The matplotlib recipe in p4a develop is currently broken.
Freetype dev is installed but not picked up correctly by the toolchain:
/usr/include/freetype2$ ls -a
. .. freetype ft2build.h
[INFO]: -> directory context /home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/matplotlib/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/matplotlib
stty: 'standard input': Inappropriate ioctl for device
[DEBUG]: -> running python3 -m build --wheel --config-setting builddir=/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/matplotlib/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/matplotlib/p4a_android_build
[DEBUG]: * Creating isolated environment: venv+pip...
[DEBUG]: * Installing packages in isolated environment:
[DEBUG]: - certifi>=2020.06.20
[DEBUG]: - numpy>=2.0.0rc1,<2.3
[DEBUG]: - pybind11>=2.6
[DEBUG]: - setuptools>=64
[DEBUG]: - setuptools_scm>=7
[DEBUG]: * Getting build dependencies for wheel...
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: Edit mplsetup.cfg to change the build options; suppress output with --quiet.
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: BUILDING MATPLOTLIB
[DEBUG]: python: yes [3.11.13 (main, Oct 9 2025, 16:53:18) [GCC 11.4.0]]
[DEBUG]: platform: yes [linux]
[DEBUG]: tests: no [skipping due to configuration]
[DEBUG]: macosx: no [Mac OS-X only]
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: /tmp/build-env-jnznzryc/lib/python3.11/site-packages/setuptools_scm/_integration/version_inference.py:51: UserWarning: version of matplotlib already set
[DEBUG]: warnings.warn(self.message)
[DEBUG]: /home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/hostpython3/desktop/hostpython3/native-build/root/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/setuptools/dist.py:759: SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning: License classifiers are deprecated.
[DEBUG]: !!
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: ********************************************************************************
[DEBUG]: Please consider removing the following classifiers in favor of a SPDX license expression:
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: License :: OSI Approved :: Python Software Foundation License
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: See https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/guides/writing-pyproject-toml/#license for details.
[DEBUG]: ********************************************************************************
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: !!
[DEBUG]: self._finalize_license_expression()
[DEBUG]: running egg_info
[DEBUG]: writing lib/matplotlib.egg-info/PKG-INFO
[DEBUG]: writing dependency_links to lib/matplotlib.egg-info/dependency_links.txt
[DEBUG]: writing requirements to lib/matplotlib.egg-info/requires.txt
[DEBUG]: writing top-level names to lib/matplotlib.egg-info/top_level.txt
[DEBUG]: git archive detected - fallback to listing all files
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_AMSFONTS'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_BAKOMA'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_CARLOGO'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_COLORBREWER'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_COURIERTEN'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_JSXTOOLS_RESIZE_OBSERVER'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_QHULL'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_QT4_EDITOR'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_SOLARIZED'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_STIX'
[DEBUG]: adding license file 'LICENSE/LICENSE_YORICK'
[DEBUG]: writing manifest file 'lib/matplotlib.egg-info/SOURCES.txt'
[DEBUG]: * Building wheel...
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: Edit mplsetup.cfg to change the build options; suppress output with --quiet.
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: BUILDING MATPLOTLIB
[DEBUG]: python: yes [3.11.13 (main, Oct 9 2025, 16:53:18) [GCC 11.4.0]]
[DEBUG]: platform: yes [linux]
[DEBUG]: tests: no [skipping due to configuration]
[DEBUG]: macosx: no [Mac OS-X only]
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: /tmp/build-env-jnznzryc/lib/python3.11/site-packages/setuptools_scm/_integration/version_inference.py:51: UserWarning: version of matplotlib already set
[DEBUG]: warnings.warn(self.message)
[DEBUG]: /home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/hostpython3/desktop/hostpython3/native-build/root/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/setuptools/dist.py:759: SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning: License classifiers are deprecated.
[DEBUG]: !!
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: ********************************************************************************
[DEBUG]: Please consider removing the following classifiers in favor of a SPDX license expression:
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: License :: OSI Approved :: Python Software Foundation License
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: See https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/guides/writing-pyproject-toml/#license for details.
[DEBUG]: ********************************************************************************
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: !!
[DEBUG]: self._finalize_license_expression()
[DEBUG]: running bdist_wheel
[DEBUG]: running build
[DEBUG]: running build_py
[DEBUG]: copying lib/matplotlib/_version.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-cpython-311/matplotlib
[DEBUG]: running build_ext
[DEBUG]: building 'matplotlib.ft2font' extension
[DEBUG]: /home/vboxuser/.buildozer/android/platform/android-ndk-r28c/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin/clang -target aarch64-linux-android24 -fomit-frame-pointer -march=armv8-a -fPIC -target aarch64-linux-android24 -fomit-frame-pointer -march=armv8-a -fPIC -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/python3/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/python3/Include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/freetype/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/freetype/include -DANDROID -I/home/vboxuser/.buildozer/android/platform/android-ndk-r28c/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/sysroot/usr/include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/python3/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/python3/Include -fPIC -DFREETYPE_BUILD_TYPE=system -DPY_ARRAY_UNIQUE_SYMBOL=MPL_matplotlib_ft2font_ARRAY_API -DNPY_NO_DEPRECATED_API=NPY_1_7_API_VERSION -D__STDC_FORMAT_MACROS=1 -Iextern/agg24-svn/include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/hostpython3/desktop/hostpython3/native-build/root/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/numpy/_core/include -I/tmp/build-env-jnznzryc/include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/hostpython3/desktop/hostpython3/Include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/python3/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/python3/android-build -c src/checkdep_freetype2.c -o build/temp.linux-x86_64-cpython-311/matplotlib.ft2font/src/checkdep_freetype2.o
[DEBUG]: src/checkdep_freetype2.c:14:9: warning: Compiling with FreeType version 2.10.1. [-W#pragma-messages]
[DEBUG]: 14 | #pragma message("Compiling with FreeType version " \
[DEBUG]: | ^
[DEBUG]: 1 warning generated.
[DEBUG]: /home/vboxuser/.buildozer/android/platform/android-ndk-r28c/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin/clang++ -target aarch64-linux-android24 -fomit-frame-pointer -march=armv8-a -fPIC -target aarch64-linux-android24 -fomit-frame-pointer -march=armv8-a -fPIC -DANDROID -I/home/vboxuser/.buildozer/android/platform/android-ndk-r28c/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/sysroot/usr/include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/python3/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/python3/Include -fPIC -DFREETYPE_BUILD_TYPE=system -DPY_ARRAY_UNIQUE_SYMBOL=MPL_matplotlib_ft2font_ARRAY_API -DNPY_NO_DEPRECATED_API=NPY_1_7_API_VERSION -D__STDC_FORMAT_MACROS=1 -Iextern/agg24-svn/include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/hostpython3/desktop/hostpython3/native-build/root/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/numpy/_core/include -I/tmp/build-env-jnznzryc/include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/hostpython3/desktop/hostpython3/Include -I/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/python3/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/python3/android-build -c src/ft2font.cpp -o build/temp.linux-x86_64-cpython-311/matplotlib.ft2font/src/ft2font.o
[DEBUG]: In file included from src/ft2font.cpp:11:
[DEBUG]: src/ft2font.h:12:10: fatal error: 'ft2build.h' file not found
[DEBUG]: 12 | #include <ft2build.h>
[DEBUG]: | ^~~~~~~~~~~~
[DEBUG]: 1 error generated.
[DEBUG]: error: command '/home/vboxuser/.buildozer/android/platform/android-ndk-r28c/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin/clang++' failed with exit code 1
[DEBUG]:
[DEBUG]: ERROR Backend subprocess exited when trying to invoke build_wheel
Exception in thread background thread for pid 388873:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/python3.11/threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
self.run()
File "/usr/lib/python3.11/threading.py", line 982, in run
self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
File "/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/sh.py", line 1642, in wrap
fn(*rgs, **kwargs)
File "/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/sh.py", line 2647, in background_thread
handle_exit_code(exit_code)
File "/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/sh.py", line 2338, in fn
return self.command.handle_command_exit_code(exit_code)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/sh.py", line 823, in handle_command_exit_code
raise exc
sh.ErrorReturnCode_1:
RAN: /home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/python3/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/python3/android-build/python3 -m build --wheel --config-setting builddir=/home/vboxuser/p4a_builds/mpl_test_app/.buildozer/android/platform/build-arm64-v8a/build/other_builds/matplotlib/arm64-v8a__ndk_target_24/matplotlib/p4a_android_build
Tested on Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 24.04.
The matplotlib recipe in p4a develop is currently broken.
Freetype dev is installed but not picked up correctly by the toolchain:
P4A error log:
Tested on Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 24.04.