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Cross-compilation with Dockcross and Android Builds ​

This guide explains how to build MAVSDK using dockcross for cross-compilation and how to build for Android.

Building with Dockcross ​

Dockcross is a cross-compiling toolchain that can be used to build MAVSDK for various platforms.

Requirements ​

  • Docker installed and running
  • Git

Getting Started with Dockcross ​

  1. Clone the MAVSDK repository:
bash
git clone https://github.com/mavlink/MAVSDK.git
cd MAVSDK
git submodule update --init --recursive
  1. Pull and run the appropriate dockcross image for your target platform
  2. Use the generated dockcross script to run your build commands

Example: Cross-compiling for ARM ​

bash
# Get the dockcross script for ARM
docker run --rm dockcross/linux-armv7 > ./dockcross-linux-armv7
chmod +x ./dockcross-linux-armv7

# Use the script to run cmake and build
./dockcross-linux-armv7 bash -c 'cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -Bbuild -S. && cmake --build build'

Building for Android ​

Requirements ​

  • Android NDK
  • CMake
  • Git
  • Java Development Kit (JDK)

Setup Android NDK ​

  1. Download and install Android Studio
  2. Install the NDK and CMake through Android Studio's SDK Manager:
    • Open Android Studio
    • Go to Tools -> SDK Manager
    • Select SDK Tools tab
    • Check "NDK (Side by side)" and "CMake"
    • Click Apply to download and install

Building ​

  1. Clone the repository:
bash
git clone https://github.com/mavlink/MAVSDK.git
cd MAVSDK
git submodule update --init --recursive
  1. Set up environment variables:
bash
export ANDROID_NDK_HOME=/path/to/android/ndk
export ANDROID_CMAKE=/path/to/android/cmake
  1. Configure and build for your target Android architecture:
bash
cmake \
    -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=$ANDROID_NDK_HOME/build/cmake/android.toolchain.cmake \
    -DANDROID_ABI=arm64-v8a \
    -DANDROID_PLATFORM=android-28 \
    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
    -Bbuild/android \
    -S.

cmake --build build/android

Android Build Options ​

  • ANDROID_ABI: Specify the target architecture

    • armeabi-v7a: ARMv7 devices
    • arm64-v8a: ARMv8 64-bit devices
    • x86: x86 devices
    • x86_64: x86 64-bit devices

  • ANDROID_PLATFORM: Minimum Android API level

    • Example: android-28 for Android 9.0 (Pie)

Additional Build Flags ​

The same build flags available for regular builds can be used:

  • BUILD_SHARED_LIBS: Set to ON for shared libraries (.so)
  • SUPERBUILD: Set to OFF to use system dependencies
  • BUILD_MAVSDK_SERVER: Set to ON to build mavsdk_server
  • BUILD_WITHOUT_CURL: Set to ON to build without CURL support

Troubleshooting ​

Git Submodules Out of Date ​

If you encounter build issues, try updating the submodules:

bash
git submodule update --recursive
rm -rf build

Android NDK Version Issues ​

If you encounter issues with the NDK version:

  1. Make sure you're using a compatible NDK version
  2. Update your Android Studio and NDK to the latest stable versions
  3. Verify that ANDROID_NDK_HOME points to the correct NDK version