probably sectioned out logically by the "appIconId" variable from the FactorySettings.json using x,y coordinates that are probably defined elsewhere in the program.

I believe that it would be possible to make it easier for the average SCT user that we can modify and distribute a customized AcuHome.apk with added dummy records in the FactorySettings.json file. Hopefully, the "enabled" variable in the json file is inversely translated to "hidden" in the Application.db then it can be unhidden and customized through SQLite debugger.

I think that "poor design" is a relative term to the developers intention. As Android users, we want to use the Android platform in an open ecosystem with a launcher that is dynamic and easily customizable. However, Volvo seems to be satisfied in providing their customers with a restrictive ecosystem and a fixed user interface that complies to their "Volvo experience". So, while we may see this as a poor design, it is probably very much intended so that the SCT conforms to their totalitarian design.

Though, we should consider that this is only the initial release of the AcuHome launcher. There aren't apps in the Asteroid Market for the SCT that isn't already included in the PLF. Well, except for Wikango but that is already accounted for in the FactorySettings.json file. Who knows? It is possible that they might redesign it to be more dynamic in the future . However, for now it seems like its very much hard coded with limited potential for change.

In my opinion, any company that uses the Google Android components in a walled garden like this does not actually understand the desires of average the Android customer.