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Adb / List Devices With System Info

List Devices With System Info

Use 'adb devices -l' to enumerate connected Android devices with system details, crucial for debugging or app development.

More Adb

Terminal

adb devices -l

adb devices -l

#!/bin/bash

# List Devices With System Info
adb devices -l

import subprocess

# List Devices With System Info
# Make sure to replace <placeholders> with actual values
def run_command():
    cmd = [
        "adb",
        "devices",
        "-l"
    ]
    
    try:
        print(f"Executing: {' '.join(cmd)}")
        subprocess.run(cmd, check=True)
    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")
    except FileNotFoundError:
        print("Error: adb not found. Please install it first.")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    run_command()

When To Use

Invoke 'adb devices -l' during a critical debug session when identifying device-specific configurations like architecture, product type, or transport ID is essential to isolate integration issues or compatibility discrepancies in CI/CD pipelines.

Pro Tip

Be aware that 'adb devices -l' output might not reflect real-time connection changes. Use 'adb kill-server' followed by 'adb start-server' to refresh the device list accurately.

Terminal Output

Expected runtime feedback

Simulated preview

Output

List of devices attached

Model          Serial                Device               State      
-------------------------------
Pixel 4a      1234567890abcdef     device               device     
Samsung S21   efghijklmnop12345    device               device     

Total Devices: 2

Anatomy of Output

Understanding the result

List of devices attached Header

Indicates the beginning of the device list.

3200f2a6d19cf28a device usb:338883584X product:sargo model:Pixel_3a device:sargo transport_id:1 Device Entry

Includes unique device serial, device status, connection type, product ID, and transport ID.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx device usb:2-1.4.4 product:sunny model:Nexus device:shamu transport_id:2 Device Entry

Another entry with similar identifiers for a different device.

Power User Variants

Optimized versions

adb devices -l -t

Lists devices filtering by transport type. Useful for distinguishing USB connections from emulated sessions, altering kernel transport decisions.

adb devices -l | grep "model"

Filters output to include only devices with the 'model' keyword, streamlining focus on physical devices for kernel driver testing.

Unix Pipeline

Shell combinations

adb devices -l | awk '{print $1}' | xargs -I {} adb -s {} shell getprop ro.build.version.release

Retrieves and prints the Android version for each connected device, supporting environment build comparisons.

Troubleshooting

Common pitfalls

adb server is out of date. killing...

Solution: Ensure you have the latest ADB version. Run 'adb kill-server' and then 'adb start-server' to restart the ADB server.

error: protocol fault (no status)

Solution: Check USB cable or port. Ensure device has 'USB Debugging' enabled.

list of devices is empty

Solution: Check connection and permissions. Verify that devices are authorized for ADB debugging.

Command Breakdown

What each part is doing

adb: Base Command; The executable that performs this operation. Here it runs Adb before the shell applies any redirect operators.
-l: Command Option; Tool-specific option used by this command invocation.

How To Run

Execution path

Step 1
Run the command: adb devices -l
Step 2
Verify output includes expected devices with system info and state.

Alternative Approaches

Comparable commands in other tools

Alternative system operations tools for the same job.

Jobs / Show Status Particular Job jobs %<job_id> Jobs / Show Status With Process Ids All Jobs jobs -l Jobs / Show Process Ids All Jobs jobs -p Echo / Print Variable echo $<VARIABLE> Ac / Print Specific User Connection Time ac -p <username>