Manually installing AndroidIDE

This tutorial walks through the process of manually installing the build tools like JDK, Android SDK, etc. in AndroidIDE.

Note

This guide assumes a basic understanding of AndroidIDE and its terminal usage. If you encounter any issues during the installation process, refer to the AndroidIDE documentation or seek assistance from the Android development community.

Introduction

AndroidIDE is a powerful, integrated development environment used for Android app development. While the installation process typically involves using the idesetup script, there may be instances where users encounter network issues or other reasons that require manual installation of the build tools. In this blog post, I will walk you through the step-by-step process of manually installing the build tools in AndroidIDE.

Step 1: Determine CPU Architecture

Before proceeding with the manual installation, you need to determine the CPU architecture of your Android device. AndroidIDE supports two CPU architectures:

arm64-v8a
armeabi-v7a
x86_64

Knowing your device’s CPU architecture is crucial for downloading the appropriate build tools.

Step 2: Downloading the Build Tools

The build tools can be downloaded from the AndroidIDE Tools GitHub repository. Follow these steps to download the necessary files:

Visit the androidide-tools repository on GitHub.
Navigate to the releases page.
Download the following files:
- Android SDK base files and the command line tools from this specific release.
  - android-sdk.tar.xz
  - cmdline-tools.tar.xz
- Architecture-specific build and platform tools from one of the other releases. Download the following files:
  - build-tools-<tools_version>-<cpu_arch>.tar.xz
  - platform-tools-<tools_version>-<cpu_arch>.tar.xz

The <tools_version> is the desired version number of the build and platform tools, and <cpu_arch> is the CPU architecture of your device. For arm64-v8a architecture, look for files mentioning aarch64 and for armeabi-v7a, choose files mentioning arm. At the time of writing this post, the available build and platform tools versions are 33.0.3 and 33.0.1. If you’re unsure, it’s recommended to choose the latest version.

For example, if your device has a arm64-v8a CPU, you need to download the following files:

android-sdk.tar.xz
cmdline-tools.tar.xz
build-tools-33.0.3-aarch64.tar.xz
platform-tools-33.0.3-aarch64.tar.xz

Step 3: Installing the Build Tools

Once you have downloaded the necessary files, follow these steps to install the build tools:

Open AndroidIDE and access the terminal.
If the current working directory is not HOME or if you’re unsure about the current working directory, execute the following command to navigate to the HOME directory:
```
cd
```
Extract the android-sdk.tar.xz file using the following command:
```
tar xvJf /path/to/android-sdk.tar.xz
```

Replace /path/to/android-sdk.tar.xz with the path to the downloaded android-sdk.tar.xz file. After extraction, navigate to the android-sdk directory with the following command :

cd android-sdk

Install the build tools, platform tools, and command line tools using the following commands:

tar xvJf /path/to/build-tools-tar.xz
tar xvJf /path/to/platform-tools-.tar.xz
tar xvJf /path/to/cmdline-tools-.tar.xz

Replace the path to each respective archive file.

Step 4: Installing OpenJDK 17 Package

To complete the installation, you need to install the openjdk-17 package. Execute the following command in the AndroidIDE terminal:

pkg upgrade && pkg install openjdk-17

Conclusion

In situations where network issues or other factors prevent the automatic installation of build tools in AndroidIDE, manual installation becomes necessary. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can successfully install the build tools, platform tools, and command line tools, ensuring a seamless development experience in AndroidIDE. Remember to choose the appropriate files based on your device’s CPU architecture and stay updated with the latest tool versions for optimal performance and compatibility. Happy coding!