Inside the Android OS: Building, Customizing, Managing and Operating Android System Services (Android Deep Dive)

Updated, comprehensive documentation for low level Android services are few and far between. Many of these components, particularly the hardware abstraction layer, went through a major transformation a few years ago. Therefore I was pleased to see "Inside the Android OS" keeps pace with these changes and does a great job of breaking down these complex subjects, into practical code examples with some really good architecture diagrams to drive home the concepts. The fact that this book manages to cover so many internal subsystems, so thoroughly and still come in just under 250 pages speaks to the expertise and conciseness of its authors. Its very approachable. I recommend this book for anyone working with custom or OEM Android hardware, but also for Android application developers looking to take their craft to the next level.

This book is a really great resource for anyone needing to dig deeper into the underlying Android OS. If you have ever tried to build the AOSP from scratch, you know how difficult working with this can be (the authors explain this process, and other things very clearly).I've only started going through the Acme project that ties the book together, and I am sure once I have finished that, I will understand this complex subject much better.This books seems to be the definitive reference to understanding Android under the hood, if you are developing a project customizing the Android OS, this book is a must have for your library.

Expert info for those that want to know the workings under the hood.

Not enough in-depth into AOSP configuration and building options. A good example path with HIDL/HAL and service but not explaining enough in terms of blueprint file options or makefiles for a developer. Seems to be more an overall approach of how things are put together.