# Install and Create Emulators using AVDMANAGER and SDKMANAGER

## TL;DR

For generic skin emulator with default apis (without google apis):

1. **List All System Images Available for Download:** `sdkmanager --list | grep system-images`

2. **Download Image:** `sdkmanager --install "system-images;android-31;default;x86_64"`

3. **Create Emulator:** `echo "no" | avdmanager --verbose create avd --force --name "generic_api31_emulator" --package "system-images;android-31;default;x86_64" --tag "default" --abi "x86_64"`

For an emulator that mimics a Pixel 5 Device with Google APIs:

1. **List All System Images Available for Download:** `sdkmanager --list | grep system-images`

2. **Download Image:** `sdkmanager --install "system-images;android-33;google_apis;arm64-v8a"`

3. **Create Emulator:** `echo "no" | avdmanager --verbose create avd --force --name "pixel_5" --package "system-images;android-33;google_apis;arm64-v8a" --tag "google_apis" --abi "x86_64" --profile pixel_5`

       If you do not use the --device flag, I recommend adding these lines to: ~/.android/avd/generic_10.avd/config.ini or else your emulator will have a very low resolution. 
       Note: Increasing resolution will decrease performance on CI.

       skin.name=1080x1920        # proper screen size for emulator
       hw.lcd.density=480
       hw.keyboard=yes            # enables keys from your laptop to be sent to the emulator
       
       If you cannot do this, you can still pass -skin 1080x1920 as an argument when starting the emulator. 
       
       Keep in mind, you can also pass the --device flag and use a device name from the avdmanager list device command which          should also set a default resolution because it will inherit the set of properties of that "device" in the config.ini.

4. **Run Emulator:** `emulator @generic_10 &`



## About

- The goal of this gist is to quickly pre-install a range of system images to provide our project teams the ability to run emulators on a range of API levels, from API 19 to API 28.
  - These can be run locally or on the base build agent.
- We create two sets of emulators here, one set with pixel hardware emulation and one set with default oem emulation.

See: [Google Documentation on Start the emulator from the command line](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator-commandline) for more info

## Steps

1) Run the **sdkmanager --install** commands.
2) Run the **avdmanager** commands.

## Extra Steps

- Add aliases to run the emulators with parameters more easily. Or add these parameters to your build steps in TeamCity.
  - Instead of using `emulator @{EMULATOR NAME}` to run devices, you can use the aliases if they are added.
- If you run this locally, you can use the `-read-only` parameter to run multiple devices at the same time. You can then manually run automation against various APIs for added device coverage during regression.

## Step 1 - Install the variant you want with SDKManager.

### OREO (8.1) API 27

`sdkmanager --install "system-images;android-27;google_apis;x86_64"`

### PIE (9.0) API 28

`sdkmanager --install "system-images;android-28;google_apis;x86_64"`

## Step 2 - Use AVDMANAGER to create emulators

### Pixel Emulator with Google Apis and x86 architecture

`echo "no" | avdmanager --verbose create avd --force --name "pixel_9.0" --device "pixel" --package "system-images;android-28;google_apis;x86_64" --tag "google_apis" --abi "x86_64"`

### Generic Emulator with Google Apis

`echo "no" | avdmanager --verbose create avd --force --name "generic_9.0" --package "system-images;android-28;google_apis;x86_64" --tag "google_apis" --abi "x86_64"`

## Extra Steps - Aliases and notes on resolutions

### Aliases to run emulators more optimally

**Note:** Add this alias to `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc`, or just run using these parameters for best results. `-skin 768x1280` is useful to run default emulators successfully because they have a very low resolution out-of-the-box.

`alias generic_9.0='emulator @generic_9.0 -no-boot-anim -netdelay none -no-snapshot -wipe-data -skin 768x1280 &'`

**Note:** Add this alias to `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc`, or just run using these parameters for results. Pixel emulators should run at default resolution of 1080x1920 by default, but can specify this just in-case with the parameter: `-skin 1080x1920`

`alias pixel_9.0 ='emulator @pixel_9.0 -no-boot-anim -netdelay none -no-snapshot -wipe-data -skin 1080x1920 &'`

**Note** You can run all of the emulators above with a `-read-only` parameter to run multiple emulators at the same time, but this is an experimental feature right now.

## Other
1) aosp_atd and google_atd system images are only available on x86 and ARM architecture at API level 30.
2) `emulator -list-avds` will print list of available devices
3) `avdmanager list` , `avdmanager list target`, `avdmanager list devices` , `avdmanager list avd`

``` text
-   avdmanager list              : Lists existing targets or virtual devices.
-   avdmanager list avd          : Lists existing Android Virtual Devices.
-   avdmanager list target       : Lists existing targets.
-   avdmanager list device       : Lists existing devices.
```