Managing Android SDK Licenses from the Command Line

As an Android developer, it’s essential to understand how to manage Android SDK licenses from the command line. The Android SDK provides a tool called sdkmanager that allows you to accept and manage licenses for various SDK components.

Introduction to sdkmanager

The sdkmanager is a command-line tool that enables you to view, install, update, and uninstall packages for the Android SDK. It’s located in the tools/bin directory of your Android SDK installation.

Accepting Licenses using sdkmanager

To accept licenses for Android SDK components, follow these steps:

1. Locate the sdkmanager: Find the sdkmanager executable in the tools/bin directory of your Android SDK installation.
2. Open a terminal or command prompt: Navigate to the directory where sdkmanager is located and open a terminal or command prompt.
3. Run the sdkmanager with the –licenses option: Execute the following command: ./sdkmanager --licenses (on Linux/Mac) or sdkmanager.bat --licenses (on Windows).
4. Accept the licenses: Review the license agreements and accept them by typing ‘y’ for each component.

Verifying License Acceptance

After accepting the licenses, you can verify that they have been accepted correctly:

1. Check the licenses directory: Look for a licenses directory in your Android SDK installation. This directory should contain files with license information.
2. Verify the contents of the licenses directory: The licenses directory should contain files such as android-sdk-license, android-googletv-license, and others.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with accepting licenses or verifying their acceptance, ensure that:

• You have the correct version of the Android SDK installed.
• You are running the sdkmanager from the correct location.
• You have write permissions to the Android SDK installation directory.

Additional Tips

• Make sure to regularly update your Android SDK installation using the sdkmanager --update command.
• Use the sdkmanager --list command to view available packages and their versions.
• Refer to the official Android Studio documentation for more information on using the sdkmanager.

By following these steps and tips, you’ll be able to effectively manage Android SDK licenses from the command line and ensure a smooth development experience.