MIT App Inventor Explorer

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Task Navigation 

Setting up your computer for the App Inventor


Instructions on how to set up your computer to work with App Inventor

As we mentioned in Task 1, App Inventor runs in your browser but there is some software that you will have to download to your computer to get the inventor to work.

You should also note that you will need a Google account to use the MIT beta service. This is the only authentication method provided right now, so make sure you use your Gmail account to log in to the App Inventor.

App Inventor is compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows but make sure that you download the right package for your system as explained in this tutorial: Set Up your computer.

android set up needs to pass all the test to be correctApp Inventor uses Java technology to run, and as you will see in the set up instructions, there are two main tests that you have to make sure have passed before you can run the software:

  1. Test one is about Java in your system. Visit this page to test.
  2. Test two is about Java for the App inventor. Visit this page to test.



If you are having any trouble please leave a message in the comments, and if you had a problem but found a fix for it, make sure you share it with all the participants so that we can all help each other.

 

If you haven't had any problems with the installation, why not helping someone else that might be having trouble by letting your tips as comments to this task?

Task Discussion


  • Leonie McGlashan said:

    To get Java workin in Chrome I had to go through Settings - advanced settings - privacy settings - plugins to enable Java all the time. It took a while to figure out.

    on Jan. 23, 2013, 8:01 p.m.

    Jos said:

    Hi Leonie, thanks for the info!

    It used to be activated by default, but there's been some trouble with bugs in the Java plugins for the browser, so I'd say they've disabled it for the time being.

    on Jan. 24, 2013, 6:01 a.m. in reply to Leonie McGlashan

  • Marcelo Higonet said:

    My Coby MID7022 tablet is not present on device list in order to install drivers on Windows. When I tried Eclipse software I had the same problem, and these instructions were very useful.

    on Nov. 26, 2012, 2:51 p.m.

    Jos said:

    Thanks for the info Marcelo, very useful!

    on Jan. 24, 2013, 6:03 a.m. in reply to Marcelo Higonet

  • jsfllc said:

    Went smooth. I'm on an old laptop with windows vista running  Java 1.6 and no problems to report.

    on Nov. 20, 2012, 8:02 p.m.

  • Katin said:

    Eeep, I stop here for a while. I'm on Mac, and installing the required Java 7 will disable my system from using Java 6. I'm going to have to do some research that and see if it is going to clobber other things I need to do, or open any security holes.

    Might be back, might be a while.

    on Sept. 11, 2012, 2:23 p.m.

  • franciscoteca said:

    Hi everybody!

    I'm ussing Ubuntu 12.04 and I had some problems when oppening the block editor.

    I post here how I solved in case is useful for someone.

    Since Ubuntu cames with OpenJDK instead of Oracle's, you have to install the Oracle's one in order block editor works.

    There are many tutorials to install it on the web, available by searching in google for Install Java in Unbuntu 12.04 .

    The one I used is very simple as it install by ppa. Although is written in spanish, what you have to type on the terminal is bold-face.

    http://www.linuxnoveles.com/2012/instalar-en-ubuntu-12-04-java-a-traves-de-ppa

    After installing Java, every time we click on Open block editor, it will ask wich aplication we want to open it (we select Oracle JAva 7 Web start) and to confirm to run the aplication.

    After that, the Block Editor will open.

    I still have problems to conect my phone (HTC Wilfire S) becouse Block Editor don't recognize it (it shows many ??????? on device selection window). By now is not an important issue as I can work in the emulator and then install the app on the device, but it would be nice to solve it.

    Cheers,

    Fran.

    on June 16, 2012, 8:25 a.m.

    Jos said:

    Hi there,

    thanks for the feedback it is really useful!

    The problem with linux and devices is really an Android issue, not an App Inventor one, but as the software relies on the platform then we have to put up with it :)

    Have a look at this and this and see if that works to recognise your device. Let us know how it goes!

    on June 16, 2012, 1:51 p.m. in reply to franciscoteca

    franciscoteca said:

    Hi Jos!

    It works fine! Thank you very much!

    I did as is told in the first link( the second method), creating the file 99-android.rules and copying the code replacing the idVendor and idProduct, and the block editor recognized the phone without problems.

    Thanks again,

    Cheers,

    Fran.

    on June 16, 2012, 2:42 p.m. in reply to Jos

  • Techmove said:

    I did this task earlier when I was at the library but what the hey...Now I really need to pony up cheekythe money and get the unlocked phone from Google so I don't just have to use the emulator.  I have not progressed far enough yet with the Android SDK or my Android knowledge to know whether I can get an android os vdi image for VirtualBox

    on June 14, 2012, 11:54 p.m.

    Jos said:

    Hi there, 

    I haven't tried it myself but here's a list of iso images, and a link to an outdated but really clear tutorial on how to do the install.

    Let us know how it goes if you give it a shot.

    José

    on June 15, 2012, 5:43 a.m. in reply to Techmove