How to show shadow around the linearlayout in Android?

Well, this is easy to achieve .

Just build a GradientDrawable that comes from black and goes to a transparent color, than use parent relationship to place your shape close to the View that you want to have a shadow, then you just have to give any values to height or width .

Here is an example, this file have to be created inside res/drawable , I name it as shadow.xml :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:shape="rectangle">

    <gradient
        android:startColor="#9444"
        android:endColor="#0000"
        android:type="linear"
        android:angle="90"> <!-- Change this value to have the correct shadow angle, must be multiple from 45 -->
    </gradient>

</shape>

Place the following code above from a LinearLayout , for example, set the android:layout_width and android:layout_height to fill_parent and 2.3dp, you'll have a nice shadow effect on your LinearLayout .

<View
    android:id="@+id/shadow"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="2.3dp"  
    android:layout_above="@+id/id_from_your_LinearLayout" 
    android:background="@drawable/shadow">
</View>

Note 1: If you increase android:layout_height more shadow will be shown .

Note 2: Use android:layout_above="@+id/id_from_your_LinearLayout" attribute if you are placing this code inside a RelativeLayout, otherwise ignore it.

Hope it help someone.

There is also another solution to the problem by implementing a layer-list that will act as the background for the LinearLayoout.

Add background_with_shadow.xml file to res/drawable. Containing:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item >
        <shape 
            android:shape="rectangle">
        <solid android:color="@android:color/darker_gray" />
        <corners android:radius="5dp"/>
        </shape>
    </item>
    <item android:right="1dp" android:left="1dp" android:bottom="2dp">
        <shape 
            android:shape="rectangle">
        <solid android:color="@android:color/white"/>
        <corners android:radius="5dp"/>
        </shape>
    </item>
</layer-list>

Then add the the layer-list as background in your LinearLayout.

<LinearLayout
  android:layout_width="wrap_content"
  android:layout_height="wrap_content"
  android:background="@drawable/background_with_shadow"/>