Setting Up Android Environment Variables for Cordova Development

Introduction

When working with mobile development tools like Cordova or PhoneGap, it’s crucial to have your environment variables correctly set up. This ensures that commands such as cordova platforms add android work seamlessly without errors. One common error message you might encounter is: "Error: ANDROID_HOME is not set and ‘android’ command not in your PATH." This tutorial will guide you through setting the necessary Android environment variables on different operating systems to get your Cordova development up and running smoothly.

Understanding Environment Variables

Environment variables are dynamic values that affect the behavior of processes on a computer. For Android development, two essential environment variables are ANDROID_HOME and updates to the system PATH. ANDROID_HOME points to the directory where the Android SDK is installed, while modifying the PATH ensures that your terminal can find the required Android tools.

Why These Variables Are Important

• ANDROID_HOME: Specifies the installation path of the Android SDK. Tools and libraries rely on this variable to locate necessary files.
• PATH: By adding Android’s tool directories (e.g., tools, platform-tools) to your system’s PATH, you make it possible for commands like adb or android to be recognized globally within your terminal sessions.

Setting Up Environment Variables

Windows

1. Find the SDK Installation Path:

   • The default path is usually something like C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk. You can find it from the Android Studio SDK Manager.

2. Set ANDROID_HOME and Update PATH:

   • Open the Start Search, type in "env", and select "Edit the system environment variables".
   • Click on the "Environment Variables" button.
   • Under "System variables," click "New" to create a new variable named ANDROID_HOME, with the value set to your SDK path.
   • Locate the Path variable under "System variables" and edit it. Add two new entries:

     %ANDROID_HOME%\tools
     %ANDROID_HOME%\platform-tools
     

3. Verify:

   • Open a new command prompt and type echo %ANDROID_HOME%. It should display your SDK path.
   • Check if adb is recognized by typing adb version.

macOS

1. Find the SDK Installation Path:

   • Default location: /Users/<YourUsername>/Library/Android/sdk. Alternatively, find it from Android Studio under "Preferences" > "Appearance & Behavior" > "System Settings" > "Android SDK".

2. Set Environment Variables in Terminal:

   • Open Terminal and edit your shell configuration file (e.g., .bash_profile, .zshrc):

     nano ~/.bash_profile  # or appropriate shell config file like .zshrc for zsh users
     

3. Add the following lines:

   export ANDROID_HOME=/Users/<YourUsername>/Library/Android/sdk
   export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/tools:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
   

4. Apply Changes:

   • Source your configuration file with source ~/.bash_profile.

5. Verify:

   • In the terminal, type echo $ANDROID_HOME and ensure it shows your SDK path.
   • Check that adb is recognized by executing adb version.

Linux

1. Find the SDK Installation Path:

   • Commonly located at /home/<YourUsername>/Android/Sdk. Confirm from Android Studio’s SDK Manager.

2. Edit Shell Configuration File:

   • Open Terminal and edit .bashrc, .profile, or appropriate file for your shell:

     nano ~/.bashrc  # Example for bash users
     

3. Add Environment Variables:

   export ANDROID_HOME=/home/<YourUsername>/Android/Sdk
   export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/tools:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
   

4. Apply Changes:

   • Run source ~/.bashrc to apply the changes immediately.

5. Verify:

   • Use echo $ANDROID_HOME and check for the correct SDK path.
   • Verify adb availability by running adb version.

Additional Tips

• Always restart your terminal or command prompt after making these changes to ensure they take effect.
• If you face issues with recognizing Android commands, double-check paths and variable names for typos.
• For managing multiple versions of the JDK or other tools, consider using package managers like SDKMAN! on Linux.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter an error stating that a specific Android target is missing (e.g., "Please install Android target ‘android-19’"), use the Android SDK Manager to install the required platform:

1. Open Android Studio.
2. Navigate to "Configure" > "SDK Manager".
3. Under "SDK Platforms", check and install the necessary API levels.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your development environment is correctly configured for using Cordova or other similar tools with Android projects.