Steps to compile for Android

[JuLieN]

Hi all,
My friends are asking me when I'm going to make an android version of my UCI engine Rhetoric. I wonder which are the steps to build such version because I've never compiled anything to that platform.

do I have to change something in the uci protocol?
is so simple as compile for the arm processor?
Is there a tutorial? Any reference guide?

I need a hint.

Thanks in advance.

I compile directly on my Android device, using CCTools. That's where the Android build of Senpai comes from, for instance.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... tools.free

That's cool! because I have an android TV box, so I even can edit in a big screen for android, while I'm sitting in my sofa !

I can't wait to get home and install it on my TV!
Thank you so much!

Android has brought a world of posibilities to work, enjoy, or even compile your own programs! And everything in a device that fits in a hand. It's amazing.

Yes, compiling a chess engine on a mobile device is really epic ! The only problem with CCTool's shell is that it has no cut & paste, and no commands history, so if you typed something wrong in your five-lines long command you'll have to write it all again.

[asanjuan]

Hello guys!
Thanks to your comments, just now, I'm playing against Rhetoric running in my phone!
(and losing every single game, of course)

@Pedro, I could make my own makefile from your example. Thank you very much!!

[abik]

Hello guys!
Thanks to your comments, just now, I'm playing against Rhetoric running in my phone!
(and losing every single game, of course)

@Pedro, I could make my own makefile from your example. Thank you very much!!

Cool! Interested in participating in the 2014 edition of the Android engines tournament?

I may do a slightly different format this year.

[asanjuan]

Hello guys!
Thanks to your comments, just now, I'm playing against Rhetoric running in my phone!
(and losing every single game, of course)

@Pedro, I could make my own makefile from your example. Thank you very much!!

Cool! Interested in participating in the 2014 edition of the Android engines tournament?

I may do a slightly different format this year.

Twice Cool!!


But I think that I still have to do some more tests... May i have to compile for ARMv5TE? I don't know how to do it. I used the -mtune=arm7 option, like Pedro did with DanaSah.

Is it useful for you? is it equivalent?

[abik]

Is it useful for you?

Yes that should be fine. If you can send me a binary, I can run a quick test for you. You can find my email as picture at my website.

[asanjuan]

Is it useful for you?

Yes that should be fine. If you can send me a binary, I can run a quick test for you. You can find my email as picture at my website.

Mail sent!
Hope to see Rhetoric playing in your tournaments. Have you planned any starting date?

[abik]

Mail sent!
Hope to see Rhetoric playing in your tournaments. Have you planned any starting date?

Thanks. Works great. Here are the results of a few quick test matches at 1 seconds per move on my Nexus 4 phone using random book opening lines and engines of various strength. Very well done!

Code: Select all

Rhetoric 1.3 Android   - BikJump v2.1     10.0 - 0.0    +10/-0/=0    100.00%
Rhetoric 1.3 Android   - Gaviota v0.86     5.0 - 5.0    +4/-4/=2      50.00%
Rhetoric 1.3 Android   - Rotor 0.8         3.5 - 6.5    +3/-6/=1      35.00%
Rhetoric 1.3 Android   - DiscoCheck 4.3    0.5 - 9.5    +0/-9/=1       5.00%
Rhetoric 1.3 Android   - Stockfish 3       0.0 - 10.0   +0/-10/=0      0.00%

I am not completely sure yet when I will do another Android tournament and in what format. In earlier tournaments, I collected and even compiled many engines myself, because I was still interested in promoting Android as a viable platform for chess at the time. But nowadays I would actually like to see a lot more interest from participating engine authors as well, so I may send out a call for participation first and see how many engine authors enroll, and then proceed with just that set if we have critical mass.