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A "shell" is a program that listens to keyboard input from a user and performs actions as directed
by the user. Android devices come with a simple shell program. This shell program is mostly
undocumented. Since many people are curious about it I thought I'd write up some documentation
for it.
Common problems
The built-in shell has very limited error handling. When you type a command name incorrectly it will
say "permission denied", even though the real problem is that it couldn't find the command:
Recent Updates
$ dir
dir: permission denied <---- this is a misleading error message, should say 'dir: not fRoadmap
ound'
$ ls
Tips for Including Terminal
... listing of current directory
Emulator for Android in a
Custom ROM
$ echo $PATH
/data/local/bin:/sbin:/vendor/bin:/system/sbin:/system/bin:/system/xbin
Built in Commands
Every shell has a few built-in commands. Some common built-in commands are:
echo -- prints text to stdout.
set -- sets shell variables
export -- makes shell variables available to command-line programs
cd -- change the current directory.
pwd -- print name of the current directory.
Commands
To find out what commands you have available to you, use the "ls" command on each of the
directories in the PATH variable.
https://github.com/jackpal/Android-Termin
List of commands
The following is a list of the commands that are present on a Nexus S phone running an Android
2.3.3 "user-debug" build. Many of these commands are not present on a "user" phone. (They are
missing from a "user" phone because they are specific to developing or debugging the Android
operating system.)
$ ls /data/local/bin
/data/local/bin: No such file or directory
Notice that by default there is no /data/local/bin directory. You can create this directory using the
"mkdir" command if you like.
$ ls /sbin
opendir failed, Permission denied
The /sbin directory exists, but you don't have permission to access it. You need root access. If you
have a developer phone, or otherwise have root access to your phone you can see what's in this
directory.
$ su
# ls /sbin
ueventd
adbd
# exit
$
Notice that the shell prompt changes from a '$' to a '#' to indicate that you have root access.
Notice also that neither of the /sbin commands are useful to the shell -- the adb and ueventd files
are 'daemon' programs used to implement the Android Debugger "adb" program that is used by
developers.
$ ls /vendor/bin
gpsd
pvrsrvinit
Vendor/bin is where device vendors can put device-specific executables. These files are from a
Nexus S.
$ ls /system/sbin
/system/sbin: No such file or directory
am is the Android Activity Manager. It's used to start and stop Android activities (e.g. applications)
from the command line. Type am by itself to get a list of options.
amix
aplay
BlueTooth daemon
bmgr
Draws the boot animation. You may have to reset your phone to get out of this.
brcm_patchram_plus
bugreport
cat
Shows how much space is free on different file systems on your device.
dhcpcd
dmesg
dnsmasq
dumpstate
dumpsys
dvz
fsck_msdos
gdbserver
getevent
getprop
gzip
hciattach
hd
id
ifconfig
Shows the current configuration of network interfaces (IP, MAC address etc)
iftop
Shows the current processes using the network interfaces (top, but for networks)
ime
input
insmod
installd
ioctl
ionice
iptables
Lists files.
lsmod
lsof
make_ext4fs
mediaserver
mkdir
Make a directory.
monkey
A program that sends random events, used to test applications. (Like having a monkey playing
with the device.)
mount
mtpd
mv
Move a file from one directory to another. (Only on the same file system. Use "cat a > b" to copy a
file between file systems.
nandread
ndc
netcfg
netd
netstat
newfs_msdos
notify
omx_tests
pand
ping
pm
pppd
printenv
ps
Remove a file.
rmdir
Remove a directory.
rmmod
route
rtp_test
run-as
schedtest
schedtop
sdcard
sdptool
sendevent
service
servicemanager
setconsole
setprop
setup_fs
sh
showlease
sleep
smd
stagefright
start
Shows which processes are currently using the most CPU time.
umount
uptime
Prints how long your device has been running since it was last booted.
vdc
vmstat
vold
watchprops
wipe
wpa_cli
wpa_supplicant
$ ls /system/xbin
add-property-tag
btool
check-lost+found
dexdump
dhdutil
hcidump
latencytop
librank
opcontrol
oprofiled
procmem
procrank
rawbu
scp
System trace command - use to see what system calls a program makes.
su
Other shells
Busybox
Busybox is a program that contains a shell and a set of command line utilities. Search Android
Market for "Busybox" and you should find some versions you can install. The Busybox shell
includes tab completion and history editing. Some versions of Busybox for Android do not require
that you root your phone.
Debian utilities
You can install the full Debian shell and utilities. (Debian is a popular desktop Linux distribution.) I
don't know the details, and it may require a "rooted" phone. Try a web search for "Debian Android
install".
Custom ROMs
Some custom ROMs come with their own shells and utilities. If you are using a custom ROM,
check its documentation to find out what's available.
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