How to Install Android SDK and Command-Line Tools on Ubuntu Without Android Studio
If you’re developing Android applications but want to avoid the overhead of Android Studio, you can install the Android SDK and command-line tools directly on your Ubuntu system. This guide will walk you through the steps to get everything set up.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
- An Ubuntu system (or any Debian-based Linux distribution).
- A terminal to run the commands.
Step 1: Update Your Package List
First, update your package list to make sure you have the latest information on the newest versions of packages and their dependencies.
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sudo apt update
Step 2: Install Required Dependencies
Install unzip and wget, which are necessary to download and extract the command-line tools.
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sudo apt install unzip wget
Step 3: Download the Latest Command-Line Tools
Navigate to the Android Studio download page to find the latest command-line tools for Linux. As of the time of writing, you can download them using the following command:
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wget https://dl.google.com/android/repository/commandlinetools-linux-10406996_latest.zip -O commandlinetools.zip
Step 4: Create a Directory for the Android SDK
Create a directory where the Android SDK and command-line tools will reside.
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mkdir -p ~/Android/Sdk/cmdline-tools
Step 5: Unzip the Downloaded Command-Line Tools
Extract the downloaded command-line tools to the directory you just created.
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unzip commandlinetools.zip -d ~/Android/Sdk/cmdline-tools
Step 6: Rename the Unzipped Folder
Rename the unzipped folder to latest (or tools). This step ensures that the path is consistent with what the tools expect.
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mv ~/Android/Sdk/cmdline-tools/cmdline-tools ~/Android/Sdk/cmdline-tools/latest
Step 7: Add the Android SDK and Command-Line Tools to Your PATH
To make the command-line tools accessible from any terminal session, you’ll need to add them to your PATH. Open or create the .bashrc file in your home directory:
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nano ~/.bashrc
Add the following lines to the end of the file:
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export ANDROID_SDK_ROOT=$HOME/Android/Sdk
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_SDK_ROOT/cmdline-tools/latest/bin
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_SDK_ROOT/platform-tools
Save and close the file (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter in nano).
Step 8: Apply the Changes
To apply the changes to your current shell session, source the .bashrc file:
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source ~/.bashrc
Step 9: Verify the Installation
Run the following command to verify that the installation was successful:
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sdkmanager --version
You should see the version of the SDK manager printed in the terminal.
Step 10: Install Essential SDK Packages
Finally, install the essential SDK packages, such as platform-tools, specific Android platforms, and build tools. Replace android-30 and 30.0.3 with the versions you need:
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sdkmanager "platform-tools" "platforms;android-30" "build-tools;30.0.3"
Conclusion
You have now successfully installed the Android SDK and command-line tools on your Ubuntu system without the need for Android Studio. This setup allows you to manage your Android development environment more efficiently and with less overhead. Happy coding!