Evaluate the possibility to run emulators through Docker

[vincentbrison]

Running Android emulator through Docker seems possible, for instance with this repo https://github.com/budtmo/docker-android.

Even if running emulator on CI is far from optimal, as solution like Firebase Test Lab are far more efficient in time and ressource, the ability to run emulator on CI might still be needed by some devs.

We should investigate the possibility and the cost of running such emulator, from our Docker image, ideally using sibling container (sharing host Docker socket).

[sjcqs]

Just spent 5 min doing Google searches 🙈

Google POC:

https://github.com/google/android-emulator-container-scripts

Keep in mind that you will see reduced performance if you are making use of nested virtualization.

Exposes a web site streaming emulators but might be a good resource

https://github.com/budtmo/docker-android

[AchrafAmil]

Would some like to pair-program this together ?
I've been trying for few days with local docker (mac host) then with GCP KVMs and still struggling.

tried with @sjcqs suggestion : https://github.com/google/android-emulator-container-scripts
and https://github.com/thyrlian/AndroidSDK

[AchrafAmil]

Finally succeeded creating, starting and adb-connecting to a docker-hosted emulator. 🎉
Still can pair-program if anyone is interested (especially the UI tests orchestration part).

[sjcqs]

@AchrafAmil I'm interested to PP with you to learn how you pull that off 😅

[sjcqs]

@AchrafAmil

Do you think the image you were able to build today could run as a service container ?

We should be able to communicate to the service container with ADB.

https://docs.github.com/en/actions/configuring-and-managing-workflows/about-service-containers

[AchrafAmil]

@AchrafAmil

Do you think the image you were able to build today could run as a service container ?

We should be able to communicate to the service container with ADB.

https://docs.github.com/en/actions/configuring-and-managing-workflows/about-service-containers

it's a docker container inside another docker container. The nested android-emulator docker-container runs in parallel thanks to docker compose and exposes a tcp port to bridge with ADB.

So we can indeed communicate with the nested docker container throw ADB.

[vincentbrison]

Google will provide Android images for Docker 👌 https://github.com/google/android-emulator-container-scripts