How to Install React Native on Arch Linux with Physical/Real Android Devices

This guide will walk you through installing React Native and setting up your physical Android device for development on an Arch-based Linux distribution.

Step 1: Install Yay (AUR Helper)

If you haven't installed yay yet, do so with the following commands:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
cd yay
makepkg -si

Step 2: Configure Android Environment

Instead of installing Android Studio, we'll install the Android SDK separately. Follow these steps:

1. Download the custom Android Command Line Tools
2. Extract the downloaded archive to a suitable location on your system. e.g., home/user/Android/
3. Add the Android SDK tools directory to your system PATH. You can do this by adding the following lines to your .bashrc file:

nano ~/.bashrc

Then add these lines at the end of the file:

export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Android/Sdk
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/emulator
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin
export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64
export PATH=$PATH:$JAVA_HOME/bin

Save and exit, then apply the changes:

source ~/.bashrc

Step 3: Install JDK (Java Development Kit)

To install JDK, run the following command:

yay -S jdk-openjdk

Step 4: Install Android Tools and Udev Rules

sudo pacman -S android-tools android-udev 
sudo gpasswd -a $USER adbusers
newgrp adbusers 
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger

Step 4: Install and Configure NVM (Node Version Manager)

yay -S nvm
echo 'source /usr/share/nvm/init-nvm.sh' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Step 5: Install Node.js and Package Managers

nvm install --lts
nvm alias default lts/*
npm install -g yarn
yarn global add react-native-cli

Step 6: Initialize a React Native Project

npx react-native@latest init MyApp
OR
npx @react-native-community/cli init MyApp

Step 7: Install Android SDK Build Tools

sdkmanager "build-tools;35.0.0"

Step 8: Verify Your Configuration and Run the App

To check if your setup is correct, run:

npx react-native doctor

If everything is correctly configured, proceed with building and running your app:

npx react-native run-android

After the build process completes, stop it using Ctrl + C, then start the Metro bundler separately:

npx react-native start

Now, you should be able to use your physical device for React Native development!

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