This guide explains how to sign, build, and test your app on Amazon’s Kindle Fire devices.
You do not need to install the Android SDK. However, you will need to install the proper version of the Java Development Kit if you’re using Windows. See the Java Development Kit section for details.
As with Android, the Kindle Fire build process generates a standard .apk file.
You don’t need to do anything different to prepare your app for release on Kindle Fire, but you should note the following device specifications and design your app content accordingly. Specifications listed below are in pixels.
| Model | Resolution (w×h) | Status Bar (top) | Soft Keys Bar (bottom) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindle Fire | 600 × 1024 | 27 | 60 |
| Kindle Fire HD 7" | 800 × 1280 | 35 | 78 |
| Kindle Fire HD 8.9" | 1200 × 1920 | 40 | 90 |
Also, note that Amazon prefers apps to occupy the entire screen. If you set the scale to letterbox in config.lua, make sure that you fill the “empty” space with actual content. See here for more information on content and scaling.
When you build a Kindle Fire app using Solar2D, you must specify a package name. In general, you can specify any package name you like, but it must be chosen carefully because it should be unique to your application.
The traditional Java scheme is to use the com.acme, then append the name of a division/product, and finally append the name of the app. For example, com.acme.games.catchafish would be a good package name, assuming you own the acme.com domain name.
In some cases, the package name that results from using
The package name contains a hyphen or other special character (com.three-amigos for example). In this case, convert the special character to an underscore: com.three_amigos.
One of the name components contains a digit or other invalid character at the beginning of an identifier (com.3amigos for example). In this case, try to convert the package name to something like com.threeamigos.
One of the name components contains a keyword, for example com.private.idaho. In this case, suffix that part of the package name with an underscore: com.private_.idaho.
If you aren’t familiar with the available build settings for an app, please review them before proceeding with this section.
From the Solar2D Simulator, select File → Open… to load the project you wish to build.
Select File → Build → Android….
Fill in the information:
Application Name — by default, this will match your project folder; keep this name or specify another.
Version Code — this value must be an integer. Each time you update your app, you must increase the version code. It corresponds to the versionCode item detailed here. It is not visible to users.
Version Name — specify a version name for your app.
Package — see Java Package Name above.
Target App Store — select Amazon from the pull-down list.
Keystore / Key Alias — in order to build for Android devices, you must digitally sign your app using a keystore. Please refer to either Signing for Debug Build or Signing for Release Build below.
Save to Folder — specify where to save the compiled app.
After Build — select which action should be performed after the app is successfully built.
*Create Live Build — check this box to create a live build for
Click Build and Solar2D will compile the app into a standard .apk file.
For debug builds, Solar2D includes a debug.keystore for testing your app on devices. To use it, follow these steps:
Select Debug from the Keystore menu.
Directly to the right, Browse… to the keystore file in the Solar2D application folder:
Windows — C:\Program Files (x86)\Corona Labs\Corona\Resources\debug.keystore
macOS — /Applications/Corona/Resources/Resource Library/Android/debug.keystore
Select the file and enter android as the password.
In the Key Alias menu, select androiddebugkey.
For release builds, you must sign with your private key. You can generate this key using the command line program Keytool. Please follow these simple steps:
Open the Command Prompt in Windows or the Terminal in macOS. Once there, use the cd command to change to the directory where you’ll keep your keystores.
Type the following command at the prompt, replacing mykeystore with the name of your application and aliasname with a similar or equal alias name.
keytool -genkey -v -keystore mykeystore.keystore -alias aliasname -keyalg RSA -validity 999999
Once your app is compiled via Solar2D, the next step is to register as an Amazon Developer, configure your Kindle Fire for testing, and test/debug the app on a Kindle Fire device or the
If you haven’t already signed up for an Amazon Developer account, please do so first.
Next, you’ll need to set up your Kindle Fire tablet for testing. You can use
Finally, you can refer to this guide for details on testing your app.