FAQ for python-for-android (p4a)

Introduction

python-for-android is an open source build tool to let you package Python code into standalone Android artifacts (APKs, AABs, AARs). These can be passed around, installed, or uploaded to marketplaces such as the Play Store just like any other Android app.

Sibling Projects:

This tool was originally developed for apps produced with the Kivy framework, and is managed by the same team. However, it can be used to build other types of Python apps for Android.

p4a is often used in conjunction with Buildozer, which can download, install and keep up-to-date any necessary prerequisites (including p4a itself), for a number of target platforms, using a specification file to define the build.

Is it possible to have a kiosk app on Android?

Thomas Hansen wrote a detailed answer on the kivy-users mailing list

Basically, you need to root the device, remove the SystemUI package, add some lines to the xml configuration, and you're done.

Common Errors

The following are common problems and resolutions that users have reported.

AttributeError: ‘Context’ object has no attribute ‘hostpython’

This is a known bug in some releases. To work around it, add your python requirement explicitly, e.g. --requirements=python3,kivy. This also applies when using buildozer, in which case add python3 to your buildozer.spec requirements.

linkname too long

This can happen when you try to include a very long filename, which doesn’t normally happen but can occur accidentally if the p4a directory contains a .buildozer directory that is not excluded from the build (e.g. if buildozer was previously used). Removing this directory should fix the problem, and is desirable anyway since you don’t want it in the APK.

Requested API target XX is not available, install it with the SDK android tool

This means that your SDK is missing the required platform tools. You need to install the platforms;android-XX package in your SDK, using the android or sdkmanager tools (depending on SDK version).

If using buildozer this should be done automatically, but as a workaround you can run these from ~/.buildozer/android/platform/android-sdk-XX/tools/android

SSLError(“Can’t connect to HTTPS URL because the SSL module is not available.”)

Your hostpython3 was compiled without SSL support. You need to install the SSL development files before rebuilding the hostpython3 recipe. Remember to always clean the build before rebuilding (p4a clean builds, or with buildozer buildozer android clean).

On Ubuntu and derivatives:

apt install libssl-dev
p4a clean builds # or with: buildozer `buildozer android clean

On macOS:

brew install openssl
p4a clean builds # or with: buildozer `buildozer android clean