Here are a few commands for Android in terminal. If you have any commands that you think should be here, just reply. Enjoy!
chmod - give/take rights away from files. The numbers you see in the how-to's is a little complicated. It has to do with the rights you are assigning the file or folder. http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Chmod for further reading.
cat - look at, modify, or combine a file. You can also copy files with this command by "reading" it to another file instead of to the screen.
cd - change from one directory to another
cp - Copy a file from one location to another
dd - copies exact locations to other locations. Can be an entire drive, a folder, etc.
dd if= of=. uses an input file and an output file.
exit - exits the shell you are in. When you type su you start up a shell.
ls - lists all files with in a directory try ls - l too.
mv - Move a file from one location to another. At the same time you can rename a file.
su - Substitute User. We type this to switch to the root user. You need to type this command first to do a lot of the other commands.
tar - creates taped archives. Compresses files like winzip, 7zip, winrar and others tar /? for details.
rm - followed by a file name with delete the file sync - synchronizes any data on disk with data in memory. We type this before rebooting to ensure we've got all data written
Other commands of interest:
df - how much free disk space. In linux you can add a switch "df -h" but the "-h" does nothing for me on Android. top - like task manager, it displays running processes. in Linux the q key quits. On Android I don't know how to make it quit other than closing the app. uptime - displays how long it has been since you last rebooted the system.
busybox - a tool that combines many linux commands into a single compact file. Typing this displays all the commands at your disposal.
busybox df - a much easier to read display of free diskspace. This display shows how full (use%) each file system is.
Thanks
thank you so much, well for a noob like me very informative was looking for this kind from very long :laugh:
Substitute user XD you know it is superuser right?
free - see all free Memory from the Device
mid-kid said:
Substitute user XD you know it is superuser right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually substitute user is also correct.
"The su command, also referred to as substitute user, super user, or switch user, allows a computer operator to change the current user account associated with the running virtual console."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_(Unix)
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
So practically the basic linux comands are the same with android terminal!!!
I just noticed that the ping command is working just fine
Type ping 4.2.2.4 for example
rezo609 said:
If you have any commands that you think should be here, just reply. Enjoy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
svc data enable - turn on mobile data
svc data disable - turn off mobile data
svc wifi enable - turn on wifi
svc wifi disable - turn off wifi
svc help - show information about subcommands
For the top command mentioned in the OP, just type "top -n 1" and it will exit, leaving you with the readout at the time you executed the command. -n is for number of updates before stopping.
Also will add that the powertop command will show the top reasons for wakeups from idle.
Tnx
Metalcorpe said:
So practically the basic linux comands are the same with android terminal!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep
rezo609 said:
If you have any commands that you think should be here, just reply.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
grep - Useful to apply filters to other commands. For example, to list only the apk files inside a folder:
Code:
ls /folder/to/list | grep apk
or to search a string inside a file:
Code:
cat /file | grep stringToSearch
logcat - Debugging tool, all the system messages are shown here. To show only the debug messages (useful when an app is giving FC without apparent reason), type:
Code:
su
logcat -d
mount - The most common use for this command is remount the system partition, to modify its content (be careful, you can easily brick your device!). Common usage (needs root):
Code:
Mount /system in Read/Write mode:
mount -o rw,remount /system
Mount /system in Read Only mode:
mount -o ro,remount /system
Saving command output to file. Type
Code:
command >> /folder/to/save/file
If the file doesn't exist will be created, otherwise, the info will be added to the end of the file.
You can also use:
Code:
command > /folder/to/save/file
If the file doesn't exist also will be created, but if the file exists its content will be deleted before add the info.
mount - Mounting a partition
umount - Unmounting a mounted partition
reboot - Reboot phone
stop - Shutdowns the GUI
start - Restarts GUI
above two commands can be used to get a fast reboot.
Also you my use the reboot command to do a faster restart to the device but your are going to lose any unsaved work
You must be rooted
First type : su
Then : reboot
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
run program with command
I want to run "Applock"s lock all command. I have widgetsoid which can create shortcut for any command. How to do it? I am rooted.
SAVED ME!
toasterwater said:
svc data enable - turn on mobile data
svc data disable - turn off mobile data
svc wifi enable - turn on wifi
svc wifi disable - turn off wifi
svc help - show information about subcommands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, thank you so much for posting this information. I had switched my MNVO service to a newer a phone, and this one was just sitting around. There were still things on it that I needed like some notes that I had saved. Because I had not used it in a while, and there was no data/cell service on it, I was out of luck (or so I thought) when I forgot my unlock pin. It wouldn't accept my google login information because there was no data connection. I COULD NOT GET INTO MY PHONE! I was dreading the possibility of having to factory reset, which would erase my notes and other things saved on there. On a whim and after MUCH Google searching, I was trying to find a way to reset the number of attempted pin locks to no avail. I was about to give up, but luckily, I remembered I had rooted it. And after downloading the latest SDK bundle, I came across your post. It allowed me to turn the wifi on my cell phone even though I was "locked out." Wouldn't you know that it very quickly picked up my home wifi signal. Because a data connection was enabled, I was then able to use my gmail login information to get into the phone. Your post saved me and prevented me from having to factory reset my phone and losing my information. Thank you so much!
netstat - show connections status in local device
...
rezo609 said:
Here are a few commands for Android in terminal. If you have any commands that you think should be here, just reply. Enjoy!
chmod - give/take rights away from files. The numbers you see in the how-to's is a little complicated. It has to do with the rights you are assigning the file or folder. http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Chmod for further reading.
cat - look at, modify, or combine a file. You can also copy files with this command by "reading" it to another file instead of to the screen.
cd - change from one directory to another
cp - Copy a file from one location to another
dd - copies exact locations to other locations. Can be an entire drive, a folder, etc.
dd if= of=. uses an input file and an output file.
exit - exits the shell you are in. When you type su you start up a shell.
ls - lists all files with in a directory try ls - l too.
mv - Move a file from one location to another. At the same time you can rename a file.
su - Substitute User. We type this to switch to the root user. You need to type this command first to do a lot of the other commands.
tar - creates taped archives. Compresses files like winzip, 7zip, winrar and others tar /? for details.
rm - followed by a file name with delete the file sync - synchronizes any data on disk with data in memory. We type this before rebooting to ensure we've got all data written
Other commands of interest:
df - how much free disk space. In linux you can add a switch "df -h" but the "-h" does nothing for me on Android. top - like task manager, it displays running processes. in Linux the q key quits. On Android I don't know how to make it quit other than closing the app. uptime - displays how long it has been since you last rebooted the system.
busybox - a tool that combines many linux commands into a single compact file. Typing this displays all the commands at your disposal.
busybox df - a much easier to read display of free diskspace. This display shows how full (use%) each file system is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if i wanted to delete a directory with data ? what would be the syntax
Set/View Network Host Name
Run the following as root
setprop net.hostname <new_hostname> // To Change Device Hostname
getprop net.hostname // To View Device Hostname
list of all android terminal commands
Open terminal or file explorer with root access
From root folder go to /system/bin
Type command :ls
The list contains all the terminal codes available
Enjoy!!
Disclaimer1: I'm not responsible if anything goes wrong while you try out the codes.
Disclaimer:man & help pages are not available on android terminal
Related
When I first attempted to install the SDK, I found tutorials that only had bits and pieces about the whole procedure. A lot of Google searches and hours of eye strain. I wanted to write a solid tutorial, but instead of publishing it in a personal blog, I chose to publish it here on xda-developers. This is the definite forum to come to if you are interested in Android/G1/HTC Dream development or costumization. I wrote this to make the enlarge the knowledge of this community.
!! THIS TUTORIAL IS FOR THE LATEST UBUNTU RELEASE: JAUNTY JACKALOPE 9.04 !!
!!START -------------------------------------- Optional Preparation --------------------------------------
This applies if you -
Are interested in installing Ubuntu for the first time.
Are/will be reinstalling Ubuntu from scratch.
Want to keep your SDK installation easy to reach.
Want to keep things nice and clean.
And your machine -
Has a second hard drive.
Has free space for another small partition.
This procedure will make things easier during installation of the SDK and in the long run. Hopefully you've read about partitions. If you are dualbooting, please read this first to get an idea of what you're doing.
While installing Ubuntu and on the Prepare Disk Space screen (partition editor), select "Specify partitions manually (Advanced)"
On the Create Partition dialog, select the following options:
Type for the new partition: Primaryor Logical if you're dualbooting and know what you are doing.
New partition size in megabytes: 5120MB (5GB) might work. BUT:
ccyrowski said:
It should be noted that if you ever plan on compiling kernels and/or cupcake ROM's you will NEED ubuntu8.04. You'll also need at least 10GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Location for the new partition: Beginning
Use as: Ext4 or Ext3Filesystem doesn't matter. (?)
Mount point: /AndroidSDKEnter this manually
Complete Ubuntu installation as usual.
-------------------------------------- Optional Preparation -------------------------------------- END!!
You will now install the SDK.
!!START -------------------------------------- Installing Android SDK --------------------------------------
Installing the SDK is the easiest of all.
Download the SDK.169.9 MB [http://developer.android.com/sdk/download.html?v=android-sdk-linux_x86-1.5_r3.zip]
Right-click and select Extract Here.
Move the contents of the android-sdk-linux_x86-1.5_r3 directory to your desired location.If you followed Optional Installation, move the contents to your /AndroidSDK directory in the root of your filesystem.
Close directory window.
-------------------------------------- Installing Android SDK -------------------------------------- END!!
You will now set up your bashrc file and UDEV to recognize your HTC Device.
!!START -------------------------------------- ADB + FASTBOOT --------------------------------------
The Android Debug Bridge (adb) is one of the tools that will help you the most when you run into flashing problems or running shell commands directly from your machine. UDEV will not recognize your G1 out of the box, but we will configure it with some rules so it can connect.
We will work with /AndroidSDK as the location of your sdk. If this is not your setup, I think you're smart enough to figure it out.
Editing .bashrc file to use tools from /AndroidSDK/tools/ directory -
Go to your home folder.Example: /home/wddglr/
Press Control + H to view hidden files.
Look for your .bashrc file and double click to open it with gedit.
Add the following lines to the top of the file:
Code:
#AndroidDev PATH
export PATH=${PATH}:/AndroidSDK/tools
IMPORTANT NOTE
savethechicken said:
This is the way that I have my .bashrc file setup. For those having problems with it not recognizing the adb as a command try this...
Code:
export PATH=$PATH:/AndroidSDK/tools
I removed the {} around ${PATH} and it is working if I had them on it would say that it didn't recognize the command. Removed them and all works well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Setting up UDEV to recognize HTC Device -
Type the following into a terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal):
Code:
gksudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules
Now add the following line to the blank file:
Code:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="0bb4", MODE="0666"
Click save and close.
To restart udev, open up a terminal and enter:
Code:
sudo /etc/init.d/udev restart
Setting up fastboot -
Download this fastboot binary from http://android-dls.com.130.4 KB [http://android-dls.com/files/linux/fastboot]
Once downloaded to your desktop, right click and select Properties.
Navigate to the Permissions tab and configure the following option:Execute: [√] Allow executing file as program
Click Close.
Move the fastboot bianary to your /AndroidSDK/tools/ directory.
Reboot.
-------------------------------------- ADB + FASTBOOT -------------------------------------- END!!Now you can use adb and fastboot directly from any terminal. If you chose to do the Optional Preparation, you can now save your Eclipse Workspace and your downloaded/custom ROMs/Themes in this new /AndroidSDK directory keeping things easier to reach and safe from evil disk errors or other mishaps!!! :OIf you are having problems, send me a PM. I will be happy to help.
*applaudes* awesome. Should be added to helpful threads.
very nice! perhaps add a "(How-To)" prefix to thread??
Everything was going great in setting this up until I got to this part "gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules"
I cannot find "51-android.rules" inside of "rules.d"
Any thoughts>?
nicholasbithell said:
Everything was going great in setting this up until I got to this part "gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules"
I cannot find "51-android.rules" inside of "rules.d"
Any thoughts>?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it does not exist, you will make it.
do the command as stated above.
Code:
gksu gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules
Damn you beat me to it!
I was just thinking earlier about doing this same "How-To" guide, I was surprise to see it posted just now.
Anyways, great job!
Can someone sticky this thread. Now I have ADB & fastboot on my Win7, Ubuntu, and OS X Partition. Thank you wddglr.
bravo...linux rocks even better now!...
Awesome tutorial for setting this up. Have been using adb/sdk on ubuntu since oct. but this would have saved me some headaches back in the first couple of weeks.
The onlything that is not clear and/or confuses me is
Setting up the udev to recognize the device.
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="0bb4", MODE="0666"
Have never used this (will now to see if it will do anything) and the only problem i have is that sometimes i have to kill-server to get it to connect correctly but i have seen this happen to almost everyone on many forums since the 9.04 came out. And even after putting this file on the computer i have had the problem.
savethechicken said:
Awesome tutorial for setting this up. Have been using adb/sdk on ubuntu since oct. but this would have saved me some headaches back in the first couple of weeks.
The onlything that is not clear and/or confuses me is
Setting up the udev to recognize the device.
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="0bb4", MODE="0666"
Have never used this (will now to see if it will do anything) and the only problem i have is that sometimes i have to kill-server to get it to connect correctly but i have seen this happen to almost everyone on many forums since the 9.04 came out. And even after putting this file on the computer i have had the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It happens to me also from time to time. especially when i reboot and want to go into adb while the device is rebooting. although that file, 51-adndroid.rules, is what helped me get adb to recognize the device. the guide on developer.android.com talked about 50-android.rules but after a few deep searches i found this: http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/1d3488c601243686
Okay A few questions for you....
First I fixed the whole "couldnt find the (51-android.rules) file now I am having issues with executing ADB!
When in terminal this is what I get...
"[email protected]:/home/nick# /AndroidSDK/tools/adb
bash: /AndroidSDK/tools/adb: cannot execute binary file
[email protected]:/home/nick#"
and I also noticed something different from when I start terminal the first lines now state
"bash: : command not found
[email protected]:~$"
I dont remember the first line ever being there, but I could be mistaken!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Edit: You state creating "Mount point: /AndroidSDK" During Installation, and what I did was Just place my AndroidSDK at root so it is at "/AndroidSDK". I dont know if this makes a difference.
I am actually running ubuntu 8.10 ha! I just tried to update But I keep getting errors! is there anything I can change to get this to work on ubuntu 8.10?
nicholasbithell said:
First I fixed the whole "couldnt find the (51-android.rules) file now I am having issues with executing ADB!
When in terminal this is what I get...
"[email protected]:/home/nick# /AndroidSDK/tools/adb
bash: /AndroidSDK/tools/adb: cannot execute binary file
[email protected]:/home/nick#"
and I also noticed something different from when I start terminal the first lines now state
"bash: : command not found
[email protected]:~$"
Edit: You state creating "Mount point: /AndroidSDK" During Installation, and what I did was Just place my AndroidSDK at root so it is at "/AndroidSDK". I dont know if this makes a difference.
I am actually running ubuntu 8.10 ha! I just tried to update But I keep getting errors! is there anything I can change to get this to work on ubuntu 8.10?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okay, a few things -
seems like your .bashrc file isn't setup right (?)
make sure that the two lines you inserted into it are on separate line
Code:
#AndroidDev PATH
export PATH=${PATH}:/AndroidSDK/tools
because maybe export PATH=${PATH}:/AndroidSDK/tools got commented on accident if you copy pasted.
When copying your SDK to the root of your filesystem, did you copy it as your own user or as root? you can use:
Code:
gksu nautilus
to copy system files with complete root privileges.
What exactly are you trying to update, Ubuntu or ... ? There shouldn't be a difference to get this working on 8.10, the only thing that seemed to change was the 51-android.rules file. Maybe this can help -
renaming it to 50-android.rules with
Code:
gksu nautilus
and deleting any backups (use CTRL+H to view hidden files).
restarting udev using:
Code:
sudo /etc/init.d/udev restart
Remember this is for 9.04, not 8.10. I hope this helps.
wddglr said:
okay, a few things -
seems like your .bashrc file isn't setup right (?)
make sure that the two lines you inserted into it are on separate line
Code:
#AndroidDev PATH
export PATH=${PATH}:/AndroidSDK/tools
because maybe export PATH=${PATH}:/AndroidSDK/tools got commented on accident if you copy pasted.
When copying your SDK to the root of your filesystem, did you copy it as your own user or as root? you can use:
Code:
gksu nautilus
to copy system files with complete root privileges.
What exactly are you trying to update, Ubuntu or ... ? There shouldn't be a difference to get this working on 8.10, the only thing that seemed to change was the 51-android.rules file. Maybe this can help -
renaming it to 50-android.rules with
Code:
gksu nautilus
and deleting any backups (use CTRL+H to view hidden files).
restarting udev using:
Code:
sudo /etc/init.d/udev restart
Remember this is for 8.10, not 9.04. I hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay this is how I moved my "AndroidSDK" Folder to root....
[email protected]:~$ su
Password:
[email protected]:/home/nick# mv /home/nick/Desktop/AndroidSDK /
[email protected]:/home/nick#"
And I went to the bashrc file and it is entered in there correctly.
This is still what I get even after restarting Udev...
" bash: : command not found
[email protected]:~$ adb
bash: /AndroidSDK/tools/adb: cannot execute binary file
[email protected]:~$ su
Password:
[email protected]:/home/nick# adb
bash: adb: command not found"
Edit: This is what my .bashrc file looks like, well the top part of it anyways....
#AndroidDev PATH
export PATH=${PATH}:/AndroidSDK/tools
# ~/.bashrc: executed by bash(1) for non-login shells.
# see /usr/share/doc/bash/examples/startup-files (in the package bash-doc)
# for examples
Okay your .bashrc is setup right and it's recognizing adb and its directory.
I would say it's something to do with permissions. since you moved it under su, you are not the owner so i would say that you'd have to change the permissions of /AndroidSDK
you can do that with -
Code:
gksu nautilus
Navigate to /
Right click on /AndroidSDK and select Properties
Click on Permissions tab
Select your user account as the owner
hopefully now it will function correctly
wddglr said:
Okay your .bashrc is setup right and it's recognizing adb and its directory.
I would say it's something to do with permissions. since you moved it under su, you are not the owner so i would say that you'd have to change the permissions of /AndroidSDK
you can do that with -
Code:
gksu nautilus
Navigate to /
Right click on /AndroidSDK and select Properties
Click on Permissions tab
Select your user account as the owner
hopefully now it will function correctly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont understand what this line does...
"gksu nautilus"
when i type it in it asks me for my administrative password and then after i put it in it hangs for a sec and then back to...
bash: : command not found
[email protected]:~$ gksu nautilus
[email protected]:~$
nautilus is the file browser, while using gksu nautilus you can use the file browser under root privileges
wddglr said:
nautilus is the file browser, while using gksu nautilus you can use the file browser under root privileges
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont have Nautilus as a file browser I have Thunar I believe.
Then gksu thunar
wddglr said:
nautilus is the file browser, while using gksu nautilus you can use the file browser under root privileges
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For permissions it says that I am the owner and the group (I=Nick) for Others it says Read and Write, Access says Read and write. So it seems it has all the right permissions. Any other Ideas?
Partitioning HD
First off, thank you for this thread, it's most excellent. I have a question that is slightly off topic, but not so much. I have Ubuntu 9.04 installed on my recovery partition. This partition is only 10 GB, while I have Vista on my main. I have almost 100 GB free on my main drive, and what I want to know is, if I resized my partitions to give more space to Ubuntu, how would it affect my comp? (if at all). And which OS should I be on while resizing, Ubuntu or Vista?
Hi, i just rooted my hero yesterday.
I have some small capacities on linux, and i wnated to know if there is ( and where it is ) an equivalent to the /etc/init.d and different rc.x.d config. file for the process launched at boot. I wouldl ike to edit or delete some programs launching at startup which i don't need really to launch at startup Is it possible and simple ?
Ciao
Fred
Edit : stupid question... there is no vi on the system so no way to edit the file ..
I am even new than you to android rooting (just rooted my Sprint Hero 2.1 today!).
I loaded Fresh ROM 2.1.2 on my Hero today and there's an app called "ES File Explorer". It allows me to browse the unix-like filesystem, right to the directory you mentioned above.
I can click on the files and open them as Text, Executable, etc. Opening as Text even gives me two different text editors.
Unfortuantly, the file(s) you talk about are for readonly. You have to be logged in as a Superuser to edit them (as I found out today). The easiest way I found is to do it via a command-line prompt.
When you "root" your android phone, that means you are able to login remotely as another user. Such as the "superuser" account from the Android SDK. On Windows, after you have rooted your phone, you can do:
Code:
C:\android\tools\> adb remount
C:\android\tools\> adb shell
#
When you see that "#" prompt, you are now logged into your phone running the default shell (not sure which shell it is). So, now you can copy/open that file:
Code:
# cd \
# type init.rc | more
Of course u can't do squat from here. So, you have two options:
1) Change the permissions to allow you to modify it from the Android device itself (possible security issue if u download a broken app that wants to modify your phone).
Code:
# chmod 755 init.rc
Now you are able to modify the file locally, right on your device. No PC needed any longer. But again, it's a possible seucrity issue.
2) just pull the file from your device to your desktop pc, edit it, and push it back. Exit out of the # shell by typing "exit" and pressing enter. At the C prompt, pull the file:
Code:
C:\android\tools\> adb pull /init.rc C:\init.rc
That pulls the file from your android device and places it at C:\init.rc. You can obmit the C:\ part, which would place the file in your android Tools folder u are running adb from (mine is getting messy though).
Once you edit it to your liking, push it back to your device:
Code:
C:\android\tools\> adb push C:\init.rc /init.rc
And that's it.
most custom roms contain nano, which is also a possible way to edit files.
I updated my post to reflect actual directions on how to modify a system file like that.
Basic Linux/Unix Commands
[HIGHLIGHT] DISCLAIMER - You know the drill. I don't deem myself responsible in case you screw up your phone. Always make a backup if you don't trust yourself and if you know that you screwing up is your forte[/HIGHLIGHT]
Thanks -
mihir287 for his FAQ
sweetnsour for his extensively detailed thread
Shen - advice
Zayed from www.addictivetips.com
http://www.linuxtopia.org
This guide aims to give you a background on some of the linux commands available to you once you obtain an adb shell.
In order to obtain an ADB shell, you must have adb set up on your computer (all ADB really consists of in windows is adb + 2 dlls + adb drivers.
However it makes sense to fully set up the Android SDK if you plan on developing for Android.
You need to install adb or get Terminal Emulator. To install adb and get more info about it visit here.
NOTE = All commands in linux/unix are CASE SENSITIVE.
Shell Commands
These commands are to be typed after typing
Code:
adb shell
In the Command Prompt.
Or, you can proceed normally if you are using a Terminal Emulator.
1. cd - Change Directory
To change to any directory, simply type:
Code:
cd <dirname>
dir name is the path. For instance, to switch to system/etc, type:
Code:
cd /system/etc
'..' will allow you to go back one directory. In our example, typing:
Code:
cd ..
would take you back to /system
2. ls - List Files
To list all the files in whatever directory you're in, simply type:
Code:
ls
pressing enter after, of course. This will list all NON-HIDDEN files/directories.
Code:
ls /system/etc
will list the contents of system/etc
Code:
ls -l
will list all NON-HIDDEN files in your current directory with additional details
Code:
ls -a
will list all files/directories(including hidden) within your current directory
Code:
ls *.extension
will list all the files wit the specified extension in the directory
For example i wanna list all apps -
Code:
cd /system/app
ls *.apk
3. su - SuperUser
The standard adb shell (unless you're on an insecure kernel/ramdisk), will be a non-root shell ($)
To obtain root priviliges (if your phone is rooted), simply type:
Code:
su
on obtaining superuser priviliges, you will be presented with a # symbol, which represent a root shell.
4. chmod - Change Mode
The two most commonly used 'modes' you'll come across in Android are '777' and '755'
These numerical pemissions have different meanings, of course. This can be a little confusing, so I hope this explains it in a simple to understand way.
As you can see, there are three numbers in the following example; 'chmod 755'
So, to break that down: The first number in the sequence, '7', represents the USER (aka, you). The second number in the sequence, '5', represents the GROUP (users who are members of the file's group) and the third number, '5' represents OTHERS (aka, everyone else).
Now to explain why they are 755, and the significance of those numbers, see the following list:
7 Full
6 Read/Write
5 Read/Execute
4 Read Only
3 Write/Execute
2 Write Only
1 Execute
0 None
So in the instance of 777, you can see that USER, GROUP and OTHERS have FULL access to the file in question.
To change the permissions of one file (apns-conf.xml for example, type:
Code:
chmod 777 /system/etc/apns-conf.xml
To change the permissions of all files in a directory, use the -R (recursive)option:
Code:
chmod 777 -R /system/etc
5. pwd - Print Working Directory
Couldn't be more simple. if you want to find out which dirctory you're currently in, type:
Code:
pwd
and press enter.
6. cat - Concatenate (evolved from)
The cat command if used to list a file's contents on your screen; or pass via pipeline to use with other Linux commands.
cat /proc/mounts
will output the various mount points in your android OS.
Note that there are many other uses for the cat command.
7. mount - remount as r/w or r/o
The mount command is used to mount a directory as r/w[Read-Write which allows you to modify it] or r/o[Read-Only]
Mount info -
Code:
mount
To mount as r/w and r/o respectively use -
Code:
mount -o remount rw <dirname>
or
mount -o remount ro <dirname>
To mount /system i will use
Code:
mount -o remount rw /system
or
mount -o remount ro /system
8. cp, mv, rm - Copy, Move, Remove
Use the 'cp' and 'mv' commands to copy, move a file/directory respectively and 'rm' to remove one. They are equivalent to copy+paste and cut+paste and delete
If you are planning to copy/move/remove from your android to anywhere else or viceversa you need to mount as r/w prior to this and mount as r/o after it.
They can be used as
Code:
cp <source> <destination>
or
mv <source> <destination>
or
rm <source>
For example i wanna copy/move/delete my zip file to system/media [after mounting system]
Code:
cp /sdcard/bootanimation.zip system/media
or
mv /sdcard/bootanimation.zip system/media
or
rm /sdcard/bootanimation.zip
9. Auto - Install Applications To SDCard
Type the following -
Code:
pm setInstallLocation 2
10. logcat
A logcat is basically a command to view messages in one of the system logs.
Logcat is the command to view the internal log of the Android system.
Viewing logcat is often the best way - and sometimes the only way - to diagnose a problem.
Dev's always need proper and useful feedback. So if you are testing something, you can always obtain the errors an report back to the dev who in turn can solve your problem efficiently.
Code:
su
logcat > /sdcard/log.txt
Will obtain the logcat to your sdcard as log.txt
Googlers have a sense of humour so even 'lolcat' works identically as 'logcat'
Code:
lolcat
Some dev's require extensive logcat info. To know more about it continue reading here.
ADB Commands
The following commands are to be type in your adb folder directory.
For instance, mine is in C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools so i will type
Code:
cd C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools
and then proceed with the following code lines
Alternatively you can change your PATH variable
Setting Path on Windows
For Windows XP:
Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced
Click on Environment Variables, under System Variables, find PATH, and click on it.
In the Edit windows, modify PATH by adding the location of the class to the value for PATH. If you do not have the item PATH, you may select to add a new variable and add PATH as the name and the location of the class as the value.
Close the window.
For Windows Vista/Windows 7:
Right click “My Computer” icon
Choose “Properties” from context menu
Click “Advanced” tab (“Advanced system settings” link in Vista)
In the Edit windows, modify PATH by adding the location of the class to the value for PATH. If you do not have the item PATH, you may select to add a new variable and add PATH as the name and the location of the class as the value.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Check Connected Phone
To display list of available devices, type
Code:
adb devices
You will get the following output
Code:
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
List of devices attached 21342737ft6273
where the number indicates your devices serial number usually the one one the back of your phone[needs citation]
2. Login To Android Shell
Code:
adb shell
After pressing enter you will either see '$' or '#'
If you get ‘#’ after typing adb shell, you have already get root access on the phone, no need to type su. Otherwise if you get ‘$’ , type ’su’ to get root access (only for rooted device).
3. Install Application
This command installs the app whose directory is specified by you.
Code:
adb install appname.apk
Note that the name of the application should be without any blank spaces in between. Say i have an app called pes 12.apk, I rename it to pes_12.apk - Also don't miss out the .apk extension
example
Code:
adb install C:\programfiles\pes_12.apk
4. Files From Phone To PC And Vice Versa
For Phone - PC
Code:
adb pull <source> <destination>
For PC-Phone
Code:
adb push <source> <destination>
Example
Code:
adb pull /sdcard/bootanimation.zip C:\programfiles
Code:
adb push C:\programfiles\bootanimation.zip /sdcard
^Self Explanatory
5. Reboot To (Normal/Recovery/Bootloader)
Type the following to reboot normally or to recovery/bootloader respectively
Code:
adb reboot
Code:
adb reboot recovery
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
Some Useful Codes-
I do not know many. If you have any suggestions please do tell me
Type them in line by line and don't type in the '$' and '#'
1. Rooting
Code:
adb devices
adb shell
$ echo 1 > /data/local/lge_adb.conf
Then you can proceed onto using SuperOneClick
2. Installing Custom Recovery
The recovery.img and flash_image files must be in /sdcard
Code:
adb shell
$ su
# mount -o remount rw /system
# cat /sdcard/flash_image > /system/xbin/flash_image
# chmod 755 /system/xbin/flash_image
# flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery.img
# mount -o remount ro /system
# exit
$ exit
adb reboot recovery
Will add FAQ later if needed
Ohh ! so much detail !
As far as i can see its very well written.
Will read tomorrow
Awesome guide! Thank you!
Sent from my LG-P500 using xda premium
MaKTaiL said:
Awesome guide! Thank you!
Sent from my LG-P500 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad You Like It
Rutuj said:
Glad You Like It
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I knew Half of this but the way you put it is basically noob written and easy to follow through. Thumbs up for this guide. I wish someone posted this when I first started playing with android. This would've made life easier for me >.<
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA App
purple1 said:
I knew Half of this but the way you put it is basically noob written and easy to follow through. Thumbs up for this guide. I wish someone posted this when I first started playing with android. This would've made life easier for me >.<
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This doesnt make life easier, if one command wrong, bam! A fresh brick phone...
Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
and how to uninstall app from adb ?
nice guide btw
Great guide. I would suggest you add details on how to get logcat as well, since many developers will find it useful if users post logs of bugs
Code:
su
logcat > /sdcard/log.txt
mihir287 said:
Great guide. I would suggest you add details on how to get logcat as well, since many developers will find it useful if users post logs of bugs
Code:
su
logcat > /sdcard/log.txt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks !
Added !
Bump !
Thanks commands working perfect.
Tell me onething..how did you get time to type all of this?
royalflusher9 said:
Thanks commands working perfect.
Tell me onething..how did you get time to type all of this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compiling info takes time.
Type time = 30 mins
Nice thread for n00bs like me !!!! Thanks very much!!!1
Bumping this thread
very helpful guide ......
thanxxxx
hi i want to make a superuser command list
anyone how know commands can post it here.
chmod - give especific permissions to an specific file
cat - look at, modify, or combine a file. You can also copy files with this command by "reading" it to another file instead of to the screen.
cd - change from one directory to another
cp - Copy a file from one location to another
dd - copies exact locations to other locations. Can be an entire drive, a folder, etc. dd if= of=. uses an input file and an output file.
df - how much free disk space.
du - show disk usage of files. Add "-h" to get human readable. Especially useful when you add "-d1" to limit the directory depth to 1. If you run "du -h -d1", it will tell you how much space each directory occupies, including their contents summed.
exit - exits the shell you are in.
grep - search within a file for a text string. Also useful for parsing command output. 'ls | grep something' is a quick way to list files that contain the string "something" (although "ls *something*" would do it, too, but grep can do a lot more)
ifconfig- get network interface configuration. Good for getting your own IP address.
kill - kill a process by PID
ls - lists all files in a directory .
mv - Move a file from one location to another.
ping - see if an internet host is alive
pm - android package manager. LOTS of useful things in here, type pm by itself for the help screen
ps - list processes. Useful to see what is running
reboot - reboots your device
reboot recovery - reboots you into recovery
reboot-bootloader -reboots the device in bootloader- fastboot
rm - remove a specified file
rmdir - remove a directory. rm can't do it unless you remove recursively with -R
su - Substitute User. We type this to switch to the root user. You need to type this command first to do a lot of the other commands.
sync - synchronizes any data on disk with data in memory. We type this before rebooting to ensure we've got all data written
tar - creates taped archives. Compresses files like winzip, 7zip, winrar and others tar
top - like task manager, it displays running processes. in Linux the q key quits. On Android I don't know how to make it quit other than closing the app.
uptime - displays how long it has been since you last rebooted the system. Interestingly enough the "Menu Key > System > About Phone > Status > Up time" on my phone does not match "uptime" typed in the terminal emulator.
Download a root explorer app. Go to system/bin (or xbin). You will see many files, but actually every file is a command for the kernel and (theoretically) all of them can be used in the terminal. Not all of them are stand-alone functions and must be used along with other commands. Just type the title of a file in terminal and see what happens. You might find some other functions that are not already in your list .
Sent from my GT-I9001 using xda app-developers app
I use this as a cheatsheet as I normally deal with rooted devices with busybox installed anyway. Most "commands" found in /system/bin are symlinks to busybox. Sometimes a device has a non-standard busybox version with not all applets available. The reason why Titanium backup ships their own version of busybox with the app.
iamareebjamal said:
ADB:-
Android Debug Bridge
Very useful program made itself by Google for Programmers and developers. Its based on command line and basically communicates with your Android to respond to certain commands. There is vast amount of knowledge about adb but its most useful commands limit to getting:-
Logcat:-
A real time log of what is happening in background of our devices. It is really useful for developers to see which component has malfunctioned and helps to narrow down their search for what failed and what needs to be fixed. Several times users are asked to give logcats of their devices which are giving errors. We will go in detail that how to get logcats in every and easiest way possible.
App Installation and Management:-
adb proves really handy if you want to install apks directly from your PC or want to batch install or delete them.
Shell Execution:-
You must have heard of Terminal Emulator. It is an app for android to execute shell commands(linux commands) which are basically present as applets in /system/bin, /system/sbin or /system/xbin(in our case) folders. A very imporant applet called busybox is installed there mainly used for execution of basic commands during root browsing or ROM installation. Many times updater script of ROMs use busybox commands to install it. Well, these commands can be initiated from your device too but they can be initiated from adb also making it easy for programmers.
Pushing and Pulling:-
Most used commands of adb. adb makes it a piece of cake for new device developers to get an ideo of structure and basic knowledge of devices by pulling command. We can pull out i.e copy any files or folders from our devices to our PC, even the root directories without rooting the devices. It help rooters and ROM chefs of new devices to get an idea and implement their mods on them. Pushing is also very useful command. It copies your files and folders from PC to your device. Very useful in pushing some /system apps and other things
Remounting and setting permissions
Basic commands:-
Of-course basic commands such as rebooting and rebooting in recovery mode and download mode are supported.
Others:-
There are several other features of adb such as fastboot, aapt, etc
Setting up ADB
Pre Requirements:-
A little amount of brain
PC(This is a windows guide, if asked I will add linux and mac guide later)
Java Runtime environment or Java Developing kit
Your Device Drivers
An Android Device
USB Debugging MUST be turned ON in the device for ADB to see it & Developer options is hidden in Android 4.2 and
above, Hitting Build number 10 times in
About Phone/Tablet reveals the menu (Thanks lilHermit for reminding me to add it)
Assuming you all these ready and working properly, we continue
If you are having trouble completing Pre-Requisites, there are several guides featuring them too
Start
1. First Download Android SDK. Roughly about 70 MB
2. There may be any compressed zip file or exe file
If zip file, then extract it to C:\android-sdk
If exe file then double click on it and install it in C:\ Drive(or any other drive you want)
3. Now to get adb and other tools, you need to download 'Platform Tools'
To download them, go to the android-sdk folder and double click on SDK Manager
It will ask you which package to download? However, it is your choice which package to Download, but here, we will only talk about platform
Tools. So, simply tick on Platform Tools and click on install. Once you have done it. Go to the platform-tools folder in the directory where you installed android-sdk. You will find several files there like adb, fastboot, aapt, etc
4. Now, you can backup the whole folder of android-sdk to any external storage that will make you not download package
again if you want to. You can have it placed in any computer and run it as it does not require registry to work
5. Now, you are just one step away from using adb. Next step is SKIPPING SETTING ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE (If you however want to set environment variables. Click on Show Content)
We can easily append the sdk platform-tools and tools folder to your systems environmental path variable directly from command line(cmd) by simply issuing one command and performing a system reboot:
Code:
SETX PATH "%PATH%;[COLOR="Indigo"]SDK_Install_Path[/COLOR]\platform-tools;[COLOR="Indigo"]SDK_Install_Path[/COLOR]\android-sdk-windows\tools" -m
Just replace the "SDK_Install_Path" in the above with the proper path of your SDK installation. Example: C:\android-sdk-windows
(Thanks to WugFresh for telling me :victory
Many guides on internet say that it is to be done for making it easy for users and if you have some basic knowledge of Command Prompt,
you will know that to execute any application with command prompt, you first need to change the directory to the one where application is
placed. And to skip changing the directories every time you open CMD, you need to put that application is environment variable. Howeve, we will not do so.
6. Type cmd in the search bar. Copy cmd.exe from there. Go to the directory where you have installed android-sdk. Go to platform-tools folder. Paste cmd there, right click on it and in the settings, select Run as Administrator.
7. You are done. Now what to do in it?
ADB Commands
Type adb in command prompt. And several commands will show up on your screen. It is very difficult to analyse these all commands, so we will only talk about most used and important commands
Connect your device via USB cable
And open the CMD in platform-tools folder(Make a shortcut of it on desktop). And type the suitable commands
Code:
adb devices
Will show the list of devices attached to the PC andtheir serial numbers. If this shows up correctly on your PC, then it means that everything is fine for continuing.
Logcat
Code:
adb logcat
It will display the real time log of your device
Best time to do it is when your device boots up
Now, many users ask me how to copy the logcat and upload it from CMD
There are several methods:-
1. Right click on the Title Bar of Command Prompt. Hover the cursor over edit and select mark. Select all the things you want to copy and then click enter. All the things will be copied to clipboard.
2. This is the correct way of getting logcat saved.
Code:
adb logcat > logcat.txt
This command will create a logcat.txt document in platform-tools folder with the complete logcat of the device. Ofcourse you can type any name instead of logcat.txt
3. I prefer taking logcat this way as it neatly compiles logs of different time
Code:
adb logcat -v long > logcat.txt
This is a very nice way to get logcat.
Installing Apps
Code:
adb install %PATH OF APK%
This will install an app on your Android
For example, if my app AreeB.apk is in G:\ drive (G:\AreeB.apk)
Then I will type
Code:
adb install G:\AreeB.apk
Be sure your apk is not in a folder that has space in its name, else the command will break at space bar.
For eg:-
G:\Program Files\AreeB.apk
Note:
If you have spaces in path of apk, you can execute the command without breakage if you include the path inside quotes. (Thanks to etcman)
Eg:-
Code:
adb install "G:\Program Files\AreeB.apk"
Mounting
However, I never found any problem in tweaking with system files with adb, but some users said that they couldn't do it, so the problem was that their system partition was mounted as Read Only(R/O)
So, it is necessary now to tell how to mount system partition as Read Write(R/W)
Code:
adb remount
It is easiest way to do so, if it does not work then
There is another method that we will discuss in ADB Shell commands section
Pushing and Pulling
For pushing,
Type
Code:
adb push %PATH TO BE PUSHED% %PATH WHERE TO BE PUSHED%
Suppose I have an app named SystemUI.apk(PATH = G:\SystemUI.apk) which I want to push in /system/app/ on my android(or in other words, install an app as a system app). Then I would type
Code:
adb push G:\SystemUI.apk /system/app/
More examples
G:\Dance.txt file to be pushed in Dance folder in sdcard
Code:
adb push G:\Dance.txt /sdcard/Dance/
OR
Code:
adb push G:\Dance.txt /mnt/sdcard/Dance/
G:\Movies folder to be transferred in SDCARD in Videos Folder
Code:
adb push G:\Movies /sdcard/Videos/
G:\system\framework\framework-res.apk to be pushed in /system/framework/
Code:
adb push G:\system\framework\framework-res.apk /system/framework/
For pulling,
push command replaces with pull and paths are swapped
Code:
adb pull %PATH TO BE PULLED FROM% %PATH TO PLACE PULLED FILE%
Example,
All system apps are to be pulled to G:\ROM\system\app
Code:
adb pull /system/app G:\ROM\system\app\
build.prop to be extracted to desktop
Code:
adb pull /system/build.prop C:\Users\Areeb\Desktop\
However, if a folder is in platform-tools folder, you don't need to type full path
Suppose if I type
Code:
adb pull /system/ system
Then a folder named system will be created inside platform-tools with all the files in system in it
If a file is in platform-tools folder, then also no need to type full path
For example,
There is an app name DeskClock.apk in this folder then, to push it to /system/app, type
Code:
adb push DeskClock.apk /system/app/
ADB Shell Commands
This mode of adb allows you to execute linux shell commands from your PC
These commands can aldo be executed through the mobile using Terminal Emulator
To initiate shell mode
Type
Code:
adb shell
You will get an prompt like this
sh-3.2#
Now you are in shell mode
adb commands won't work here and a new set of commands will work here. But we will only go in a little detail here.
Assuming you are in adb shell mode, I will only type commands that will work on shell. Note:- These commands won't work if you type them alone on cmd. But, these command will directly work on your mobile's Terminal Emulator
As these commands can also work on mobile, I am going to tell you a way of taking logcat on mobile
Type
Code:
logcat
You will see log of your device
To save this
Type
Code:
logcat > /sdcard/log.txt
A file named log.txt will be generated in sdcard
Uninstalling Applications
Code:
cd /data/app
This will change the directory to /data/app
Code:
ls
This will show the list of files in there
Suppose, there is an app named com.opera.browser (Opera Mobile) you want to uninstall it
Type
Code:
rm -r com.opera.browser
This will uninstall the app
Mounting Command:-
Code:
mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
Miscellanous commands:-
su: Initiates root request
du: Shows file foldrs and size
date: Shows todays date
ls: Shows list of directory
cd: Changes working directory
rm: Removes the file
logcat: Displays logcat
mount: Mounts the partition
busybox: Busybox Applets
Forgot next ones, will write later
Credits
Google: For Android and several searchings
Samsung: For Galaxy Ace s5830I
paxChristos for amazing logcat guide
Broadcom: For their Open Sourceness
XDA Forums : For the precious knowledge
My Uncle: For gifting me this Phone
My Teachers: For teaching me English(I would not be here without them)
You: For future Thanks
Till now, thats it, will add some more things later
If any problem, I will add it too
Suggestion? They are welcome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This should help the new members in appealing their problems in a deeper and better way.
Originally posted by iamareebjamal
Original thread here.