Table Of Contents
Create a package for Android¶
Changed in version 1.1.0: Kivy-XXX-android.zip is not provided anymore. We are using python-for-android (doc)
TestDrive¶
There is a VirtualBox Image we provide with the prerequisites along with the Android SDK and NDK preinstalled to ease your installation woes. You can download it from here.
Packaging your application into an APK¶
You’ll need:
- A linux computer or virtual machine
- Java
- Python 2.7 (not 2.6.)
- Jinja2 (python module)
- Apache ant
- Android SDK
Setup Python for Android¶
First, install the prerequisites needed for the project:
Then open a console and type:
git clone git://github.com/kivy/python-for-android
Build your distribution¶
The distribution is a “directory” containing a specialized python compiled for Android, including only the modules you asked for. You can, from the same python-for-android, compile multiple distributions. For example:
- One containing a minimal support without audio / video
- Another containing audio, openssl etc.
To do that, you must use the script named distribute.sh:
./distribute.sh -m "kivy"
The result of the compilation will be saved into dist/default. Here are other examples of building distributions:
./distribute.sh -m "openssl kivy"
./distribute.sh -m "pil ffmpeg kivy"
To see the available options for distribute.sh, type:
./distribute.sh -h
Package your application¶
Inside the distribution (dist/default by default), you have a tool named build.py. This is the script that will create the APK for you:
./build.py --dir <path to your app>
--name "<title>"
--package <org.of.your.app>
--version <human version>
--icon <path to an icon to use>
--orientation <landscape|portrait>
--permission <android permission like VIBRATE> (multiple allowed)
<debug|release> <installd|installr|...>
For example, if we imagine that the touchtracer demo of Kivy is in the directory ~/kivy/examples/demo/touchtracer, you can do:
./build.py --dir ~/kivy/examples/demo/touchtracer \
--package org.demo.touchtracer \
--name "Kivy Touchtracer" --version 1.1.0 debug installd
You need to be aware that the default target Android SDK version for the build will be SDK v.8, which is the minimum required SDK version for kivy. You should either install this API version, or change the AndroidManifest.xml file (under dist/.../) to match your own target SDK requirements.
The debug binary will be generated in bin/KivyTouchtracer-1.1.0-debug.apk. The debug and installd parameters are commands from the Android project itself. They instruct build.py to compile the APK in debug mode and install on the first connected device.
You can then install the APK directly to your Android device as follows:
adb install -r bin/KivyTouchtracer-1.1.0-debug.apk
Release on the market¶
Launch the build.py script again, with the release parameter. After buiding it, you must sign and zipalign the APK. Read the android documentation at:
http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/app-signing.html
The release binary will be generated in bin/KivyTouchtracer-1.1.0-release-unsigned.apk (for the previous touchtracer example.)
Packaging your application for the Kivy Launcher¶
The Kivy launcher is an Android application that runs any Kivy examples stored on your SD Card. See Installation on Android.
Your application must be saved into:
/sdcard/kivy/<yourapplication>
Your application directory must contain:
# Your main application file:
main.py
# Some info Kivy requires about your app on android:
android.txt
The file android.txt must contain:
title=<Application Title>
author=<Your Name>
orientation=<portrait|landscape>