Installing android SDK and ADT plugin for Eclipse IDE

The easiest way to get started in developing Android apps is to use the Eclipse IDE with android SDK and ADT plugin. There are simple instructions on the android developers site, however to confirm the steps are as follows:

1. Install Eclipse IDE, see Installing eclipse IDE

2. Download the SDK starter package.
Extract the contents and save to a directory. Your home directory is safe place where you'll be able to find it later on.

3. Download and install the ADT plugin. This is very simple in Eclipse.

a. Launch Eclipse, Click Help, Install new software.

b. Click the option to add available software and type the following in the add site field:

https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/ 

c. Click OK, then back in the available software list you will see Developer Tools. Selecting the check box for this will add Android DDMS and Developer Tools.


d. Click next, accept any licence agreements, then press finish. Eclipse will restart. 


4. a Finally to configure the ADT plugin. Go to preferences, available under the window tool menu.


b. Select Android, and for the SDK location browse to the saved directory you have from earlier.


c. Click apply, OK.


SDK and ADT plugin for eclipse are complete.

Installing Eclipse IDE onto Ububtu Linux

Rather than just using a basic text editor for writing java language applications, or an other programming language, it is always good to use an IDE. The following explains how to install the Eclipse IDE on an Ubuntu machine. Similar setup applies to most Linux flavors:

1. Download eclipse from the download site, http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/eclipse-ide-java-developers/heliossr1

2. Extract the contents:
tar xzf eclipse-java-helios-SR1-linux-gtk.tar

3. Moved the extracted contents to /opt
sudo mv eclipse /opt/eclipse

4. Change permissions and create executable
sudo chmod +rx
sudo touch /usr/bin/eclipse
sudo chmod 755 /usr/bin/eclipse
sudoedit /usr/bin/eclipse

Input the following contents:


#!/bin/sh
export ECLIPSE_HOME="/opt/eclipse"

$ECLIPSE_HOME/eclipse $* 

5. If you want a menu item:
sudoedit /usr/share/applications/eclipse.desktop

with the following contents:

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Eclipse
Comment=Eclipse IDE
Exec=eclipse
Icon=/opt/eclipse/icon.xpm
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=GNOME;Application;Development;
StartupNotify=true


Now run from the programming menu under applications.