What is Custom ROM Build Botting?

What is Build Botting?

Custom ROM build botting, in my opinion, is one of the most important things when getting started with AOSP. It helps you understand:

• Android source code structure
• Building a device from source
• Flashing builds
• Basic debugging and bring-up workflows

More importantly, it gets you comfortable with the build → boot → debug cycle, which is essential for any AOSP developer.

My Experience

When I started with AOSP, I compiled hundreds of different custom ROMs. Even though many were forked from the same AOSP base, each had unique characteristics:

• UI/UX focused → Resurrection Remix
• Security-focused → GrapheneOS
• Popular ROM bases → PixelExperience, LineageOS
• CAF/CLO based → Paranoid Android
• Pure AOSP → Vanilla builds from Google

This exposure helped me reach a point where:

No matter what source I’m given, I can build it, debug basic issues, and fix boot failures.

Building LineageOS (Pixel 8 (shiba)/Nothing 3a/pro (asteroids) Example)

This guide assumes you already have a working build environment set up (Ref: https://github.com/akhilnarang/scripts/blob/master/setup/android_build_env.sh).

Initialize the Repository

Supported branches for Pixel 8 include:

• lineage-21.0
• lineage-22.1
• lineage-22.2
• lineage-23.0
• lineage-23.2

Supported branches for Nothing 3a/Pro include:

• lineage-23.0
• lineage-23.2

repo init -u https://github.com/LineageOS/android.git -b lineage-23.2 --git-lfs --no-clone-bundle

Sync Source Code

repo sync

Setup Build Environment

source build/envsetup.sh

Prepare Device Tree

1. breakfast shiba or breakfast asteroids
2. Sometime a device may not be officially supported in ROMs, so we pull-in device-trees manually from developer repositories or organisations.

    git clone -b lineage-23.2 https://github.com/danascape/android_device_nothing_asteroids device/nothing/asteroids
    git clone -b lineage-23.2 https://github.com/danascape/proprietary_vendor_nothing_asteroids vendor/nothing/asteroids
    git clone -b lineage-23.2 https://github.com/danascape/platform_hardware_nothing hardware/nothing
    git clone -b lineage-23.0 https://github.com/AKoskovich/android_kernel_nothing_sm7635 kernel/nothing/sm7635
    git clone -b lineage-23.0 https://github.com/AKoskovich/android_kernel_nothing_sm7635-devicetrees kernel/nothing/sm7635-devicetrees
    git clone -b lineage-23.0 https://github.com/AKoskovich/android_kernel_nothing_sm7635-modules kernel/nothing/sm7635-modules
   

   Note that here we cloned the vendor blobs manually

If vendor errors occur, extract proprietary blobs first/or clone vendor trees for the device from (https://github.com/themuppets), these are org-specific vendor repositories where the vendor blobs are updated as per device.

git clone -b lineage-23.2 https://github.com/TheMuppets/proprietary_vendor_google_shiba vendor/google/shiba

You can skip the next Step if doing the above and directly proceed to build.

Extract Proprietary Blobs

Connect your Pixel 8 (ADB + root enabled):

cd device/google/shiba
./extract-files.py

(or .sh if applicable)

Blobs will populate:

~/vendor/google

Build the ROM

croot
brunch shiba

croos
brunch asteroids

Output Files

After a successful build:

cd $OUT

Important files:

• vendor_boot.img → Recovery image
• lineage-23.2-xxxx-UNOFFICIAL-shiba.zip → Flashable ROM

Important files:

• vendor_boot.img → Recovery image
• lineage-23.2-xxxx-UNOFFICIAL-asteroids.zip → Flashable ROM

Final Thoughts

You’ve now:

• Built Android from source
• Understood device bring-up basics
• Experienced the real AOSP workflow

Importantly: You now have the confidence to take on any Android source and make it work.

Why Build Botting Matters

Build botting isn’t just about compiling ROMs repeatedly—it’s about:

• Pattern recognition in build failures
• Faster debugging instincts
• Understanding Android’s architecture deeply

It’s one of the fastest ways to level up as an AOSP engineer.

That’s where the real fun begins.

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Built, broken, and dumped by Saalim

Find me on:
GitHub   → danascape
LinkedIn → saalim-quadri
YouTube  → @danascape
Twitter (X)  → @danascape

Got thoughts, feedback, or just want to drop a hi?
→ saalim.priv@gmail.com

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