Setup an Android Studio testing suite

l### Guide

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up your development environment to run Zingo Mobile on an Android emulator.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following prerequisites installed on your system:

Yarn: A package manager for JavaScript dependencies.
Node.js: A JavaScript runtime environment (recommended version 17+).
Rust: A programming language used for building parts of Zingo Mobile.
Docker: A containerization platform for running the development environment.
OpenJDK 18: The Java Development Kit required for Android development.
Android SDK Command-line Tools: Essential tools for interacting with Android devices and emulators.
Cargo nextest: A tool for running Rust tests.

If you are missing any of these, refer to the Zingo Mobile readme for installation instructions.

Building the Rust Dependencies

Clone the repository: Clone the Zingo Mobile repository to your local machine.
Navigate to the Rust directory: Open a terminal and navigate to the rust directory within the cloned repository.
Run the build script: Execute ./build.sh to build the Rust dependencies. This step may take a while to complete.

Installing Android Studio and Setting Up the Environment

Install Android Studio: It is recommended to install Android Studio using your system's package manager (e.g., pacman on Arch Linux or apt on Debian/Ubuntu) for better integration and dependency management. If you have previously installed Android Studio via Flatpak and encountered issues, consider removing it and reinstalling it using your package manager.
Launch Android Studio: Open Android Studio and follow the initial setup wizard.
Create an Android Virtual Device (AVD): In Android Studio, create an AVD with API level 30 (Android 11) or higher to emulate an Android device. Make sure the AVD's CPU architecture matches your system's architecture (e.g., x86_64).
Configure Environment Variables: Add the following lines to your ~/.bash_profile or ~/.profile config file:

PATH="$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin"
PATH="$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools"
PATH="$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/emulator"

Add the following lines to your ~/.bashrc config file:

export ANDROID_SDK_ROOT="$HOME/Android/Sdk"
export JAVA_HOME="/usr/lib/jvm/jdk-18.0.2"  # Adjust the path if your JDK is installed elsewhere

Set Gradle JDK: In Android Studio, go to File > Settings > Build, Execution, Deployment > Build Tools > Gradle and ensure the Gradle JDK matches your installed JDK version (OpenJDK 18).

Running the Zingo Mobile App

Install JavaScript dependencies: Open a terminal at the root of the Zingo Mobile repository and run yarn to install the required JavaScript dependencies.
Start the Metro Bundler: In the same terminal, run yarn start to start the Metro bundler. If you encounter issues during this step, try rebuilding the Rust dependencies in release mode by running cargo build --release within the rust directory.
Open the Android Project: In Android Studio, open the android directory from the Zingo Mobile repository.
Build and Run: In Android Studio, select the 'app' module and your AVD in the toolbar. Click the "Run 'app'" button to build and deploy the app to the emulator.

You should now see the Zingo Mobile app running on your emulator!

Troubleshooting

Docker Permissions: If you encounter issues with Docker permissions, you may need to add your user to the docker group and restart the Docker service using the following commands:

sudo usermod -aG docker <your_username>
sudo systemctl restart docker

JAVA_HOME Not Found: If you get an error about JAVA_HOME not being in your PATH, double-check that you have set the JAVA_HOME environment variable correctly in your ~/.bashrc file and that you have sourced the file or restarted your terminal session.
Node.js Issues: If Android Studio has trouble finding the correct Node.js version, try using the standard node command instead of nvm.
Android Studio Crashes: If Android Studio crashes on startup, try deleting the lock file located at ~/.var/app/com.google.AndroidStudio/config/Google/AndroidStudio2024.1/.lock.
Build Errors: If you encounter build errors in Android Studio, double-check that you have completed all the prerequisite steps, including building the Rust dependencies, installing the required environment variables, and setting the correct Gradle JDK.
yarn start Issues: If you have trouble running yarn start, try rebuilding the Rust dependencies in release mode by navigating to the rust directory and executing cargo build --release.

If you continue to experience problems, consult the Zingo Mobile troubleshooting guide or seek help from the Zingo community.

Logs

Nacho

2024-09-03

14:05
Installing the prerequisites

installed yarn ok
already had nodejs installed
same for Rust
installing docker ...
#trouble-shooting

paru -S docker
...
error: failed retrieving file 'docker-1:27.1.2-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst' from seoul.mirror.pkgbuild.com : The requested URL returned error: 404

Apparently, i had to update all my packages using:

paru -Syu

it solved it, docker is in

14:50
got java installed, now trying to add it to the PATH

15:27
java wasn't installed, spent half an hour trying to install it
now trying to install from aur
#Seba says it might have been installed by AS for him at the time, ill try that later

15:32
gave up on java, didnt work on aur either.
im now installing AS directly from flatpack store

15:35
setting up docker while AS downloads.
Tried this:

docker run hello-world
docker: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?.
See 'docker run --help'.

docker needs some permissions to execute
you need to create a linux group, add your user to it
we create a group called docker

groupadd docker

apparently, a docker group existed already

15:43
while installing AS i got a message saying my PC is capable of running it in enhanced mode, and a link to see how it works