The AOSP Build System - Understanding Soong, Kati, Make, and Bazel

Explore the intricacies of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) build system in this comprehensive 41-minute conference talk. Delve into the multiple build systems used in AOSP, including Soong, Kati, Make, and Bazel. Gain a deep understanding of the overall architecture, from parsing recipes to writing Ninja manifests and executing tasks. Examine log files to observe build progression and potential issues. Learn about Soong and its recipe language, Blueprint, and discover how to write Android.bp files for various tasks. Investigate the legacy Makefiles and the Makefile parser, Kati, with a focus on their continued importance in low-level device definitions. Finally, explore Bazel, the newest addition to AOSP's build system, currently used for kernel building and potentially becoming the primary build system in the future. Benefit from live demonstrations throughout the talk to reinforce your understanding of these complex build systems.