# Amethyst Builder Skill
Build customized Amethyst Nostr clients for Android. Fork, rebrand, customize, and distribute your own version.
## Overview
[Amethyst](https://github.com/vitorpamplona/amethyst) is the premier Nostr client for Android. This skill enables you to:
- Create rebranded versions (custom name, package, icons)
- Build F-Droid-compatible releases (no Google Play dependencies)
- Add or modify features
- Sign and distribute APKs
## Prerequisites
### Required Tools
1. **Java 21** (via SDKMAN)
```bash
curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash
source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"
sdk install java 21.0.5-tem
sdk use java 21.0.5-tem
```
2. **Android SDK**
- Command-line tools from https://developer.android.com/studio#command-line-tools-only
- Required components: build-tools, platform-tools, platforms;android-35
3. **Git** for cloning the repository
### Environment Setup
```bash
export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Android/Sdk
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
```
## Build Workflow
### 1. Clone the Repository
```bash
mkdir -p ~/projects/your-app-name
cd ~/projects/your-app-name
git clone https://github.com/vitorpamplona/amethyst.git .
```
### 2. Create Signing Key
```bash
keytool -genkeypair -v \
-keystore ./release-key.jks \
-alias your-app \
-keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 \
-validity 10000
```
Create `keystore.properties` in project root:
```properties
storeFile=release-key.jks
storePassword=your-password
keyAlias=your-app
keyPassword=your-password
```
### 3. Configure Signing
Add to `amethyst/build.gradle` inside the `android {}` block:
```gradle
def keystorePropertiesFile = rootProject.file("keystore.properties")
def keystoreProperties = new Properties()
if (keystorePropertiesFile.exists()) {
keystoreProperties.load(new FileInputStream(keystorePropertiesFile))
}
signingConfigs {
release {
if (keystorePropertiesFile.exists()) {
storeFile rootProject.file(keystoreProperties['storeFile'])
storePassword keystoreProperties['storePassword']
keyAlias keystoreProperties['keyAlias']
keyPassword keystoreProperties['keyPassword']
}
}
}
```
Update the release buildType to use the signing config:
```gradle
buildTypes {
release {
signingConfig signingConfigs.release
// ... existing config
}
}
```
### 4. Disable Google Services (Required for F-Droid)
**⚠️ CRITICAL:** The Google Services plugin fails when you change the package name. For F-Droid builds, disable it.
Edit `amethyst/build.gradle`, comment out the plugin:
```gradle
plugins {
alias(libs.plugins.androidApplication)
alias(libs.plugins.jetbrainsKotlinAndroid)
// alias(libs.plugins.googleServices) // DISABLED for F-Droid
alias(libs.plugins.jetbrainsComposeCompiler)
}
```
### 5. Build
```bash
source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"
sdk use java 21.0.5-tem
./gradlew assembleFdroidRelease
```
**Build time:** ~9 minutes first build, faster on subsequent builds.
### 6. Locate APKs
Output directory: `amethyst/build/outputs/apk/fdroid/release/`
Files generated:
- `amethyst-fdroid-arm64-v8a-release.apk` - ARM64 (most phones)
- `amethyst-fdroid-universal-release.apk` - All architectures (larger)
## Customizations
### Change App Name
Edit `amethyst/src/main/res/values/strings.xml`:
```xml
YourAppName
YourAppName Debug
```
### Change Package ID
Edit `amethyst/build.gradle`:
```gradle
android {
defaultConfig {
applicationId = "com.yourcompany.yourapp"
}
}
```
### Change Project Name
Edit `settings.gradle`:
```gradle
rootProject.name = "YourAppName"
```
### Change App Icon
Replace icon files in:
- `amethyst/src/main/res/mipmap-*/ic_launcher.webp`
- `amethyst/src/main/res/mipmap-*/ic_launcher_round.webp`
### Add Client Tag to Posts
Make your app identify itself on posts with `["client", "YourAppName"]`.
**1. Create tag builder extension:**
Create `quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/tags/clientTag/TagArrayBuilderExt.kt`:
```kotlin
package com.vitorpamplona.quartz.nip01Core.tags.clientTag
import com.vitorpamplona.quartz.nip01Core.core.Event
import com.vitorpamplona.quartz.nip01Core.core.TagArrayBuilder
fun TagArrayBuilder.client(clientName: String) =
addUnique(arrayOf(ClientTag.TAG_NAME, clientName))
```
**2. Add to TextNoteEvent:**
Edit `quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip10Notes/TextNoteEvent.kt`:
Add import:
```kotlin
import com.vitorpamplona.quartz.nip01Core.tags.clientTag.client
```
In both `build()` functions, add after `alt(...)`:
```kotlin
client("YourAppName")
```
### Modify Default Relays
Edit relay configuration in `quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/` or the UI settings files.
## Troubleshooting
### google-services.json error
Disable the Google Services plugin (see step 4).
### Java version error
```bash
sdk use java 21.0.5-tem
java -version # Must show 21.x
```
### Out of memory
Edit `gradle.properties`:
```properties
org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx4g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=512m
```
### Clean build
```bash
./gradlew --stop
./gradlew clean
./gradlew assembleFdroidRelease
```
## Distribution
Deploy APKs via:
- **Surge.sh:** `surge ./releases your-app.surge.sh`
- **Zapstore:** Submit to zapstore.dev
- **Direct download:** Host on any web server