v1.0.0 — Latest Release

Android IDE.
No Bloat.
Just Build.

SabreTooth IDE is a lightweight, cross-platform Android development environment focused entirely on generating valid APKs. No layout editor, no Gradle sync wait, no 5-minute startup.

Download for Free Quick Start →

~108KB

JAR Size

Dependencies

Platforms

Java 21

Required

SabreTooth IDE — MyApp — MainActivity.java

MainActivity.java ×

build.gradle

.sabreconf

package  com.example.myapp;
import  android.app.Activity;
import  android.os.Bundle;
@Override
public class  MainActivity  extends  Activity {
    @Override
    protected void  onCreate(Bundle state) {
        super.onCreate(state);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    }
}
// ▶ Debug APK  [F10]

Why SabreTooth

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

Built for developers who want to write Android code and build APKs without the overhead of a full IDE.

⚡

Instant Startup

Opens in under a second. No indexing, no Gradle sync, no waiting. Pure Java Swing — lightweight by design.

⚔

APK Focused

Every feature exists to help you build APKs. Debug and release builds, APK path detection, one-click open in file manager.

🔍

Auto Tool Detection

Automatically finds every Gradle installation, JDK, and Android SDK on your system. Dropdown selector per project.

📄

.sabreconf Files

Per-project config in a simple key=value format. Store SDK versions, Gradle path, keystore, extra args — commit it to git.

🎨

Syntax Highlighting

Java, Kotlin, XML, Groovy, Gradle, Properties — all highlighted with a clean dark theme. No external libraries needed.

🏗

Project Scaffolding

Create new Gradle or Eclipse-style Android projects with a full file structure, Manifest, activity, and layout in seconds.

🖥

Cross-Platform

One JAR runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Platform-specific launchers included for all three.

📂

Eclipse Projects

Understands Eclipse-style Android project structures alongside modern Gradle projects. Perfect for legacy code.

🔒

Release Signing

Configure keystore path and alias per project. Release builds use your signing config. Stored safely in .sabreconf.

Interface

Familiar. Focused.

An Android Studio-inspired layout you already know — minus everything you don't use.

▾ MyAndroidApp

▾ app

▾ src/main

AndroidManifest

▾ java

MainActivity

Utils

▾ res/layout

activity_main

.sabreconf

build.gradle

MainActivity.java

build.gradle

.sabreconf

1package com.example.myapp;

3import android.app.Activity;

4import android.os.Bundle;

6public class MainActivity extends Activity {

8 @Override

9 protected void onCreate(Bundle s) {

10 super.onCreate(s);

11 setContentView(R.layout.main);

12 }

13}

▶ Build / Run

[14:32:01] [SabreTooth] Starting: ASSEMBLE_DEBUG

[14:32:01] > Task :app:compileDebugJavaWithJavac

[14:32:04] ✓ BUILD SUCCESSFUL

[14:32:04] APK: app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

Main IDE Window

Project tree · Tabbed editor · Console output

New Android Project
App Name:MyApp
Package:com.example.myapp
Min SDK:21 ▾
Gradle:gradle (8.4) ▾

              Cancel
              Create →
            

New Project Wizard

Auto-detects installed Gradle & JDKs

Project Settings

              Project
              Android
              Build Tools
              Signing
            
compileSdk:34
gradlePath:/usr/bin/gradle
androidJar:.../android-34/android.jar
extraArgs:--stacktrace

Project Settings

Per-project .sabreconf editor

↑ Have real screenshots? Add them at github.com/abraham-ny/Sabretooth-IDE

Get Running

Up in 60 seconds.

No installer, no setup wizard. Download the JAR and go.

Download the JAR

Grab SabreTooth.jar from the latest GitHub release. It's under 110KB with zero external dependencies.

Run the launcher

Use the included shell script, batch file, or run the JAR directly. Requires Java 21+.

Open or create a project

File → New Project to scaffold a fresh Android project, or File → Open Project to open an existing Gradle or Eclipse-style project.

Configure build tools

SabreTooth auto-detects your Gradle and JDK installations. Confirm in Project Settings or let it use system defaults.

Build your APK

Press F10 for a debug build, or use Build → Build Debug APK. Watch the output in the console and open the APK folder when done.

Linux / macOS

$ chmod +x sabretooth.sh
$ ./sabretooth.sh

Windows

REM Double-click sabretooth.bat
REM or from command prompt:
> sabretooth.bat

Any Platform (Java 21+)

$ java --enable-preview \
      -jar SabreTooth.jar

Build from source

# Compile all sources
$ find src -name "*.java" > sources.txt
$ javac --enable-preview \
      --release 21 -d out @sources.txt

# Package into JAR
$ jar --create --file=SabreTooth.jar \
      --manifest=manifest.mf -C out .

Configuration

The .sabreconf file.

Every project has a .sabreconf at its root. A simple key=value format you can commit to version control and edit by hand or via the UI.

[project]

Project name, package name, type (gradle/eclipse), and main activity class. These define how SabreTooth understands your project structure.

[android]

minSdk, targetSdk, compileSdk, versionCode, versionName. These are read and written by the New Project wizard and Project Settings dialog.

[build]

Paths to Gradle, JDK, and android.jar. Build type (debug/release), output directory, and any extra Gradle arguments like --stacktrace.

[signing]

Keystore path and key alias for release builds. Passwords are never stored — you'll be prompted by Gradle at build time.

.sabreconf example

# SabreTooth IDE Project Configuration

[project]
project.name = MyApp
project.package = com.example.myapp
project.type = gradle
android.mainActivity = MainActivity

[android]
android.minSdk = 21
android.targetSdk = 34
android.compileSdk = 34
android.versionCode = 1
android.versionName = 1.0

[build]
build.type = debug
build.gradlePath = /usr/bin/gradle
build.jdkPath = /usr/lib/jvm/java-21
build.androidJar = /Android/Sdk/platforms/android-34/android.jar
build.outputDir = build/outputs/apk
build.extraGradleArgs = --stacktrace

[signing]
sign.keystorePath = /path/to/release.jks
sign.keystoreAlias = mykey

Keyboard Shortcuts

Fast by default.

File

New FileCtrl N

New ProjectCtrl Shift N

Open FileCtrl O

Open ProjectCtrl Shift O

SaveCtrl S

Save AllCtrl Shift S

Close TabCtrl W

Build

Build Debug APKF10

Build Release APKShift F10

Clean BuildF9

Refresh File TreeF5

Find / ReplaceCtrl F

Font Size ±Ctrl + / Ctrl -

Undo / RedoCtrl Z / Ctrl Y

Under the Hood

Clean architecture.
Zero dependencies.

Pure Java 21 + Swing. No external libraries. 19 source files, 40 compiled classes, one JAR under 110KB.

ui/

MainWindow.java

EditorTabPanel.java

CodeEditorPane.java

SyntaxHighlighter.java

ProjectTreePanel.java

ConsolePanel.java

NewProjectDialog.java

ProjectSettingsDialog.java

IdePreferencesDialog.java

FindReplaceDialog.java

MainToolbar.java

StatusBar.java

Theme.java

build/

BuildManager.java

Async Gradle runner. Streams output line-by-line. Cancellable. Finds APK path on success.

config/

SabreConf.java

IdePreferences.java

Reads/writes .sabreconf. IDE-wide prefs stored in ~/.sabretooth/ide.conf

project/ + util/

Project.java

ToolDetector.java

Project scaffolding for Gradle/Eclipse. Scans filesystem for all Gradle, JDK, Android SDK installations.

Latest: v1.0.0

Download SabreTooth IDE

Free. Open source. Always.

🐧

Linux

JAR + shell launcher. Works on any desktop Linux with Java 21.

Download .zip

🪟

Windows

JAR + .bat launcher. Requires Java 21 (Adoptium Temurin recommended).

Download .zip

🍎

macOS

JAR + macOS shell launcher with Dock integration. Apple Silicon & Intel.

Download .zip

All Releases View Source Code

System Requirements

Java 21 or higher (JDK for building)

Gradle (any version, or use gradlew)

Android SDK with platform tools

Windows 10+, macOS 12+, or Linux

~15MB RAM at runtime

No internet connection required

Open Source

Help make it better.

SabreTooth IDE is open source and welcomes contributions of all kinds — bug reports, features, docs, and funding.

🛠

Contribute Code

Fix bugs, add features, improve the syntax highlighter, or add new language support. Fork the repo, make your changes, and open a pull request.

Good first issues include: Kotlin syntax highlighting improvements, better XML formatter, find-in-files, and multi-root workspace support.

Fork on GitHub

🐛

Report Issues

Found a bug? Have a feature request? Open an issue on GitHub. Please include your OS, Java version, and steps to reproduce.

You can also star the repository to show support and help others discover the project.

Open an Issue

📖

Improve the Docs

Help write tutorials, improve the README, add example projects, or translate the documentation. Good documentation is what makes tools accessible to everyone.

Screenshots, usage guides, and video walkthroughs are especially welcome.

Edit the Wiki

Android IDE.No Bloat.Just Build.

Everything you need.Nothing you don't.

Familiar. Focused.

Main IDE Window

New Project Wizard

Project Settings

Up in 60 seconds.

The .sabreconf file.

Fast by default.

Clean architecture.Zero dependencies.

Download SabreTooth IDE

Help make it better.

Android IDE.
No Bloat.
Just Build.

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

Clean architecture.
Zero dependencies.