Introduction: The Need for Custom AAOS Launchers

Android Automotive OS (AAOS) is Google’s operating system specifically designed for in-car infotainment systems. Unlike Android Auto, which projects phone apps onto a car’s screen, AAOS is a full-fledged OS running natively on the vehicle’s hardware. This offers immense flexibility for automakers to brand and customize the entire user experience. A crucial component of this customization is the AAOS launcher – the primary entry point for users to interact with the system, launch apps, and access vehicle functions.

Building a custom AAOS launcher allows manufacturers and developers to create a unique in-car environment tailored to specific brand guidelines, vehicle capabilities, and driver needs. This guide will walk you through the process of developing a custom launcher from the ground up, focusing on the core concepts, development environment setup, and practical implementation details.

Prerequisites for Development

Before diving into development, ensure you have the following:

• Android Development Knowledge: Familiarity with Java/Kotlin, Android SDK, and Android Studio.
• Basic AAOS Understanding: Awareness of AAOS architecture and its differences from standard Android.
• Development Machine: A powerful Linux machine (Ubuntu recommended) with ample RAM (16GB+) and storage (200GB+) for AOSP compilation.
• AAOS Emulator or Device: For testing your custom launcher.
• Android Studio: Latest version installed.

Setting Up Your AAOS Development Environment

While you can develop a launcher as a standalone Android application, integrating it properly with AAOS often requires some interaction with the AOSP source code. For building and testing on an AAOS emulator, you’ll want to set up an AOSP build environment.

1. Syncing the AOSP Source Code

First, set up your build environment and download the AAOS source code. For AAOS, you’ll typically target a specific branch like `android-12.0.0_rXX` or `android-13.0.0_rXX`.

$ mkdir aosp && cd aosp$ repo init -u https://android.googlesource.com/platform/manifest -b android-13.0.0_r30$ repo sync -j8

This process can take several hours depending on your internet connection.

2. Building the AAOS Emulator

Once synced, you can build the AAOS emulator target:

$ . build/envsetup.sh$ lunch aosp_car_x86_64-userdebug$ make -j8$ emulator

This will launch an AAOS emulator instance, which is crucial for testing your launcher.

Understanding the Default AAOS Launcher Structure

The default AAOS launcher is part of the AOSP source. It’s often located at `packages/apps/Car/Launcher`. Familiarizing yourself with its structure (manifest, activities, services, UI layouts) provides valuable insights into how an AAOS launcher integrates with the system and handles intent filters.

Creating a New Project for Your Custom Launcher

Start by creating a new Android project in Android Studio. Choose