How to install an Android toolchain

How to install an Android toolchain

These instructions describe how to install an Android toolchain capable of compiling standalone C/C++ programs for an Android device.

1. Download Android NDK from https://developer.android.com/ndk/downloads/index.html and unpack it somewhere.

2. Run the included script to install a standalone toolchain:
    mkdir $HOME/opt
    $NDK/build/tools/make-standalone-toolchain.sh --arch=arm --install-dir=$HOME/opt/android_toolchain

3. Create a test program and compile it:
    cat > hello.c << EOF
    #include <stdio.h>
    int main(int argc, char **argv) {
      printf("Hello, world!\n");
      return 0;
    }
    EOF
    $HOME/opt/android_toolchain/bin/arm-linux-androideabi-gcc -fPIC -pic -o hello hello.c

4. Upload the compiled program to the device and see if it works:
    adb push hello /cache/hello
    adb shell
    root@GT-I9100:/ # /cache/hello                                                                                                                                                                            
    WARNING: linker: /cache/hello: unused DT entry: type 0x6ffffffe arg 0x2e0
    WARNING: linker: /cache/hello: unused DT entry: type 0x6fffffff arg 0x1
    Hello, world!
    root@GT-I9100:/ #