How to load shared object from location other than armeabi?

I am using the openTok library for video chatting for which libopentok.so file is to be placed into "armeabi" folder under "libs". My project already has jni which places its own folder like armeabi, armeabi-v7 and mips into libs after compilation and replace the armeabi folder containing libopentok.so file.

Please let me know where should I place my .so file and how should I access that file, Thank you

Solution

[copy artifacts] into libs after compilation and replace the armeabi folder containing libopentok.so file

You should not replace the existing folder. Rather, you should place libopentok.so in the same folders as expected by the Android build system.

Please let me know where should I place my .so file and how should I access that file

I think you have three options to perform the copy (rather then the replace).

First, you can copy libopentok.so into the appropriate folder by hand. I used to do this in the past rather than fight with the Android build system. I used to do it with a script that simply gathered up all dependencies, created the directory structure under jni/, and performed the copy.

Second, you might be able to do it with ant in a pre- or post-build step, but I can't help you with it since I still can't get my head around the XML configuration rules (and the ant man pages suck).

Third, you can do it with the Android build system. It would look like so in Android.mk. Essentially, Android.mk will have directives/recipes for two components.

#########################################################
# OpenTok library
include $(CLEAR_VARS)

OPENTOK_INCL   := /usr/local/opentok/$(TARGET_ARCH_ABI)/include
OPENTOK_LIB    := /usr/local/opentok/$(TARGET_ARCH_ABI)/lib

LOCAL_MODULE       := opentok
LOCAL_SRC_FILES    := $(OPENTOK_LIB)/libopentok.so

LOCAL_EXPORT_CPPFLAGS := -Wno-unused
LOCAL_EXPORT_C_INCLUDES := $(OPENTOK_INCL)

include $(PREBUILT_SHARED_LIBRARY)

LOCAL_SHARED_LIBRARIES  := opentok

#########################################################
# MyCoolWarez library
include $(CLEAR_VARS)

APP_MODULES     := mycoolwarez opentok

# My ass... LOCAL_EXPORT_C_INCLUDES is useless
LOCAL_C_INCLUDES   := $(OPENTOK_INCL)

LOCAL_CPP_FLAGS    := -Wno-unused
LOCAL_CPP_FLAGS    += -Wl,--exclude-libs,ALL

LOCAL_LDLIBS            := -llog -landroid
LOCAL_SHARED_LIBRARIES  := opentok

LOCAL_MODULE    := mycoolwarez
LOCAL_SRC_FILES := mycoolwarez.c

include $(BUILD_SHARED_LIBRARY)

With the configuration above, the Android build system will copy OpenTok into the same output directory as your library. I believe its due to the APP_MODULES := mycoolwarez opentok line.