013 how-to: get started on Ubuntu

../_images/fig-l013-built.png

Put the robot’s code on an Ubuntu laptop and build it. After this, every lesson starts in Android Studio with the project open.

Before you start.

  • An Ubuntu laptop, signed in to an account that may use sudo.

  • The internet.

  • No robot and no gamepad are needed.

Nothing else has to be installed first. Android Studio fetches Java 17 for the project by itself, and git is installed in L013S040.

the steps

H013S010: install Android Studio

The robot’s code is written in Android Studio. The team uses one version of it, Quail 4, so everyone sees the same screens. It is not the newest, so it comes from the page of older versions.

Download.

../_images/fig-l013-archive.png

Install. Open Terminal and type these two lines, then your password when sudo asks:

sudo apt install libx11-6:amd64 libxext6:amd64 libxrender1:amd64 libxtst6:amd64 libxi6:amd64 libfreetype6:amd64 libfontconfig1:amd64 libxrandr2:amd64 libxcursor1:amd64 zlib1g:amd64
sudo tar -xzf ~/Downloads/android-studio-quail4-patch1-linux.tar.gz -C /opt

Then start Android Studio with /opt/android-studio/bin/studio. Leave that Terminal open while you work.

../_images/fig-l013-apt.png

Check.

  • Android Studio starts and asks to Help improve Android Studio. Click Don’t send.

If it didn’t, and Android Studio closes a few seconds after it starts with Bus error (core dumped) in Terminal, turn off its Gemini plugin and start it again:

mkdir -p ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio2026.1.4
echo com.google.tools.ij.aiplugin >> ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio2026.1.4/disabled_plugins.txt

bin/studio.sh stops with No JRE found; start bin/studio instead.

H013S020: let Android Studio fetch what it needs

The first time it starts, Android Studio’s setup wizard downloads the Android tools the code is built with.

Setup.

  • Click Next on Welcome.

  • Pick Standard and click Next.

  • Click Next on Verify Settings.

  • Click each license on the left, pick Accept, and click Next.

  • A page about KVM and the emulator comes next. Click Next.

  • Wait while it downloads, then click Finish.

../_images/fig-l013-wizard-standard.png

Check.

  • The last page of the wizard reads Android SDK is up to date.

  • Welcome to Android Studio opens, with New Project, Open and Clone Repository.

If a note says Rabbit 1 available, leave it. The team stays on Quail 4.

H013S030: install AdvantageScope

AdvantageScope draws what the robot is doing: where it is on the field, and graphs of its numbers.

Download. Open https://github.com/Mechanical-Advantage/AdvantageScope/releases/tag/v26.0.2. Under Assets, click advantagescope-linux-x64-v26.0.2.deb.

Install. In Terminal, type sudo apt install ~/Downloads/advantagescope-linux-x64-v26.0.2.deb. Then find AdvantageScope in the app grid and start it.

Check.

  • AdvantageScope opens on its Line Graph tab, with No data available on the left.

../_images/fig-l013-advantagescope.png

If it didn’t, and the first start says Failed to load assets, click Ok, close AdvantageScope and start it again.

H013S040: get the project

The robot’s code lives on GitHub. Android Studio copies it to the laptop with a tool called git.

Git.

  • On Welcome to Android Studio, click Clone Repository. It says Git is not installed. Close the box.

  • In Terminal, type sudo apt install git.

  • Close Android Studio, and start it again with /opt/android-studio/bin/studio.

../_images/fig-l013-git.png

Clone.

  • On Welcome to Android Studio, click Clone Repository.

  • Into URL, type https://github.com/msb-stitt/ftc31459-26-27-biobuzz. Leave Directory as it is.

  • Click Clone.

Trust. When it asks Trust and Open Project, click Trust Project.

../_images/fig-l013-trust.png

Check.

  • The project opens, and the Project window lists FtcRobotController and TeamCode.

If it didn’t, and Android Studio closes with Bus error (core dumped) while the project first loads, start it again, click Open, pick ~/StudioProjects/ftc31459-26-27-biobuzz, and trust it again.

H013S050: answer what Android Studio offers

While the project loads, Android Studio reads it with Gradle, the tool that builds the code. This is called a sync. The first sync downloads Java 17 and more, and takes a few minutes.

Answer. Notes pop up in the bottom right while it works. Answer each one like this:

  • Agent Mode now available: click Do not show again. The lessons do not use an AI helper.

  • Project update recommended, Android Gradle plugin version 8.13.2 has an upgrade available: click More, then Don’t ask for this project. The project needs version 8.13.2, so do not upgrade it.

../_images/fig-l013-agp-more.png

Check.

  • The Build window’s Sync tab has a green tick beside the project.

  • Open File → Settings. Type Gradle in its search box and click Gradle under Build Tools. Under Gradle JVM criteria, Version reads 17.

../_images/fig-l013-gradle-jvm.png

H013S060: build the code

Build. Click Build → Assemble Project. The first build takes a few minutes.

../_images/fig-l013-build-menu.png

Check.

  • The Build window’s Build Output tab ends with BUILD SUCCESSFUL and 63 actionable tasks: 63 executed.

What you just did. Android Studio is where the code is written, and Gradle turns the code into an app for the robot. Clone copied the team’s repository from GitHub onto the laptop. The sync read the project’s Gradle files and downloaded what they ask for: Gradle 8.14.3, the Android Gradle plugin 8.13.2 and Java 17 among them. Assemble Project built FtcRobotController and TeamCode into TeamCode-debug.apk, the app that is sent to the robot.

Where next. L020 copies the first starter into mytry and reads the gamepad’s sticks.