Simple Guide Makes Getting Started with the Arch-Based BBQLinux Even Easier

It’s no secret that Android ROM and kernel development is easiest on Linux and other Unix-like OSes like MacOS X. Sure, you can find various tools to do certain other useful Android development tasks on Windows like decompiling/recompiling and Smali editing, but if you’re building Android from source and don’t want to use a virtual machine or Cygwin, you really should be on a *nix OS.

If you’ve looked into Linux for the sole purpose of getting started with Android ROM and kernel development, you have likely already heard of BBQLinux. Developed by XDA Senior Recognized Developer codeworkx, BBQLinux is an Arch-based Linux distribution that is geared specifically at Android developers. Baked into the ROM, you’ll find everything you need to build AOSP or AOSP-based ROMs like OmniROM, Paranoid Android, CyanogenMod, and more. And since it’s based on Arch, it’s compatible with all the same package repos.

Since BBQLinux was designed from the ground up to be an Android development distro, it makes the process both more streamlined and easier than it would be if starting from scratch on a more general purpose build. However, some (especially those new to the world of Linux) may still be intimidated when getting started with BBQ. Luckily, You may XDA Senior Member yuweng created a screenshot-laden guide that shows you how to use BBQLinux’s built in packages and features to build Android. Yuweng also shares code that he used when building for his own device. In addition, yuweng also covers hotkeys, shared folders with Windows, and how to get BBQLinux installed through virtualbox, using dual boot, or making it the computer’s native OS.

If you want to run Linux so that you can more easily build Android, BBQLinux should be on your short list of distributions to consider. And if you’re looking for an easy guide to help you set it up, yuweng’s guide thread is a great place to start. Head over to the guide thread to learn more.

source: xdadevelopers