Using AndroidX86 VirtualBox as emulator for Eclipse/ADB

I found Standard Android SDK Emulator too slow (ARM images) or not jet reliable (Intel Atom images). Lucky we have an alternative in AndroidX86 images installed as VirtualBox virtual machines. These are simple instructions to setting up and integrate them with Eclipse Android SDK Environment.

1) Start installing AndroidX86 in VirtualBox as in http://www.fixedbyvonnie.com/2014/02/install-android-4-4-kitkat-windows-using-virtualbox . Choose ext3 to be able to write on SDCard emulated. In settings disable screen save timeout or remember to use “menu” key on PC to wake screen

2) on VirtualBox machine configuration set network as NAT and add a forward port rule on odd number port example: name=adb, protocol=TCP , host-port=5559, guest-port=5555 . After that Eclipse Android SDK adb automatically will connect on 5558/tcp port.

3) set your needed screen resolution as in http://stackoverflow.com/a/8273560/587323 . Editing menu.lst you can set your screen density adding the parameter DPI=213 (for example) on kernel line command

4) for SDCARD append disk mapping, eg. DATA=sda1 SDCARD=sda2

4) connect Eclipse for deploy, debug, ecc. From PC command line: adb connect localhost:5558 , then adb -s localhost:5558 root (to get root access from SDK DDMS) and again adb connect localhost:5558 (to reconnect in root mode)  restart adbd for complete root access: adb -s emulator-5558 root

5) You can switch screen resolution on-the-fly by adb shell commands: adb -s emulator-5558 shell wm  size 1280×800 , and density adb -s emulator-5558 shell wm density 189

Useful VirtualBox keyboard shortcuts:

• CTRL+F1 : switch Android in Console mode
• CTRL+F7 : switch back to Graphic mode
• CTRL+F12: switch to portrait mode
• CTRL+F9: switch back to landscape mode
• CTRL+Menu: exit from Android Screensaver
• CTRL+Home:  VirtualBox menu

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