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Asked: 2024-09-27T06:24:26+05:30 In:

How can I add the Android SDK platform tools to my system’s PATH if I downloaded them using Ubuntu Make?

I’ve been diving into Android development on my Ubuntu setup, and I hit a bit of a snag. I was super excited to get the Android SDK set up, and I used Ubuntu Make to download the platform tools. The installation seemed to go smoothly, but now I’m stuck trying to get my system to recognize the platform tools in the terminal.

I’ve heard that I need to add the path to where the platform tools are installed to my system’s PATH variable, but I’m not really sure how to do that. I mean, I found the directory where they’re located, and I think it’s something like `~/Android/Sdk/platform-tools`, but beyond that, I feel a bit lost.

I’ve seen a couple of commands floating around online that involve editing some profile files or something like `.bashrc` or `.bash_profile`, but I’m not exactly sure what the right commands are. Do I need to use a command like `export PATH=…`, and if so, where exactly do I put that line?

Also, do I need to restart the terminal or run some command for the changes to take effect? I’d love to avoid messing up my environment, so if anyone could break it down step-by-step, that would be amazing.

Honestly, I thought it’d be a straightforward process, but here I am, scratching my head. If any of you seasoned Ubuntu users could lend a hand, I’d really appreciate it. It feels like every little step in setting up this development environment is turning into a mini-adventure! Thanks in advance for any tips or guidance you can share.

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    2 Answers


    1. Sounds like you’re on the right track! No worries, adding the path to the Android platform tools really isn’t as scary as it seems. Just follow these steps, and you’ll have it set up in no time:

      1. Open your terminal. You’ll need to edit the .bashrc file since you’re using Ubuntu.

      2. Run the following command to open the .bashrc file in a text editor (you can use any text editor you like, here I’ll use nano):

        nano ~/.bashrc

      3. Once the file is open, scroll to the bottom and add this line:

        export PATH=$PATH:~/Android/Sdk/platform-tools

        This basically adds the platform tools path to the existing PATH variable. You can copy and paste this line right at the end.

      4. After adding that line, you’ll need to save your changes. If you’re using nano, you can do this by pressing CTRL + X, then Y to confirm, and finally Enter to save.

      5. Now, to apply these changes, either restart your terminal or run the following command:

        source ~/.bashrc

      6. To check if everything is set up correctly, you can run this command:

        adb version

        If everything went well, you should see the version of the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) displayed.

      And that’s it! You shouldn’t have to worry about messing things up; just be careful with what you edit in those config files. If you run into any issues, you can always bring up the .bashrc file again and make adjustments. Happy coding!


    2. To add the Android SDK platform-tools to your system’s PATH variable, you’ll need to edit either the `.bashrc` or `.bash_profile` file in your home directory, which is specific to the bash shell. You can choose to edit either of them by opening the terminal and using a text editor like `nano`. For instance, run the command `nano ~/.bashrc` to open the `.bashrc` file. Then, scroll to the end of the file and add the line `export PATH=$PATH:~/Android/Sdk/platform-tools`. This line ensures that the platform-tools directory is appended to your existing PATH variable, allowing your terminal to recognize commands such as `adb` or `fastboot` without needing to specify the full path.

      After you’ve added the line, save the file (in `nano`, you can do this by pressing `CTRL + X`, then `Y`, and `ENTER`). To apply the changes without restarting the terminal, run the command `source ~/.bashrc`. This effectively reloads your bash configuration and makes the new PATH available in your current terminal session. You can verify that the changes were successful by running `echo $PATH` and checking if `~/Android/Sdk/platform-tools` is listed. If it is, you should be all set to use the Android platform tools from the terminal. If you encounter any issues, make sure you typed the path correctly and that the `platform-tools` directory exists.

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