Android Development Environment Setup (Without KVM)

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$ mkdir -p /data/android-workspace && cat > /data/android-workspace/README.md << 'EOF'
# Android Development Environment Setup (Without KVM)

## Overview

This guide documents how to set up a complete Android development environment on a machine without KVM hardware virtualization support, using Redroid (Remote Android) containerized solution.

**Tested on:** Linux 6.8.0-71-generic, Docker, Android SDK 36.6.11

## Prerequisites

- Linux host (Ubuntu/Debian recommended)
- Docker installed and running
- Android SDK command-line tools
- Root access (for kernel module loading)

## Step-by-Step Setup

### 1. Load Required Kernel Modules

The host kernel needs `binderfs` support for Android IPC:

```bash
# Check if binder module exists
find /lib/modules/$(uname -r) -name "*binder*"

# Load binder module with all device types
modprobe binder_linux devices="binder,hwbinder,vndbinder"

# Verify binderfs is available
mount -t binder binder /dev/binderfs
ls -la /dev/binderfs
```

Expected output:
```
binder_linux          233472  0
crw------- 1 root root 241, 1 binder
crw------- 1 root root 241, 0 binder-control
crw------- 1 root root 241, 2 hwbinder
crw------- 1 root root 241, 3 vndbinder
```

### 2. Install Android SDK Components

```bash
# Set environment variables
export ANDROID_HOME=/data/android-sdk
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin

# Install required SDK packages
sdkmanager "platform-tools"
sdkmanager "build-tools;34.0.0"
sdkmanager "platforms;android-34" "platforms;android-35"
```

### 3. Start Redroid Container

```bash
# Remove any existing containers
docker rm -f redroid 2>/dev/null

# Start Redroid with memfd (bypasses missing ashmem module)
docker run -d --rm --privileged \
  -v ~/redroid-data:/data \
  -p 5559:5555 \
  --name redroid \
  redroid/redroid:14.0.0-latest \
  androidboot.use_memfd=true \
  ro.secure=0

# Wait for boot (takes ~2-3 minutes)
sleep 120
```

### 4. Connect and Verify

```bash
# Connect ADB
adb connect localhost:5559
adb devices

# Verify boot complete
adb -s localhost:5559 shell getprop sys.boot_completed
# Should return: 1

# Check Android version
adb -s localhost:5559 shell getprop ro.build.version.release
# Should return: 14
```

### 5. Configure Development Environment

```bash
# Enable developer options
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global development_settings_enabled 1

# Enable stay awake while charging
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3

# Set screen timeout (30 minutes)
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put system screen_off_timeout 1800000

# Disable animations for faster testing
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0

# Set timezone
adb -s localhost:5559 shell setprop persist.sys.timezone Asia/Shanghai
```

## Key Technical Details

### Why This Works

1. **Redroid vs Android Emulator**: Redroid runs Android userspace directly on the host kernel, avoiding QEMU emulation entirely
2. **binderfs**: Modern kernel feature for Android IPC, replaces legacy `/dev/binder`
3. **memfd**: Alternative to ashmem for shared memory, available in kernel 6.8+
4. **No KVM Required**: Redroid doesn't use virtualization - it's containerized Android

### Kernel Requirements

- **binderfs**: Available in kernel 5.0+ with `CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDERFS=y`
- **memfd**: Available via `CONFIG_MEMFD_CREATE=y` (standard in modern kernels)
- **ashmem**: NOT required when using `androidboot.use_memfd=true`

### Common Issues and Solutions

| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| `modprobe: FATAL: Module ashmem_linux not found` | Use `androidboot.use_memfd=true` flag |
| Container exits immediately | Ensure `--privileged` flag and binderfs mounted |
| ADB device offline | Wait longer for boot (2-3 min), check container logs |
| Port 5555 already in use | Use different port mapping (e.g., `-p 5559:5555`) |

## Verification Checklist

- [ ] binderfs mounted at `/dev/binderfs`
- [ ] Redroid container running (`docker ps`)
- [ ] ADB connected (`adb devices` shows `localhost:5559 device`)
- [ ] `sys.boot_completed` returns `1`
- [ ] Package manager accessible (`adb shell pm list packages`)
- [ ] Screenshots work (`adb exec-out screencap -p > screen.png`)

## Quick Start Script

```bash
#!/bin/bash
# setup-android.sh - Complete setup script

set -e

echo "=== Loading Kernel Modules ==="
modprobe binder_linux devices="binder,hwbinder,vndbinder"
mount -t binder binder /dev/binderfs 2>/dev/null || true

echo "=== Starting Redroid ==="
docker rm -f redroid 2>/dev/null || true
docker run -d --rm --privileged \
  -v ~/redroid-data:/data \
  -p 5559:5555 \
  --name redroid \
  redroid/redroid:14.0.0-latest \
  androidboot.use_memfd=true

echo "=== Waiting for Boot ==="
for i in {1..6}; do
  sleep 30
  if adb -s localhost:5559 shell getprop sys.boot_completed 2>/dev/null | grep -q 1; then
    echo "Boot complete!"
    break
  fi
  echo "Waiting... ($i/6)"
done

echo "=== Configuring Device ==="
adb connect localhost:5559
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global development_settings_enabled 1
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0
adb -s localhost:5559 shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0

echo "=== Setup Complete ==="
adb devices
```

## Session Recovery

If the session was interrupted:

```bash
# Check container status
docker ps | grep redroid

# Restart if needed
docker rm -f redroid
# Run step 3 again

# Reconnect ADB
adb kill-server
adb connect localhost:5559
```

## Resources

- Redroid Documentation: https://github.com/remote-android/redroid-doc
- Android SDK: https://developer.android.com/studio#downloads
- Kernel Modules: https://github.com/remote-android/redroid-modules

---

**Last Updated:** 2026-06-18
**Tested Configuration:** Linux 6.8.0-71-generic, Docker, Redroid 14.0.0, Android SDK 36.6.11
**Status:** ✅ Working
EOF

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cat /data/android-workspace/README.md | wc -l

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