Android - Enable ADB from recovery

Android - Enable ADB from recovery.md

Android - Enable ADB from recovery

Credits to @TheOnlyAnil-@Firelord¹

• Requirements: a) stock recovery + rooted phone b) custom recovery

• Files changed:

  • /system/build.prop
  • /data/property/persist.sys.usb.config
  • /data/misc/adb/adb_keys

Enable ADB (1/2): enable USB debugging

same as "Settings >> Developer Opcions >> USB debugging" ON

• Connect the device to Mac or PC in recovery mode.
• Now open terminal/CMD in computer and go to platform-tools/. type and enter adb devices to check if the device is connected in recovery mode.
• Now type adb shell mount data and adb shell mount system to mount the respective directories.
• Get the persist.sys.usb.config file in your system using adb pull /data/property/persist.sys.usb.config /Your directory
• Now open that file in a texteditor and edit it to mtp,adb and save.
• Now push the file back in the device; adb push /your-directory/persist.sys.usb.config /data/property
• Get the build.prop file; adb pull /system/build.prop /your-directory
• Add these lines:

persist.service.adb.enable=1                                                    
persist.service.debuggable=1
persist.sys.usb.config=mtp,adb

• Push build.prop back into the device; adb push /your-dir/build.prop /system/

Fast way

adb shell
mount data
echo -n 'mtp,adb' > /data/property/persist.sys.usb.config

Verify options are not present before do it: adb shell "grep 'persist.service.adb.enable' /system/build.prop"

adb shell
mount system
echo '' >> /system/build.prop
echo '# Enable ADB' >> /system/build.prop
echo 'persist.service.adb.enable=1' >> /system/build.prop 
echo 'persist.service.debuggable=1' >> /system/build.prop
echo 'persist.sys.usb.config=mtp,adb' >> /system/build.prop 

Enable ADB (2/2): RSA verification

For the RSA verification that you asked to bypass, I don't know whether it would work in your device, but it worked in my little experiment. In Lollipop, the ADB keys (after authorization) are saved in /data/misc/adb/adb_keys. Your private key is saved in computer. In Linux the directory location is $HOME/.android/. On Windows that usually translates to %USERPROFILE%.android, but keys might end up in C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile.android in some cases.

adb push ~/.android/adbkey.pub /data/misc/adb/adb_keys

Bibliography

Footnotes

1. http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/120394/can-i-enable-usb-debugging-using-adb ↩

I guess so: adb shell whoami is answered with "root". I'm not sure if I understand you correctly. I want to enable usb debugging to use scrcpy to mirror the screen. Will I dump the respective files if I try your way? (Sorry! Newbie here.)

I guess so: adb shell whoami is answered with "root". I'm not sure if I understand you correctly. I want to enable usb debugging to use scrcpy to mirror the screen. Will I dump the respective files if I try your way? (Sorry! Newbie here.)

Buddy, if you are able to run adb commands you've successfully enabled usb debugging! Just run scrcpy as it is.

I get

C:\WINDOWS\system32>scrcpy
scrcpy 1.22 <https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy>
C:\scrcpy-win64-v1.23\scrcpy-server.jar: 1 file pushed, 0 skipped. 36.4 MB/s (41123 bytes in 0.001s)
/sbin/sh: app_process: not found
ERROR: Server connection failed

I also checked adb shell ls /system/bin/app_* and adb shell ls /vendor/bin/app_* getting "no such file or directory".

Then there's nothing you can do besides modifying your phone's firmware. Have in mind that scrcpy won't work on Android versions lower than 5... Apr 14, 2022 6:54:13 PM PaulLeger ***@***.***>:

…

***@***.**** commented on this gist. ---------------------------------------- I get C:\WINDOWS\system32>scrcpy scrcpy 1.22 <https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy> C:\scrcpy-win64-v1.23\scrcpy-server.jar: 1 file pushed, 0 skipped. 36.4 MB/s (41123 bytes in 0.001s) /sbin/sh: app_process: not found ERROR: Server connection failed I also checked *adb shell ls /system/bin/app_** and *adb shell ls /vendor/bin/app_** getting "no such file or directory". — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub[https://gist.github.com/7b9555cdd1e5ad785ffde2300fcfd0bd#gistcomment-4133434], or unsubscribe[https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AKY5GQQFSBCYHMPQBKNPCZTVFCOZFANCNFSM4HZF6XPQ]. You are receiving this because you were mentioned. [data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAADAAAAAwCAYAAABXAvmHAAAABHNCSVQICAgIfAhkiAAAAD9JREFUaAXt0IEAAAAAw6D5Ux/khVBhwIABAwYMGDBgwIABAwYMGDBgwIABAwYMGDBgwIABAwYMGDBgwMDLwAAkMAABjpiuFgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==###24x24:true###][Tracking image][https://github.com/notifications/beacon/AKY5GQQWLVZDNQHTB54WGTDVFCOZFA5CNFSM4HZF6XP2YY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFVNDWS43UINXW23LFNZ2KUY3PNVWWK3TUL5UWJTQAH4JDU.gif]

I don't have S5, so I don't know exactly your paths. Can you try please somethink like mount /dev/block/data /data/ ?

I appreciate all of your help :) I've taken the easy way and bought an old device with a working touchscreen to change it.

"adb shell mount data" gives me "error: device unauthorized."
I can't seem to bypass the RSA verification

"adb push ~/.android/adbkey.pub /data/misc/adb/adb_keys"
gives "adb: error: failed to get feature set: device unauthorized."

@emkovic use /data for mount.
mount -o rw,remount /data

I wasn't able to use this for newer Android versions but for older Android versions it works (edit: I tried versions 6 through 10 and they all work). To mount system on the latest TWRP I used

twrp mount system
twrp mountrw

since mount system doesn't work. I guess a more UNIX/Linux-y longer mount command could've worked too.

Okay, it seems like if I do this on a clean install, it works. However, if I do the whole tap 10 times thing to enable developer options, then disable them, ADB stops working. Maybe this is why my previous attempts weren't working, since ADB had been explicitly turned off in other parts of Android. How would we change this using ADB/TWRP?

You're a lifesaver.
Thanks.

Alternative method to not have to modify /system/build.prop:

echo 'persist.service.adb.enable=1' >> /data/property/persistent_properties
echo 'persist.service.debuggable=1' >> /data/property/persistent_properties
echo 'persist.sys.usb.config=mtp,adb' >> /data/property/persistent_properties

I appear to have some troube with the instructions on my Samsung Galaxy S6 with LineageOS 17. It appear to be that build.prop is not present while in recovery mode. Probably it exists once the system is booted, but appearently not on the recovery. I anyway executed all the commands (i had to create the build.prop), but got no succes after booting the system.
Is there any other way to enable USB debugging?

Mount /system

Mount /system

System is mounted. I can see all files, but there is no build.prop

Problem solved. build.prop was located in /system/system

Thanks I wasnt able to keep my phone on for a few seconds so I couldnt enable adb and now it fixed both problems

ok what if your device isnt recognized? is there a way to ENABLE adb through download mode or revovery mode, adb devices would show?

Problem solved. build.prop was located in /system/system

On LineageOS 20 I needed to do

mount -o rw,seclabel,relatime /dev/block/dm-1 /mnt/system

because mount system did not work.

And then

echo '' >> /mnt/system/system/build.prop
echo '# Enable ADB' >> /mnt/system/system/build.prop
echo 'persist.service.adb.enable=1' >> /mnt/system/system/build.prop 
echo 'persist.service.debuggable=1' >> /mnt/system/system/build.prop
echo 'persist.sys.usb.config=mtp,adb' >> /mnt/system/system/build.prop 

@ValorNaram thats pretty smart but why am i still getting notified for this

I think you get notifications if you commented once

/system is twrp system. To mount android /system use mount /system_root.

I create Magisk Module for this, check this out.
https://github.com/lexavey/Adb-Root-Enabler

On LineageOS 20 I needed to do

How did you do the RSA verification? Isn't the /data partition encrypted by default on LineageOS 20?

hello guys, i make first file inside data/property/persist.sys.usb.config >> "mtp, adb"

next add inside /system_root/system/build.prop >>

"persist.service.adb.enable=1
persist.service.debuggable=1
persist.sys.usb.config=mtp,adb"

as i understand right now my phone should receive adb commands from terminal , but it's not. Why?

i tries to enter ./adb command

/system/bin/sh: appops: inaccessible or not found

android 14

i'm on the galaxy s23+

who did this on newer phones?

hello guys, i make first file inside data/property/persist.sys.usb.config >> "mtp, adb"

next add inside /system_root/system/build.prop >>

"persist.service.adb.enable=1 persist.service.debuggable=1 persist.sys.usb.config=mtp,adb"

as i understand right now my phone should receive adb commands from terminal , but it's not. Why?

i tries to enter ./adb command

/system/bin/sh: appops: inaccessible or not found

android 14

i'm on the galaxy s23+

who did this on newer phones?

are you able to connect adb ? confirmed with adb devices and your device listed ?
if not, i think your problem in android.

if you cant execute adb devices then your problem is in your pc.

adb shell rm /data/property/persistent_properties instead of (or in addition to) echo -n 'mtp,adb' > /data/property/persist.sys.usb.config worked for me

I create Magisk Module for this, check this out. https://github.com/lexavey/Adb-Root-Enabler

Hi guys, I am on lineageos 9. I managed to get usb debugging enabled through twrp, but I can't seem to bypass the RSA verification even though I have copied the key as mentioned above. Unfortunately, I don't have magisk installed, but is there a way to install the unauthorized adb manually through twrp?

Thanks to all, especially the threadstarter for the idea. And a special thanks to @nift4 for the final trick with deleting or renaming the persistent_properties. That did the trick finally.