30 November 2024 Leave a comment Tech-Help
Encountering issues with the adb devices command can be frustrating, especially when it results in a “no permissions” error or when the command is not found. This guide will help you troubleshoot and resolve these common issues on Ubuntu systems.
Understanding the Problem
When you run adb devices and encounter errors such as “???????????? no permissions” or “sudo: adb: command not found,” it often indicates a permissions issue or a misconfigured environment. These problems are typically related to udev rules, which control how USB devices are managed by your system.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Edit Udev Rules
Udev rules are crucial for granting the necessary permissions for ADB to communicate with your Android device. Here’s how to edit and apply the rules:
- Create or edit the file
/etc/udev/rules.d/70-android.ruleswith the following content:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="xxxx", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"xxxx with your device’s vendor ID. You can find this ID in the output of lsusb.sudo chmod a+r /etc/udev/rules.d/70-android.rulesStep 2: Reload Udev Rules
After editing the udev rules, reload them to apply the changes:
sudo udevadm control --reload-rulesStep 3: Restart ADB Server
If ADB is already running, you’ll need to restart it to ensure it picks up the new rules:
sudo adb kill-serverOnce the server is stopped, it will automatically restart the next time you use an ADB command.
Additional Considerations
Ensure that your user account is part of the plugdev group, which is necessary for accessing USB devices without root privileges. You can check your group membership with the following command:
groupsIf plugdev is not listed, add your user to the group:
sudo usermod -aG plugdev $USEREnhancing Your Testing Workflow
For those working extensively with Android development and testing, automating and managing device interactions can be simplified with tools like Repeato. Repeato is a no-code test automation tool for iOS and Android that leverages computer vision and AI to create, run, and maintain automated tests efficiently. It includes ADB, allowing you to execute ADB commands seamlessly, which can be particularly useful for setting up and managing test environments.
Learn more about how Repeato can streamline your testing process on our Android Testing Tool page.
