[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Datastream33:
New Platform, Who 'Dis?​

How's it going guys?

I sincerely hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, and all the mothers out there had a fantastic Mother's Day!

I've got something so exciting to share with you, and I can't wait to share all the details! So, let's not dilly dally and jump right into the announcement!

🎉🎉🎉The Linux Python port is finally ready to be released!! 🎉🎉🎉

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I'm so excited to finally share the port with you all! So, in true fashion, let's get started with the port background!

The Extremely Interesting Port Background​

For the longest time, the Toolbox has been a Windows only application. As you all know, it started out as a simple batch file and then was shifted to Visual Basic back in 2020. In the Visual Basic announcement post, I stated that I'd code the Toolbox in a way that would allow it to run under Wine for those of you who were running Linux. Well at the time I knew nothing about Linux, and was naive to think that I could just change code around and it would magically run on Linux easy peasy. Surprise, surprise it wasn't that easy! So, the Linux port was thrown on the back burner.

A year or so later I started learning Linux, and fell it love with it. I decided to take my new experience and run with it. So, I started looking into ways I could port the Toolbox to Linux. I tried so many different methods, but none of them stuck with me. I had the problem of building up a prototype but then dumping it in exchange for trying something new. This is partially why it took so long for the port to be released, could never settle on just one platform.

Some time in 2022, I came across PySimpleGUI while learning the Python programming language and instantly fell in love with it. So, development started, and the rest is history. Pretty exciting stuff right? My main point to this section is to come clean on why it took so long for the port to be released. So, I'd like to take a second and just apologize for taking so long. You guys have been patiently waiting, and I can't thank you enough for your godly patience. Better late then never, right? right?

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Linux Base Compatibilities?​

When testing, we mainly targeted Debian based distros, primarily KDE Neon and Mint. We're not exactly sure how well the Toolbox will play with other derivatives, so if you're on an RPM, Fedora, RHEL, openSUSE, etc base then please let us know how the Toolbox works with your distro! We're very curious! Also, a HUGE shout out goes to my good friend @blaacksheep for taking time out of his day just to test the alpha builds! Your reports have massively helped during development and I can't thank you enough! You're the man as always! :D

What Will I Need to Run the Toolbox?​

The Toolbox does have a few dependencies that must be resolved before the Toolbox will function:

Name	Why It's Required	Required Version	Type
Python 3	Execute the Toolbox's scripts.	3.10+	package (obtained using package manager)
Pip 3	Download and install dependency modules.	23.0.0+	package
TKinter	Dependency GUI toolkit for PySimpleGUI.	Any	package
ImageTK (Pillow)	Modify/use Pillow image objects in PySimpleGUI.	Any	package
PySimpleGUI	GUI framework.	Any	pip module (obtained using pip3)
tqdm	Show download progress bars.	Any	pip module
requests	Download data from the internet.	Any	pip module
Pillow	Resize images given by the user for display in the GUI.	Any	pip module

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Let's Talk About The Installer!​

In order to make the installation process as seamless as possible, we've cooked up an installer that should ease the installation process! The Installer is designed to check for, and even install (pip modules only) dependencies, inform of the Toolbox's Privacy Policy/Terms of Use, extract and install the latest TB build, and create menu/desktop shortcuts! Very cool, yes?

However, much like the Toolbox, the installer is still in beta. You may come across some bugs/issues that could impact the overall experience. If you do happen to come across any while using the Installer please let us know so that we can squash that bug asap, and create a better experience!

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Download​

While in Beta, I'd like to heavy push the installer so that we can get it to stable along with the Toolbox. So, for now, the only download option will be the installer. Once the Toolbox and the Installer are both stable a portable option will be available. However, if you really need a portable version please PM and I'll send you the link.

Version	Installer (.exe)
V1.0 (Beta)	Download

Bugs/Issues​

The Toolbox (and it's installer) is currently in the beta stages. It's not 100% caught up to the Windows version, so there may be some missing features. You may also encounter some bugs/issues that may impact the overall experience. If you do come across any, please, please let us know about them so they may be fixed. When reporting a bug please provide the following info:

What Linux distro are you on?

What tablet do you have? (please provide the tablet's name, it's generation, FireOS version)

What tool did the error occur in, and what process caused the error to occur?

Is there any error output when running the Toolbox in a Terminal?

What Python3/Pip3 version are you running?

Do you have a screenshot of the error?

Any further information would be extremely helpful. By helping squash bugs, you're making sure the experience that much better for not only you, but also for your fellow peers. :D

Notes​

If the Toolbox gets stuck on the "The Toolbox is starting the Android Debug Bridge (ADB)" screen for more then 30 seconds you may need to grant execute permissions to the adb binary file in the "Fire Toolbox V1.0\adb\unix\" directory. Once granted, close out of the Toolbox and re-launch it.

While the Toolbox is written in Python, it is not open-source (yet). Perhaps it will be some time in the future, but as of now it will be closed-source. Thank you so much for your understanding.

The port may not run on Windows. My primary focus was on Linux, but it's a possibility that one day it will.

On an entirely different note, a new update is being developed for the Windows version. I understand that the Automate methods are somewhat of a headache right now, so that's being looked into. Are there any other issues/bugs you guys feel need to be addressed with the Windows version? Please do let me know!

Well, that's all for now folks! Hopefully you're all having a terrific Wednesday so far! Love you all, and I'll catch you on the flipside! Peace.✌️