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scripting-adb-for-ci

Parses instrumentation status codes and orchestrates adb-based Android test runs for CI.

303|10|Updated May 15, 2026
Search Tags:#bash#instrumentation#sharding#adb#port forwarding#test orchestrator#ci scripting
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/skydoves/android-testing-skills --skill scripting-adb-for-ci
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: scripting-adb-for-ci
Source: https://github.com/skydoves/android-testing-skills/tree/main/adb/automation/scripting-adb-for-ci
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/skydoves/android-testing-skills --skill scripting-adb-for-ci

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill solves flaky and misleading Android test CI pipelines caused by unreliable adb scripting, incorrect pass/fail detection, and missing cleanup between runs.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Correct CI pass/fail parsing for am instrument: ensures you do not trust $? from am instrument and instead parse INSTRUMENTATION_STATUS_CODE lines to distinguish -1/-2 failures from -3/-4 skips.
  • Reliable device orchestration: supports sharded execution (--num-shards / --shard-index via -e) and parallel fan-out across multiple devices while keeping setup/installation serialized.
  • Fewer infrastructure incidents: adds bounded retries for transient adb transport errors with adb kill-server/adb start-server, enforces host-side timeouts with timeout (not adb -t), and performs idempotent setup plus trap-based cleanup (port forwards, animation scales, pm clear/force-stop/uninstall).
  • Better failure forensics: captures screencap and logcat -d on failure to make debugging actionable.
  • Test Orchestrator wiring: installs and uses Android Test Orchestrator via androidTestUtil("androidx.test:orchestrator:1.6.1") (not androidTestImplementation) for hermetic per-test execution.

Quick Start

Use the scripting-adb-for-ci skill to run your instrumented tests in CI while safely parsing results and collecting artifacts on failure.

Frequently Asked Questions about scripting-adb-for-ci

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
Why does `am instrument` always exit 0 in CI, and how do I detect test failures?▼

The `am instrument` command always exits with code 0, so CI scripts must parse `INSTRUMENTATION_STATUS_CODE` lines to distinguish failures (-1/-2) from skips (-3/-4) for correct pass/fail detection.

How do I parallelize Android instrumentation tests across multiple devices using sharding?▼

Parallelize Android tests by passing `--num-shards` and `--shard-index` via the `-e` flag to `am instrument`, allowing simultaneous fan-out execution across multiple connected devices while keeping setup serialized.

What is the best way to handle transient adb transport errors during automated test runs?▼

Handle transient adb transport errors by implementing bounded retries that execute `adb kill-server` and `adb start-server`, ensuring reliable device orchestration and fewer infrastructure incidents during CI runs.

How do I enforce host-side timeouts for `am instrument` commands in CI?▼

Enforce host-side timeouts for `am instrument` by wrapping the command with the Unix `timeout` utility rather than relying on `adb -t`, ensuring hung instrumentation processes are terminated properly.

Do I need Android Test Orchestrator for hermetic per-test execution in CI?▼

Yes, use Android Test Orchestrator for hermetic per-test execution by installing it via `androidTestUtil` (not `androidTestImplementation`), which isolates test state and crashes across individual test methods.

How do I capture debugging artifacts when an Android instrumentation test fails?▼

Capture debugging artifacts on failure by scripting `screencap` and `logcat -d` commands within a trap-based cleanup block, ensuring screenshots and logs are collected immediately after a test failure.

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