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How to install build tools

warning

This is not a easy task, Google makes you jump hoops, and steers you to installing Android Studio instead.

1. Download "Command line tools only"​

Firstly, visit Android Developers website. Then scroll down until you see Command line tools only section

Command line tools only illustration

tip

Download and extract the one that matches your operating system.

This is the file stucture after extraction

cmdline-tools structure illustration 1

cmdline-tools structure illustration 2

2. Install "buildtools"​

The file you just extracted only the manager, which we need to install buildtools.

To install buildtools, open your terminal (command prompt on Windows) and type in:

  • Linux/Mac

    /path/to/cmdline-tools/bin/sdkmanager --sdk_root=/path/to/cmdline-tools/android-35 "build-tools;35.0.0"

  • Windows

    C:\Users\yourname\Downloads\cmdline-tools\bin\sdkmanager --sdk_root=C:\Users\yourname\Downloads\cmdline-tools\android-35 "build-tools;35.0.0"

You have to change /path/to/cmdline-tool on Linux and Mac, C:\Users\yourname\Downloads\cmdline-tools on Windows to wherever you extracted the folder to.

/path/to/cmdline-tools/android-35 and C:\Users\yourname\Downloads\cmdline-tools\android-35 can be anywhere, you just have to remember it.

During the installation, one or several Term of Services (ToS) will be prompted to you, and you'll have to agree every single of them to continue.

3. Verify download​

After all of that, new folder named [sdk_root]/build-tools/35.0.0 is created.