An Android Emulator is software you run on your Mac or PC that looks and acts just like an Android, right down to communicating with Android Market (using the host computer's network/internet connection) and installing and running .apk files (Android apps).
It's nice to have an emulator setup to get free apps from Android Market you cannot get anywhere else (SlideMe, Freeware Lovers, etc.) or to test applications you get from questionable sources (that might have viruses!).
I saved my instructions from the Entourageedge.com forum. I tried to recreated the links. Give a shout if you can't get the needed files.
Step-by-step instructions for use INSIDE the SDK:
When installing the SDK, you'll either need or be prompted to install the Java SDK.
Then go to this site and MAKE SURE you include the FOUR things listed:
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
With all the SDK packages updated I see:
Virtual devices
Installed packages
Available packages
Settings
About
I click on "Virtual devices".
This bring up a dialog box prompting for the name for my AVD -- I entered "16em" (without the quotes).
My "Target:" is Android 1.6 - API Level 4
Under "SD Card" (the default), use 2000 (for 2000MB). (I tried the File option but I could not get that to work.)
Then click on Ok.
Copying "system.img" (this one:
http://techdroid.kbeanie.com/2009/11...-emulator.html) to the right place is a little tricky because the folder tree
"C:\Documents and Settings\{Your Directory}\.android\avd\{Your AVD name}.avd\"
is NOT accessible if you start at "My Documents" (or whatever your Windows version calls it). You MUST navigate to it starting at the ROOT (C:\). Also, if you downloaded or unzipped system.img to someplace on the C: drive and you drag and drop it to the target folder, it will MOVE it there, so you're only copy will be there.
When you re-run the SDK, it reconfirms all the modules, then prompts you to accept and download everything again. Cancel out of that -- you've got all you need.
Click on "Virtual devices", select the one you built, check "wipe user data" (only the first time), then "start" (and wait. this is a good time to read a book on your eInk display!)
When the emulator runs, it'll prompt you for your Google account (create, sign in etc.) If you choose to do any of that, you'll be prompted to slide the keyboard open, and there is no way you can do that, so select SKIP!
When the app menu comes up, run the Market app. You'll be prompted to sign in with your Google account, but this time, you'll have username and password fields to do it in.
Inside the emulator, here are some keyboard commands to use:
[menu] F2 or Pg-Up should be the PC keyboard equivalent of [menu]! see
http://developer.android.com/guide/d.../emulator.html for more details on the emulator, see Emulator Keyboard Mapping
Now the reason the instructions suggested installing file manager and synch programs like dropbox is that anything you "install" to your emulator-based Droid isn't in a regular file or folder (like Download) -- it's buried in the file: userdata-qemu.img. The only way to get those .apk files OUT of your emulator and INTO your PE is to copy or synch them out from WITHIN the emulator! The emulator environment does not have a file manager so you have to add that. The free Astro File Manager has the feature that allows you to "backup" which re-creates .apk files from installed apps. (remember to NOT "wipe user data" the next time you run your emulator.)
After you download (install) apps. using Market, your keyboard's Home key gets you back to the main menu.
If you're already a DropBox user, I recommend creating a NEW account anyway and sharing a folder with your emulator-connected account. That way, you can decide what DropBox content you have synched with your actual eDGE, and you don't automatically get all your DropBox files. If you later (or already) share folders with friends, you won't get their stuff on your eDGe!
So, the procedure is:
Run emulator (don't wipe user data)
go to Market
Install free non-DRM (digital rights management) applications
Return to main menu (still in emulator)
Run Astro File Manager
[menu] Tools
Application Manager/Backup (this produces a list of installed apps.)
down-arrow to each app. you want to "backup" (make an .apk file for) and check the box at right (green check mark)
Then click on the Backup button.
The ESC key is the "back button" -- hit it. This gets you out of Application Manager/Backup
Find SDCARD, go into that folder
Then "Backups", and "apps"
Inside the Apps folder, you'll find the .apk files you backed up.
By doing a left-click & hold, you should see a dialog box that offers you the option to Send.
Choose send, then choose Dropbox. You'll be prompted to select a folder in your Dropbox tree. The file(s) you had selected should be copied into the Dropbox folder.
If the send to DropBox doesn't work, don't panic, the emulator probably lost connectivity to the network stack in the host PC. Reboot the emulator and try again.
Then on your PC or PE, synch the files with Dropbox and run them, copy with a thumb drive or whatever.
If you get "parse error" when trying to install the app(s) on the PE, give a shout here, and we'll try to work through it -- that's the problem I spent two days overcoming.
I hope this fills in some blanks.
You'll probably need to delete backed-up applications, and uninstall downloaded applications from the emulator frequently to keep it from reporting being out of space.
**Don't bother trying to use Astro's SMB or ES File Explorer's LAN function -- the IP address of your emulated Droid is 10.1.x.x and your PC is totally NOT on that network -- the emulator can't read/write your PC's USB0 either which is really lame. Just USE DROPBOX **