[Csnd] The Latest Csound for Android and Chromebooks

The Csound Mailinglist
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Ever since Michael posted his Csound for Android to the Google Play Store, I’ve been a fan of the app, including on Chromebooks. My previous article (http://arthunkins.com/Csound on Chromebooks.txt) details the potential value of older, inexpensive Chromebooks for students and other cash-strapped Csounders.

Michael’s latest version (based on Csound 6.18) is a significant upgrade, especially for live performance, with its greater number of buttons and sliders. Unfortunately, it is not​ available on the Google Play Store. This makes the newest version third-party software - which presents a significant challenge for Chromebooks.

While both Android tablets and smartphones have little problem downloading third-party apps, Chromebooks normally can’t.

My new article (http://arthunkins.com/Sideloading Csound on Chromebooks.txt) describes a workaround method that allows Chromebooks to sideload​ the new Csound for Android, or indeed any other third-party app - including the “alternative” Csound apps available on my website (http://arthunkins.com/Android_Csound_Apps.htm).

The “secret”? Developer Mode. (Linux mode won’t work, at least for older Chromebooks.)

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Thanks!

I’ll include this information in the User Guide in the app.

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Another way I got around this on a chromebook was to run the new linux
vm, which unlike WSL on windows supports audio so I was able to run
the linux version of csound on chromeos. I was even able to run
BespokeSynth on the chromeos linux (but I had a higher end
chromebook).

4

Hi, Brian -

I don’t have any recent Chromebooks on which to test installation of Csound for Android on chromeos Linux.

Are/were you able to do such an install on your Chromebook?

Art H.

Csound mailing list Send bugs reports to Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

5

I installed the linux vm which is debian based and was then able to use apt-get to install linux csound rather than sideloading the android app. If your chromebook can do android apps it should be able to run in developer mode with linux available:
Set up Linux on your Chromebook - Chromebook Help (google.com)
https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439?hl=en

6

Brian -

I setup linux on several of my Chromebooks. In the os settings, Linux Development Environment, the option Develop Android Apps never appears, and so I never get to the Enable ADB Debugging option.

Many users complain about this on the internet, and there is no solution offered. The conclusion is that, at least for older Chromebooks, this feature is not available.

OK, I just discovered in https://developer.android.com/topic/arc/development-environment
that the ADB feature is only available in Chromebooks launched after 2020. So this solves the quandry, and why so many users complained unknowingly.

Can you confirm that the Linux method works on your more recent machine? (I’d like to reference this in my article.)

Art H.

Csound mailing list Send bugs reports to Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

7

To be clear I’m running the linux version of csound not the android app, but if you have android studio then you could run the android app from source.