aaps-github.md

Building AndroidAPS with GitHub Actions

Learn how to automate building AndroidAPS using GitHub actions. If you don't know what these are, please just continue using the standard build instructions.

WARNING: Do NOT make your GitHub repository public and do NOT share the build artifacts with anyone. AndroidAPS prohibits distributing APKs and you will face personal responsibility if somebody else uses the artifact and encounters issues.

Setting up the repository

Create a private repository in GitHub. Create a directory .github/workflows and add a file android-build.yml with the following content:

name: Android Build

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      tag:
        description: "Version to build"
        required: true

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Checkout AndroidAPS ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          repository: "nightscout/AndroidAPS"
          ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}

      - name: Set up JDK 21
        uses: actions/setup-java@v3
        with:
          java-version: "21"
          distribution: "temurin"

      - name: Setup Android SDK
        uses: android-actions/setup-android@v3
        with:
          packages: ""

      - name: Accept Android SDK licenses
        run: yes | sdkmanager --licenses

      - name: Install Android SDK Build-Tools
        run: sdkmanager "build-tools;29.0.3"

      - name: Build with Gradle
        run: ./gradlew --no-daemon app:assembleFullRelease

      - name: Sign APK
        uses: r0adkll/sign-android-release@v1
        with:
          releaseDirectory: app/build/outputs/apk/full/release
          signingKeyBase64: ${{ secrets.SIGNING_KEY }}
          alias: ${{ secrets.ALIAS }}
          keyStorePassword: ${{ secrets.KEY_STORE_PASSWORD }}
          keyPassword: ${{ secrets.KEY_PASSWORD }}

      - name: Copy APK
        run: |
          cp app/build/outputs/apk/full/release/app-full-release-unsigned-signed.apk app/build/outputs/apk/full/release/app-full-release-signed.apk

      - name: Release APK
        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
        with:
          name: AndroidAPS ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
          tag_name: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
          token: ${{ secrets.CUSTOM_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          files: |
            app/build/outputs/apk/full/release/app-full-release-signed.apk

Commit the file to the repository. This file will build the AndroidAPS APKs.

In GitHub developer settings, create a new fine-grained token with these permissions:

• "Contents" repository permissions (write)
• "Workflows" repository permissions (write)

You can make the key never expire, or let it expire and renew it when it expires. Add a secret to the repository with the key CUSTOM_GITHUB_TOKEN and the value of the token.

Setting up the signing key

You need a signing key to sign the APK. Create a new key with Android Studio as explained in the official documentation. Convert the key to base64 and add it as a secret to the repository with the key SIGNING_KEY:

openssl base64 < keystore.jks |tr -d '\n' | tee keystore.base64.txt

Also add the alias, keystore password, and key password as secrets to the repository with the keys ALIAS, KEY_STORE_PASSWORD, and KEY_PASSWORD.

Building the APK

Go to the Actions tab in your repository, select the "Android Build" action and click the "Run workflow" button. Enter the version to build, which is the tag of the AndroidAPS repository you want to build. Use the latest tag or any other tag. The action will build the APK and create a release with the APK attached.

Speeding up the build

The free GitHub runner runs very slowly. Building takes about 40 minutes. Spend money to sign up for a faster runner. Many providers offer GitHub runners - I used Ubicloud, which offers the ubicloud-standard-8 runner that completes the build in about five minutes. One build costs about two cents.