Update: An updated tutorial, for AIR 1.5.1 SDK, has been posted at http://blogs.adobe.com/ashutosh/2009/03/flex_builder_linux_with_air_15.html
Some changes are required to get Flex Builder to use the new AIR Beta SDK for Linux. This is a step-by-step guide to get things up and running.
1. Ensure that you have Sun JRE >= 1.5 in your PATH (This can be verified with “java -version”)
2. Install Eclipse (cpp or java) >= 3.3 to $HOME/eclipse
– Download Eclipse 3.4 from http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/ (if you do not already have Eclipse >= 3.3)
– cd ~
– tar zxvf ./eclipse-cpp-ganymede-linux-gtk.tar.gz
– This extracts eclipse under ~/eclipse
3. Install Flex Builder alpha 4 Eclipse plugin
– Download the Flex Builder installer from http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/flexbuilder_linux.html and launch it
– chmod +x ~/flexbuilder_linux_install_a4_081408.bin
– ~/flexbuilder_linux_install_a4_081408.bin
– Choose $HOME/eclipse as the “Existing Eclipse Folder”:
– Choose “Proceed with caution” if prompted
4. Install Flex SDK 3.1
– Download Flex SDK 3.1 from http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/flexsdk/Download+Flex+3
– Choose Build 3.1.0.2710, Adobe Flex SDK dated Aug 15, 2008
– Unzip it to a new folder (“3.1″) under ~/Adobe_Flex_Builder_Linux/sdks:
– cd ~/Adobe_Flex_Builder_Linux/sdks
– mkdir 3.1
– cd 3.1
– unzip ~/flex_sdk_3.1.0.2710.zip
5. Install AIR Beta SDK under Flex SDK 3.1
– Download Adobe AIR SDK from http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/air_linux.html to $HOME
– Untar it to the folder created above
– cd ~/Adobe_Flex_Builder_Linux/sdks/3.1
– tar jxvf ~/adobeair_linux_sdk_b1_091508.tbz2
– Rename bin/adl to bin/adl_lin and bin/adt to bin/adt_lin (These are what Flex Builder expects)
– cd bin
– mv adl adl_lin
– mv adt adt_lin
6. Set the newly installed SDK as default
– Launch eclipse
– ~/eclipse/eclipse
– Window -> Preferences -> Flex -> Installed Flex SDKs
– Click on Add
– Select ~/Adobe_Flex_Builder_Linux/sdks/3.1 as the “Flex SDK location”. Click OK.
– Choose “Flex 3.1″ as the active SDK by selecting its checkbox. Click OK.
We’re done!
To verify that the setup is correct:
1. Create a new AIR application
– Create a new Flex Builder project (through File -> New)
– Choose a project name, choose “Desktop application (runs in Adobe AIR)” as the application type. Click Finish.
2. Edit the new application’s .mxml file
– Change the line:
<mx:WindowedApplication xmlns:mx=”http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml” layout=”absolute”>
to
<mx:WindowedApplication xmlns:mx=”http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml” layout=”absolute” title=”{NativeApplication.nativeApplication.runtimeVersion} – {NativeApplication.nativeApplication.runtimePatchLevel}”>
3. Run the application (Ctrl-F11)
4. The application’s window will show up. Check the title of the window. It should be “1 – 6590″ (new AIR SDK) and not “1.0 – 20080320″ (old AIR SDK) if everything was set up correctly.
The application can be packaged as a .air file through File -> Export -> Flex Builder -> Release Build.
Update: An updated tutorial, for AIR 1.5.1 SDK, has been posted at http://blogs.adobe.com/ashutosh/2009/03/flex_builder_linux_with_air_15.html
