How do I install the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) on a Raspberry Pi?

Question

I want to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) on my Raspberry Pi.

How can I setup it up?

Answer 1

I ran accross this problem 1-2 years ago and after a long search I ended up compiling adb myself. Also, because the available adb binaries are outdated. I needed adb v1.0.32 and I could find only v1.0.29. Other adb binaries I found did not work because they were build for other CPU platforms (i.e. not ARM).

So lets compile adb on the Raspberry Pi itself - without any cross-compiling madness. It was actually easier than you'd think. All you should need is git and gcc (and the package libssl-dev, which is installed by the bash script).

Using some steps from here I made the following 2 files

1. adb-compile-env-setup.sh

    #!/bin/bash
   
    # some steps found here: http://android.serverbox.ch/?p=1217
   
    sudo apt-get install libssl-dev
   
    mkdir -p ~/adb-dev/5.1.1
    cd ~/adb-dev/5.1.1
   
    mkdir system
    mkdir external
   
    cd system/                
    git clone -b android-5.1.1_r1 https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/core
    git clone -b android-5.1.1_r1 https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/extras
   
    cd ../external/                 
    git clone -b android-5.1.1_r1 https://android.googlesource.com/platform/external/zlib
    git clone -b android-5.1.1_r1 https://android.googlesource.com/platform/external/openssl
    git clone -b android-5.1.1_r1 https://android.googlesource.com/platform/external/libselinux
   
    cd ../system/core/adb
   
    cp ~/adb-dev/Makefile .
   
    echo "Ready to hit *make* now and pray?"
    read -rsp $'Press any key to continue...\n' -n1 key
   

2. Makefile (place into ~/adb-dev/Makefile before running other script)

    # standalone Makefile for adb
    # found on: http://android.serverbox.ch/?p=1217
    # this works with android-5.1.1_r1
   
    SRCS+= adb.c
    SRCS+= fdevent.c
    SRCS+= adb_client.c
    SRCS+= commandline.c
    SRCS+= console.c
    SRCS+= file_sync_client.c
    SRCS+= get_my_path_linux.c
    SRCS+= services.c
    SRCS+= sockets.c
    SRCS+= transport.c
    SRCS+= transport_local.c
    SRCS+= transport_usb.c
    SRCS+= usb_linux.c
    SRCS+= usb_vendors.c
    SRCS+= adb_auth_host.c
   
    VPATH+= ../libcutils
    SRCS+= socket_inaddr_any_server.c
    SRCS+= socket_local_client.c
    SRCS+= socket_local_server.c
    SRCS+= socket_loopback_client.c
    SRCS+= socket_loopback_server.c
    SRCS+= socket_network_client.c
    SRCS+= load_file.c
   
    VPATH+= ../libzipfile
    SRCS+= centraldir.c
    SRCS+= zipfile.c
   
    VPATH+= ../../../external/zlib/src
    SRCS+= adler32.c
    SRCS+= compress.c
    SRCS+= crc32.c
    SRCS+= deflate.c
    SRCS+= infback.c
    SRCS+= inffast.c
    SRCS+= inflate.c
    SRCS+= inftrees.c
    SRCS+= trees.c
    SRCS+= uncompr.c
    SRCS+= zutil.c
   
    CPPFLAGS+= -DADB_HOST=1
    CPPFLAGS+= -DHAVE_FORKEXEC=1
    CPPFLAGS+= -DHAVE_SYMLINKS
    CPPFLAGS+= -DHAVE_TERMIO_H
    CPPFLAGS+= -DHAVE_SYS_SOCKET_H
    CPPFLAGS+= -D_GNU_SOURCE
    CPPFLAGS+= -D_XOPEN_SOURCE
    CPPFLAGS+= -I.
    CPPFLAGS+= -I../include
    CPPFLAGS+= -I../../../external/zlib
    CPPFLAGS+= -I../../../external/openssl/include
   
    # so well, let's fake HAVE_OFF64_T, because Raspbian does not.
    # just stay away from files larger than 2GB, ok?
    CFLAGS+= -O2 -g -Wno-unused-parameter -DHAVE_OFF64_T
   
    LIBS= -lcrypto -lpthread -lrt
   
    # old cross-compiler stuff 
    #TOOLCHAIN= /opt/poky/1.5/sysroots/x86_64-pokysdk-linux/usr/bin/arm-poky-linux-gnueabi/arm-poky-linux-gnueabi-
    #CC= $(TOOLCHAIN)gcc
    #LD= $(TOOLCHAIN)gcc
   
    TOOLCHAIN= /usr/bin/
    CC= $(TOOLCHAIN)gcc
    LD= $(TOOLCHAIN)gcc
   
    OBJS= $(SRCS:.c=.o)
   
    all: adb
   
    adb: $(OBJS)
        $(LD) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS)
   
    clean:
        rm -rf $(OBJS)
   

Run the first bash script directly on your Raspberry Pi. Once it is finished, run make. This should compile the adb binary right on the Pi using Android 5.1.1 R1 sources - no cross-compiling environment needed!

Remark: My comment in the Makefile

# so well, let's fake HAVE_OFF64_T, because Raspbian does not.
# just stay away from files larger than 2GB, ok?

I have never tested the "2GB problem", so I don't know how my adb build will behave, i.e. when you do adb push verylarge4GBfile.img. Maybe files larger than 2GB will work nonetheless - maybe not. Please let me know if you ever come across any problems in regards to this possible limitation.

I am running my adb binary on around 20-30 Raspberry Pi (v2 and v3) without any problems since approx. 2 years. It is used on a variety of android phones, but mostly android 4.4.x and android 5.1.x phones. Especially adb forward is working perfectly (which was not available in adb v1.0.29 as far as I remember). adb push with ~1GB files works fine too.

UPDATE: Sorry for the broken tabs/spaces in the Makefile above. I don't know how to fix this here, you'll have to fix it in the editor of your choice.

I was not able to compile any recent adb for arm on a Raspberry Pi so far, even after upgrading to Raspbian 10/buster which offers gcc 8.3.0. It also comes with adb v1.0.39, 1:8.1.0+r23-5. And to my surprise, Raspbian 11/bullseye actually includes adb v1.0.41, 28.0.2-debian Even better, bullseye is also available for arm64 now!

Answer 2

This worked for me on Raspbian-Buster:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install adb

Answer 3

This thread from the XDA Forums ("ADB for Raspberry Pi") might be helpful; a user there managed to compile ADB and produced a binary for it.

The binary itself can be downloaded from this page.

After unpacking using p7zip -d <file.7z> and copying the binary file mypart/out/host/linux-armv6l/bin/adb to /usr/bin it seems to be working fine on a RPi.

(I didn't have much time to compile it myself just for the test, but instructions should be on the page mentioned above)

Answer 4

You can use Ubuntu Mate on Raspberry Pi., and install adb. It works. I used it two days ago, and all my 3 devices got detected (Samsung S6, MotoX, Samsung Alpha).

Answer 5

As for now, there are packages android-tools-adb, android-tools-adbd, android-tools-fastboot, android-tools-fsutils, android-tools-mkbootimg available for Raspbian. To me these were enough.