AOSP Part XII — AI & Devices. Use when reasoning about on-device ML in AOSP, NNAPI, the AppFunctions framework for assistant integration, the Computer Control flow, CompanionDeviceManager, or virtual devices (virtual displays/inputs/cameras for cross-device experiences), or the NpuManager module for on-device neural accelerators (model-load admission control, the NDK ANpuBuffer surface, the android.hardware.npu HAL). Chapters 51–53.
AOSP Internals — Appendices. Use when looking up a key file path (per-chapter table of the most important AOSP source files: build, init, kernel, HAL, framework services, system apps, infrastructure) or the meaning of an AOSP-specific acronym/term (Treble, VINTF, GKI, APEX, AIDL, HIDL, etc.), why Kotlin is absent from the public API, or what changed from Android 16 to Android 17. Reference material — load when you need a concrete path, a definition, or a changelog rather than narrative explanation.
AOSP Part VIII — Connectivity. Use when reasoning about Networking (ConnectivityService, Wi-Fi framework, netd, DNS resolver, VPN, tethering, NetworkSecurityConfig, VCN, Thread mesh), Telephony (TelephonyManager, PhoneInterfaceManager, RIL/RILD, modem AIDL, IMS framework, emergency calling), Bluetooth (Bluetooth Mainline module, BTA, GATT, A2DP/HFP/AVDTP, LE Audio, pairing, scanning, advertising), NFC (NfcAdapter/NfcService, NCI, tag dispatch, HCE, secure element, reader mode, NFC-F/V), or USB & ADB (USB gadget framework, host-mode USB, MTP/PTP, RNDIS tethering, adb daemon, adb over Wi-Fi). Chapters 35–39.
AOSP Part XIV — Device Support. Use when reasoning about per-architecture support (ARM 32/64, x86_64, RISC-V, ABI matrix, toolchains), the QEMU-based Android emulator (AVD format, hardware acceleration, guest kernel), DevicePolicyManager (work profiles, fully-managed devices, COPE, enrollment), Android Automotive / TV / Wear (CarService, vehicle HAL, Leanback, TIF, Wear OS specifics), Print Services (PrintManager, IPP, PDF generation), or the Camera2 pipeline (Camera2 API, CaptureRequest/Result, camera HAL3). Chapters 59–62.
AOSP Part VI — Framework Core. Use when reasoning about system_server's boot sequence (the four boot phases, service registration, Watchdog), the Intent system (Intent matching, IntentFilter, IntentResolver, package visibility, intent verification), Activity & Window Management (ActivityTaskManagerService, WindowManagerService, activity lifecycle, task/stack model, splash screens), the window system (WindowState, SurfaceControl, input dispatching, focus, IME insets, transitions), the display system (DisplayManagerService, logical vs. physical displays, HDR, brightness, refresh-rate switching), or the View system (View hierarchy, measure/layout/draw, Canvas/RenderNode, hardware acceleration). Chapters 20–25.
AOSP Part VII — Framework Services. Use when reasoning about PackageManagerService (install/uninstall, APK parsing, permissions, package visibility), ContentProviders (ContentResolver, URI permissions, observers, FileProvider, MediaStore), Notifications (NMS, channels, ranker, posting/delivery, listener services, conversations, bubbles), Power Management (PowerManagerService, wake locks, Doze, App Standby, battery saver, BatteryStats), Background Tasks (JobScheduler, WorkManager, AlarmManager, foreground services, exact alarm policy), Multi-User (UserManagerService, profiles, restrictions, cross-user calls), Account & Sync (AccountManagerService, authenticator, syncadapter, SyncManager), Location (LocationManagerService, GPS/network/fused providers, GNSS HAL, geofencing), or Storage (vold, StorageManagerService, scoped storage, FUSE/sdcardfs, MediaProvider, SAF, FBE, adoptable storage, SQLite, SharedPreferences). Chapters 26–34.
AOSP Part I — Getting Started. Use when reasoning about the AOSP source tree at a high level, the repo/manifest workflow, the Soong (Android.bp) and Bazel/Kleaf build systems, lunch targets, the m build entry point, or aconfig feature flags (build-time vs. runtime, release configs, ramp/cleanup workflows). Chapters 1–3 (Introduction, Source Code & Build System, Feature Flags).
AOSP Part XIII — Infrastructure. Use when reasoning about Mainline modules / APEX (Project Mainline, APEX format/manifest/signing, apexd, module catalog, SDK Extensions, module boundaries), OTA updates (A/B updates, update_engine, payload format, Virtual A/B with snapshots, rollback protection), Virtualization (Android Virtualization Framework, pKVM, crosvm, microdroid), Testing (CTS/VTS/MTS, Tradefed, Ravenwood, atest, presubmit), or Debugging (Perfetto, atrace, simpleperf, heapprofd, logcat, dumpsys). Chapters 54–56.