Build Android Client

name	description
build_android_client	Instructions for setting up WSL, configuring SSH/localhost connection, and compiling/debugging the .NET MAUI Android app on Windows.

👉 This skill covers the setup and compilation of the GnollHack Android client, which requires cross-compiling the native C core using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

🛠️ Environment Setup

1. Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

• Install WSL on your Windows machine with an Ubuntu distribution.
• Ensure development tools (build-essential, bison, flex) are installed within WSL.
• Configure SSH to start in WSL and allow password authentication (sudo service ssh start).

2. Visual Studio Cross Platform Connection

• In Visual Studio, navigate to Tools -> Options -> Cross Platform -> Connection Manager.
• Add a new connection to the WSL instance:
  • Host Name: localhost
  • Port: 22
  • User/Password: Your WSL credentials.
• Verify the connection.

3. Visual Studio Setup

• Ensure the .NET MAUI workloads are installed.
• Set up Android SDKs via Visual Studio.
• Verify that tile sets, FMOD sound banks, and the secrets file (Assets\ghsecrets.sjson — a JSON file containing API keys and configuration secrets that must be copied separately by the programmer) are present in the repository.

📱 Building the Native Android Library

1. Open the native solution win\win32\vs\GnollHack.sln.
2. Select the Android+Windows (or similar cross-platform) solution platform.
3. Rebuild the solution.
   • Visual Studio uses the SSH connection to WSL to compile the C core into libgnollhackdroid.so.
   • MSBuild targets (afterdroidutils.proj, aftergnollhackdroid.proj) will automatically copy the generated .so library, nhdat, and other assets from the WSL output (C:\wsl-out\) to the appropriate subdirectories in win\win32\xpl\GnollHackM\Platforms\Android\ (specifically under libs\ and gnh\).

🚀 Building the MAUI Android Client

1. Open the MAUI solution win\win32\xpl\GnollHackM\GnollHackM.sln.
2. Select the configuration (Debug or Release) that matches the native build.
3. Connect your Android device via USB and ensure USB Debugging is enabled.
4. Select your device from the deployment target dropdown.
5. Rebuild the GnollHackM.sln solution.
6. Start debugging.

🔑 Archiving and Signing (APK/AAB)

1. In Visual Studio Android options, select the package format (APK or AAB). Disable Fast deployment for release builds.
2. Rebuild the solution using the Release configuration.
3. Right-click the GnollHackM project and select Archive.
4. Use the Archive Manager to distribute ad-hoc, creating a signing identity and keystore.
5. Use jarsigner from the Java Development Kit (JDK) to sign the generated APK/AAB package.