Looking for the answers to some common questions? You’re in the right place!
How can I download and install the Vega SDK?
To download the Vega SDK, follow the instructions in our docs: Install the Vega SDK. In the Prerequisities, you’ll see that the Vega SDK is available for Macs (Intel & M-series) along with Linux.
What is the Vega Virtual Device?
The Vega Developer Tools include the Vega Virtual Device, which is a virtual development platform, also known as a simulator or emulator, that you can use to test your Vega apps.
How do I start the Vega Virtual Device?
In the CLI, run the following command:
kepler virtual-device start
Or, in VS Code, open the Command Palette (for Mac, press ⌘ + shift + p; for Linux, press Ctrl + shift + p) and select the Kepler Virtual Device: Start simulator option.
What is a sample app?
The Vega sample apps are reference apps built with the Vega Developer Tools. These apps demonstrate how to implement core multimedia functionalities, such as interactive screens, a video player, search, and focus management, among others.
How do I get OTA updates for my Fire TV device?
Vega supported Fire TV devices, such as the Fire TV Select, can receive Over the Air (OTA) software updates. OTA updates are required for your device to support the latest version of Vega. After you set up your device, you will automatically receive the OTA update. If you have any trouble receiving the automatic OTA updates, check out the Troubleshooting Guide for Fire TV Stick.
How do I set up fast refresh? How do I start up Metro Bundler?
To set up fast refresh and start up Metro Bundler, please see the guide to Set Up Fast Refresh.
Does Vega offer a stable native ABI?
Yes, all native APIs that are exposed through the Vega SDK offer a stable Application Binary Interface (ABI). Applications that link against these APIs do not need to be re-compiled for new versions of the OS.
Are third-party libraries compatible with Vega?
Most pure JavaScript third-party libraries should be compatible with Vega. Check out the list of Supported Libraries and Services for more info.
How do I uninstall an application from my virtual device or Fire TV Stick?
To uninstall an app from a device, the command format is:
kepler device uninstall-app --device <device name> --appName <app name> --directory <project directory>
Example:
kepler device uninstall-app --appName com.amazondeveloper.keplersampleapp.main ---device VirtualDevice
Check out the Vega SDK CLI Reference for more info.
How can I change the resolution of my Vega Virtual Device?
You can run this command to change the resolution of your virtual device:
kepler virtual-device start --display-res=1920,1080
Check out the optional configurations for the Vega Virtual Device.
Is a full installation of the Vega SDK required?
Yes, a full installation of the Vega SDK is required. A partial installation of the SDK is not supported or documented at this time.
To avoid any issues, we recommend doing a full installation following our install guide.
How do I change the keyboard language?
The Kepler TV keyboard has support for English (EN), which includes special characters for all Latin languages, and it also supports Japanese (JP).
An app can request the JP keyboard after the device language is set to JP.
Here’s the command for setting the device language (in the absence of the locale supported by the system):
adb shell vdcm set com.amazon.devconf/system/configuration/locale ja-JP
And here is the command to set the language in the Vega Virtual Device:
vdcm set com.amazon.devconf/system/configuration/locale ja-JP
How do I create a new Vega application from scratch?
You can follow the Build Your App guide to create a new Vega application from scratch.
Will React Native dependencies work out of the box?
Pure JavaScript packages should work out of the box.
Packages that have native dependencies will need to be ported.
How do I use Chrome DevTools?
VegaScript supports using Chrome DevTools, a set of third-party JavaScript development tools. You can use Chrome DevTools to debug your app by seeing console messages, browsing the source code, checking app memory usage, measuring app performance, and setting breakpoints.