Demonstration of How to connect Firefox OS phone (Keon) to a Linux computer for APP pushing

This tutorial explains, how we can connect Keon (FirefoxOS Device) on a Linux (Ubuntu 13.04) operating system, so that we can easily push a FxOS application on the keon device. 

Prerequisites:
1. Firefox Web browser 26 onwards installed on a Desktop/laptop computer
2. FirefoxOS Device (Keon) with FirefoxOS version 1.2 onwards. 

Steps:
1. Install ADB (Android Debug Bridge) add-on in Firefox Web browser on Desktop/laptop.  URL: https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/labs/fxos-simulator/

2. Connect FirefoxOS Device (keon) to the Desktop/laptop computer using a USB cable.

3.  Launch Firefox Web browser, and open App Manager. To open App Manager go to Tools -> Web Developer -> App Manager

4. Following screenshot shows that the "App Manager" is unable to recognize the FirefoxOS device.  It shows "????????????". 

It means that Linux operating system is not configured with android rule set to detect the Keon device. 

5. Open the Terminal and run  "lsusb" command when your keon device is connected to your computer using USB cable.  Following screenshot shows the output of the command:

On my computer the Keon device (FirefoxOS hardware) is recognized as "Qualcomm, Inc". 

Note the number 05c6:8013. In this number, the first part 05c6 is the vendor ID and the second part 8013 is the device ID.

6. Now create a file using the sudo user with the name of the file "51­-android.rules" in the directory "/etc/udev/rules/".

7. Write following line in the file.
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="05c6", ATTR{idProduct}=="8013", MODE="0666"

Replace 05c6 and 8013 numbers with the number you observed in the lsusb output according to the step 5.

8. Save the file and reboot the computer.

9. Now launch Firefox Web browser and open App Manager, while Keon is connected to the computer using USB cable. We should see following output. 

Above screenshot shows that Keon is recognized as full_keon. Click on it and a confirmation message will be prompted on your mobile device as shown in the following screenshot. 

Click on the OK button and Your FirefoxOS device will be get connected with the App Manager and you will be able to Push apps on the device. 

Firefox Apps Day Pune (App Day in a Box (ADIAB))

Event Name: Firefox Apps Day Pune (App Day in a Box (ADIAB))

Time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Date: 15th March 2014

Venue: VIIT Pune (Kondhwa)

Hashtags: #ViitFirefoxClub, #firefoxstudents 

-= Audience and size =-
There were 22 students who attended the App-hack-in-day one day workshop event. One of the participants came from the Bangalore city to attend the event. 

Remaining were Final Year (B.E) engineering students of Information Technology in VIIT Engg College, Pune. Overall, they seemed to have good knowledge of web technologies ( HTML, JavaScript) and interested in open source contributions.

-= Our participation =-

Among the four sessions, Qaidjohar (FSA, VIIT Firefox Club)  gave presentations in two sessions and I and Vedant (FSA, VIIT Firefox Club) gave one presentation each.  Vedant was the first out talking about Firefox OS and gave an introduction of Firefox OS to the audience. In addition, he also explained the audience How to "Setup For Firefox OS App Development Environment", "How to Installing the Firefox OS Simulator" and demonstrated how to invoke Firefox OS Simulator. Then I gave presentation on WebAPIs, introducing the audience to WebAPI and how to use them. Finally, Qaidjohar conducted two practical sessions to explain Firefox OS app development. He demonstrated a simple "Hello World!" FirefoxOS app to the audience with the help of JQuery and CSS style sheets. Then in the fourth session, he demonstrated basic building blocks in the FirefoxOS app such as slider, checkbox, radio buttons, etc. 

-= Audience reactions =-

My goal was mainly to make people aware about Firefox OS Apps and App development. From the oral feedback from the audience, it seems like it went well. We got positive feedback the audience provided us their email addresses to inform them about future events on Firefox OS in VIIT. 

From talking to audiences, they were very happy with this workshop. 

-= Materials =-

1. Introduction Slides [Download (PPTX)]

2. FirefoxOS App Development Environment [Download (PDF)] [Note: These slides are taken from hacks.mozilla.org blog] 

3. WebAPIs for FirefoxOS App Development  [Download (PDF)] [Note: These slides are taken from hacks.mozilla.org blog] 

-= Swags =-

Some people from the audience asked about the Firefox Stickers. Unfortunately, we didn't get any swags for this event.

-= Organization =-

To the best of my knowledge, this was the first time Firefox OS app development workshop was arranged in VIIT, Pune, and I think it all worked well. Everything was in place.

-= Overall feel =-

Good interest from the audience in Firefox OS and its app. They feel confident to develop apps for Firefox OS.

-= Was it worth it? =-

According to my knowledge, Yes. The audience was satisfied with the content of the workshop.

-= Should we go again? =-

Yes. I feel its worth the investment.

-=Photos of the Event =-

-= Success Metric of the Event =-
In the event we developed two apps "Building Blocks" and "Battery Status". These two apps will be released very soon on the Mozilla Marketplace.  The "Building Blocks" FirefoxOS App teaches how to use basic UI components in the app such as radio buttons, checkbox, slider, navigator tabs, etc.  The "Battery Status" Firefox OS app shows information about battery and its charging levels with different colors. 

FirefoxOS (Keon) Demonstration to VIIT_Firefox_Club

Event Name: Firefox Student Ambassadors Meetup - Pune
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Date: 10th March 2014
Venue: VIIT, Pune
Hashtags: #ViitFirefoxClub, #firefoxstudents 

Total ten (10) students seen the demonstration of the Keon (FirefoxOS Mobile Device).

I explained the FirefoxOS and how it differs with the Android OS.  Demonstrated features in the FirefoxOS device as well as various Options available in the operating system.  

Audience Reaction:
They were excited and willing to buy low cost devices when they will be available in India.  My goal was to make people aware of FirefoxOS and its look and feel. And from the feedback I received after the event, it seems that it went well. 

Was it worth it?
Yes, I think so. Audience shown their interest in FirefoxOS and its feature.