Develop Reference

How to debug application on real device by using WIFI while not being able to use cable at all

My MacBook computer battery is broken and somehow it has not enough power to power device by usb-c adapter so I cannot connect anything and only have to use android emulator. But I need to debug on real device while testing some ocr sdk that obviously don't want to recognize anything in android emulator virtual scene. I asked other question about that but still I am puzzled by this inability to use WIFI for usb debugging because sdk runs fine on my phone but to debug using fabric and APK deployment is really horrible dev experience and productivity.
Is there some way I can setup WIFI debugging without cable at all... Maybe I need to root my device but again how to do it without cable, it seems impossible either way. I feel in like in dead and but still asking question here. I have computer and phone but cannot connect them for debugging by wifi.

Afraid I don't have an easy wireless solution. The closest thing I could find is that android wearables may have a debug over bluetooth feature, but it's built to route through another (wired) android device.
There is likely a feasible wired solution though- you can hook the device to a powered hub and the hub to the computer.
You could also use an adapter of sorts. They were built for printers and such before everything came with wifi and could get a proper wireless setup going without either side realizing they aren't directly connected over USB (OS still knows that some funky usb drivers are loaded and a separate application may need to run to connect), but again more hardware. A decent Wireless "USB Device Server" seems to run ~$100 while wired ones are cheaper, but not as cheap as a powered usb hub.

If you have another machine, you can use it to enable wireless debugging on your Android phone. See https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/adb#wireless. Once wireless debugging is enabled, you can connect to it from your Mac without using USB. You still need USB for enabling wireless debugging though, but you can do it from a different machine. This should work on all Android phones, root is not required.
Update [2021]:
Things have developed since this question was asked. WiFi Debugging is a first class option now on newer devices. See https://developer.android.com/studio/run/device.html#wireless for details.

List of phones that will work with Eclipse?

I need an android phone to test my apps with that will work with Eclipse. It has to be low cost, run Gingerbread with modest memory and CPU.
Thinking that any android phone would work I recently purchased a Virgin Mobil Chaser but as it turns out, it cannot be seen by either Eclipse or adb (but device manager does see the phone). Another developer has also had the same identical problem with the Chaser.
I could keep buying phones and see if they work but that could be long and frustrating. I hope to find a "no contract" phone.
Is there any list of phones that work with Eclipse. Does anyone know of any other Virgin Mobil phones that will work?
thanks, Gary

Any android phone should work. And it is not Eclipse you need it to be compatible with. You need ADB drivers for the device so ADT tools can communicate with device. So what you need is to install ADB drivers for your phone and then, once installed, you should be able to see your device once you enable USB debugging on the device. Then ADB should be able to see it (either in Eclipse plugin or via command line adb devices).
EDIT if you are on Windows, then enabling USB Debugging on the device and connecting it to the computer should result in Windows asking for ADB drivers. You may try if "stock" (these available with SDK in <SDK>\extras\google\usb_driver) are suitable. If not, check manufacturer website (for HTC you may need to install HTC Sync) and if this fail, just google for your device name along with "ADB drivers" and you should get something usable shortly.

One correct answer to my question is: the LG Optimus Elite works fine as a test phone. Drivers installed immediately. Also, it's less than $100 with no contract.
I still haven't found anyone who has gotten the PCD Chaser to work.
Gary

how to run wifi peer to peer application in android emulator..?

I am trying to develop an wifi peer to peer application in android(4.+).
The problem here is how to test it.
I tried to run that application in android emulator. there was no option to configure wifi in the settings menu, i also tired to enable wifi using the dev tools application form the emulator but it didn't work, And through all my googling over 3 days and i found that Android emulator is not supported the Wifi.
So i opted for androidx86 4.0eeepc using virtual box and tired to add devices both wifi and bluetooth (my app uses both bluetooth and wifi) but only bluetooth device got added and it did not work. But my virtual box detected the wifi and bluetooth devices. I just couldnt get them work with the virtual machine.
I tried everything like manually adding the addresses using terminal emulator app in androidx86 and used netcfg through the android commandline but neither of them worked.
Please suggest and guide me on the correct path to run these kind of applications that use wifi and bluetooth in android.
Thanks in advance.

First, be sure you enabled WiFi Direct in the Android settings for the two virtualbox instances:
Settings --> Wireless & Networks --> More... --> Wi-Fi direct
It has been stated as working once that hurdle was overcome, and I'm sure many have experienced the same...just be sure to enable wifi direct
I would have tried exactly what you've already tried by naturally moving from the emulator to the androidx86 project. Although unreliable, I'd recommend looking at and finagling this, if you haven't yet seen it: Android: Simulate WiFi in the emulator? and How to disable/enable network, switch to Wifi in Android emulator? most likely wouldn't have full out success but may be enough to let you know that it works or would work.
As far as testing WiFi-Direct/WiFiP2P without you yourself having a device/s, I would recommend:
Trying out some of the fiddling as mentioned above. And read through tons of logs.
You could always crowd source it to friends, or release an apk on a forum for a small group of testers.
Of course, both of those options are not ideal, seamless, or fast. So, I'd definitely hope you get VirtualBox VMs of AndroidX86 4.0 running as it should once you check that setting and pair up the WiFi APs :-)

A near future solution:
This might be something to look into in near future.
Real devices are hosted by Samsung and screens are streamed to your PC.
http://developer.samsung.com/remoteTestLab.do
According to an email responded by samsung, which I sent to them earlier.
They only have 2 devices (Galaxy Nexus) running on Android v4.0 at the moment.
Unfortunately they are not physically close to each other. (One in Korea, One in Poland)
But they are planning to upgrade existing Galaxy S2 to v4.0.
Because recently Samsung have released v4.0 upgrade for S2.
Once they done that, there will be plenty of v4.0 phones.
And you can ask them which 2 phones are physically close so you can test Wifi Direct.
--------------------------- EDIT ---------------------------------
There are plenty of ICS devices there now, which you can test P2P.
Check with them which 2 are physically near to each other.

Per the docs:
Each instance of the emulator runs behind a virtual router/firewall
service that isolates it from your development machine's network
interfaces and settings and from the internet.
You have to use Network Redirection, as described in the Developer Docs. In essence, you forward specific ports using ADB. Therefore you cannot test certain things like broadcast messages.
I have tried doing what you are trying to do, and-- while I won't say it is impossible (anything is possible in computing with enough time, money, and persistence)-- I wasted a lot of time on it. You cannot treat the Android emulator as a normal network peer-to-peer device. As far as I have been able to find, it is a fork of QEMU, and that is just how the QEMU emulator is implemented.
QEMU itself does support TUN/TAP bridging, but I was never able to get it working with the Android emulator. If you want to go that route, you may want to investigate running Android in the QEMU emulator, rather than in the SDK's emulator (I see you are already trying a similar approach with VirtualBox).
Unfortunately the best way to test a peer-to-peer networking program in Android is with physical devices at this time-- unless your app can suffice with the port forwarding method.
See Also: Issue 26:Emulated Androids should be able to communicate via TCP, and Google

(Repeating here my answer elsewhere.)
In theory, linux (the kernel underlying android) has mac80211_hwsim driver, which simulates WiFi. It can be used to set up several WiFi devices (an acces point, and another WiFi device, and so on), which would make up a WiFi network.
It's useful for testing WiFi programs under linux. Possibly, even under user-mode linux or other isolated virtual "boxes" with linux.
In theory, this driver could be used for tests in the android systems where you don't have a real WiFi device (or don't want to use it), and also in some kind of android emulators. Perhaps, one can manage to use this driver in android-x86, or--for testing--in android-x86 run in VirtualBox.

Debugging directly on the device

I don't expect you to correct my code, since it should be working, at least works on emulator. Unfortunately gives different output on the devices. My question is:
How to debug in such cases, when the device is not working as the emulator, and what could cause that (device model, a custom ROM?)
I heard some rumors some time ago, about possibility using the device instead an emulator somehow connected to the SDK. Could you also confirm or deny that?

You'll find it's not uncommon to find little quirks between devices. Many developers will have several physical devices to test their software on.
You can find information on using a physical device for debugging (including using it inside Eclipse, just as you would the emulator) on the Android website: http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/device.html

Yes you can do that. Just put your device into debugging mode, and connect it to the computer with the micro-usb port on the device. You will also need to download the drivers from the manufactures website.

Android development setup when using USB Host mode

I am a relatively new Android developer but have gotten pretty familiar with the SDK, using LogCat, etc. However, I'm now working on an app (for a Galaxy Tab 7-plus) that utilizes USB Host mode to talk to an external USB device and I've run into an issue.
My question is: What is an ideal environmental setup that will allow me to take advantage of all of the SDK tools (adb, debug, LogCat, DDMS, and so forth) when I am unable to be connected to my PC via USB (since the external USB device my tablet is talking to is using my tab's only USB port)?
Is there an emulator available somewhere (I've searched in vain) that will allow me to simulate USB Host mode using a USB port on my PC?
Do I need to go to some type of on-board logging app?
Is there some kind of 30-pin splitter available so I can connect to both the external device and my PC? (I'm guessing this is impossible, but I'm a hardware idiot... in addition to a run-of-the-mill idiot).
Thanks in advance for your help!
-KR

As I posted in the comments, If the tablet is rooted you can use AdbWireless (Application on the Market)

This can also be done without rooting. Google/Android officially supports this, as described at the bottom of this page:
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/usb/index.html
But AdbWireless is easier if you are rooted.