Android Setup Guide: Installing the SDK and ADT Plug-in (part 1)

Installing the Android SDK

Continuing from the previous post I made regarding Eclipse, we will now download the standalone Android tools from Google. This is required to do Android development.

1. Go to http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html.
2. Download the Starter Package installer, “installer-r16-windows.exe”.
3. Run the installer executable and follow the prompts. You will not need the installer anymore after this.
4. At the end, you will be prompted to start the Android SDK Manager. Do this.
5. The package selection screen will load. Ensure the following items and all their sub-items are completely checked:
   1. Tools
   2. Android 2.3.3 (API 10) (as of writing, this is the most widely used version of Android)
   3. Google USB Driver Package (found under “Extras”)
   4. Android Support Package (found under “Extras”)
   5. Click on the button “Install packages…” in the lower right of the window.
   6. Click on “Accept All” for the license agreement. Then click “Install” and wait a while for it to finish!
   7. Note: If for some reason you get prompted to enter a username and password, you probably selected a package that requires authentication to download. In this case you can just click “Cancel” and get on with your life.

Adding the Android Development Tools Plug-in to Eclipse

The Android Development Tools (ADT) plug-in allows Eclipse to integrate with the Android SDK and allows you to easily create, build, and debug Android projects. These instructions are copied almost directly from http://developer.android.com/sdk/eclipse-adt.html#installing.

1. Start up Eclipse. (If this is your first time running Eclipse, you will be prompted to set a workspace directory – just use the default unless you have a specific reason to choose otherwise.)
2. Click on the “Help” menu. Then select “Install New Software…” from the drop-down menu.
3. Click “Add” in the top right corner.
4. Under “Location” enter this exact URL: https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/
5. In the Available Software dialog, select the checkbox next to “Developer Tools” and click “Next”.
6. In the next window, you’ll see a list of the 4 tools to be downloaded. Click “Next”.
7. Read and accept the license agreements, then click “Finish”. Now you must wait.
8. When the installation completes, restart Eclipse as prompted.
9. After the restart, the ADT setup window will pop up. Don’t bother to have it download the SDKs all over again, just point it at the folder you installed to previously. By default this is C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk.
10. You can test that you have succeeded by going to the “File” menu and selecting “New” and then “Project”. If you see “Android > Android Project” in the list then you’re good to go make your first Android project in Eclipse!