Build from source

BOAR is an Expo (React Native) app with native modules and llama.cpp, so it isn't an Expo Go app: every build goes through expo prebuild and a real native build. You can build in the cloud without an Android SDK, or locally with one.

#The guided way

git clone https://github.com/rferrari/boar-app.git
cd boar-app
make setup

The wizard asks what you want: install the release on your phone, build from source (it checks Node, JDK and the Android SDK and tells you what's missing), a live-reloading development build, or a bigger knowledge pack. make help lists the individual steps.

#In the cloud, no Android SDK

npm install
npx eas-cli login                                       # once, needs an Expo account
npx eas-cli build --platform android --profile preview  # builds an installable APK

Download the APK from Expo and install it with adb install <file>.apk, or copy it to the phone.

#Locally, with the Android SDK

You need Node.js (an LTS release), npm, and Android Studio's SDK, NDK and JDK, plus a phone with USB debugging on.

npm install
npx expo prebuild -p android --clean   # generates ./android from app.json
npx expo run:android --device          # builds and installs on the connected phone

#A release APK

npx expo prebuild -p android --clean
cd android && ./gradlew assembleRelease -PreactNativeArchitectures=arm64-v8a
# android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk

It's signed with the key named in ~/.gradle/gradle.properties (BOAR_UPLOAD_STORE_FILE and friends), never in the repo; without one it's debug-signed, which is fine for your own phone. A first release build takes about 40 minutes.

#After installing

The first launch shows the one-time setup download, as in Install BOAR. If you already have the model files, you can skip the download: see "Pre-seeding models" in docs/MODELS.md.

#Check your changes

npm run typecheck   # tsc --noEmit
npm test            # the unit tests

These check the TypeScript, not the native build. Only a real phone proves that.

#Common problems

• A blank screen, or "Failed to connect to ", in a development build. Your Wi-Fi isolates devices from each other (common on hotspots). Use the USB tunnel instead: npx expo start --localhost (make start already does), and if needed enter http://127.0.0.1:8081 in the app.
• ClassNotFoundException: expo.modules.splashscreen.SplashScreenManager in the logs. Harmless; ignore it.
• Odd build errors after editing app.json. Run prebuild with --clean.

For agents and scripted builds, AGENTS.md has every command and constraint.