gitlab-instance-0a899031_sh/android13

redroid 13 Control Kit

This folder contains the local control entrypoint for the remote redroid 13 environment. The goal is to keep one script and one workflow that can:

• build the image on the server
• launch one or many redroid instances
• bootstrap Magisk and Google framework settings
• check whether a running instance is actually usable
• expose a web UI for Docker management

Architecture

The repository is split into two layers:

flowchart LR
  A["Local workstation<br/>Windows / Git Bash"] --> B["redroid13.sh<br/>Paramiko over SSH"]
  B --> C["Remote host<br/>/home/eric/redroid-android13"]
  C --> D["Docker / Podman"]
  D --> E["redroid container"]
  E --> F["Android 13 system image"]
  F --> G["Google framework"]
  F --> H["Magisk / root"]
  B --> I["Portainer web panel"]

Local side

redroid13.sh is the only file you usually run from this folder. It:

• asks for the SSH password once
• connects to the server with paramiko
• executes build, launch, bootstrap, and health-check commands remotely
• resolves the best image for the server architecture

Remote side

The server repo, /home/eric/redroid-android13, contains the actual Android build and bootstrap code:

• redroid.py builds the image layers
• run_redroid.py launches the container
• bootstrap_redroid.py applies the post-boot hardening
• stuff/magisk.py packages Magisk
• stuff/mindthegapps.py packages Google apps/framework

Compatibility Model

The script is designed to work with both x86_64 and arm64 hosts.

Image selection

The script resolves the image automatically unless you override it.

• x86_64 host: redroid/redroid:13.0.0_mindthegapps_houdini_magisk
• arm64 host: redroid/redroid:13.0.0_mindthegapps_magisk

You can still override the image explicitly with REDROID_IMAGE. If your arm64 build uses a different tag, set REDROID_IMAGE_ARM64 to match it.

Runtime bridge

run_redroid.py already resolves bridge mode from the image tag when --bridge auto is used.

• houdini images use native bridge translation for x86 apps on x86 hosts
• arm64 images can stay on the default bridge path

Root handling

bootstrap_redroid.py now probes root using both of the common Magisk styles:

• su root id
• su 0 id

That avoids the old su -mm -c mismatch and keeps Magisk-compatible bootstrapping stable across the current image variants.

What The Script Does

The shell entrypoint supports:

• building the Android 13 image
• starting one instance
• starting multiple instances
• bootstrapping a single container
• bootstrapping all running redroid containers
• listing containers
• checking a running instance
• starting Portainer
• showing runtime info

It also resolves:

• the server architecture
• the appropriate image tag
• the right ADB / Magisk bootstrap path

Prerequisites

Local machine:

• Bash
• Python 3
• paramiko installed for Python 3

Remote server:

• Docker or Podman
• access to /home/eric/redroid-android13
• working ADB server
• a redroid-compatible Linux host

Quick Start

Run the script from this folder:

./redroid13.sh

The menu is interactive and covers the common workflow:

1. build the image
2. start one instance
3. start a batch of instances
4. bootstrap an instance
5. list containers
6. check a running instance
7. start Portainer
8. stop an instance
9. bootstrap all redroid containers
10. show runtime info
11. exit

Non-Interactive Usage

The same script also supports command-style usage:

./redroid13.sh build
./redroid13.sh start
./redroid13.sh batch
./redroid13.sh bootstrap redroid13-1
./redroid13.sh bootstrap-all
./redroid13.sh list
./redroid13.sh redroid-list
./redroid13.sh check
./redroid13.sh portainer
./redroid13.sh info
./redroid13.sh stop redroid13-1

Recommended Defaults

These defaults are tuned for a stable Android 13 desktop-style setup:

• REDROID_GPU_MODE=guest
• REDROID_ADB_INSECURE=1
• REDROID_DEVICE_PROFILE=pixel-7-pro
• REDROID_ROOT_TIMEOUT=60
• REDROID_BOOT_TIMEOUT=120
• REDROID_WAIT_TCP=120

That combination prioritizes boot reliability over host-GPU speed.

Environment Variables

You can override the behavior without editing the script.

Variable	Purpose	Default
REDROID_SSH_HOST	Remote server address	192.168.2.179
REDROID_SSH_USER	SSH user	eric
REDROID_REMOTE_REPO	Remote repo path	/home/eric/redroid-android13
REDROID_IMAGE	Force a specific image	auto-select by architecture
REDROID_IMAGE_X86	x86_64 image	redroid/redroid:13.0.0_mindthegapps_houdini_magisk
REDROID_IMAGE_ARM64	arm64 image	redroid/redroid:13.0.0_mindthegapps_magisk
REDROID_ARCH_PROFILE	auto, x86_64, or arm64	auto
REDROID_DEVICE_PROFILE	Device fingerprint preset	pixel-7-pro
REDROID_GPU_MODE	guest, host, or auto	guest
REDROID_ADB_INSECURE	Inject insecure adb boot props	1
REDROID_BOOT_TIMEOUT	Seconds to wait for Android boot	120
REDROID_ROOT_TIMEOUT	Seconds to wait for Magisk root	60
REDROID_WAIT_TCP	Seconds to wait for ADB TCP	120
REDROID_DEFAULT_PORT	First ADB port	5570
REDROID_PORT_STEP	Port step in batch mode	1
REDROID_INSTANCE_PREFIX	Instance name prefix	redroid13
REDROID_DEFAULT_COUNT	Batch size prompt default	3
REDROID_PORTAINER_PORT	Portainer port	9000
REDROID_DATA_PREFIX	Host data directory prefix	/home/eric/data-redroid13

Multi-Instance Layout

The script uses one host data directory per instance:

/home/eric/data-redroid13-redroid13-1
/home/eric/data-redroid13-redroid13-2
/home/eric/data-redroid13-redroid13-3

Ports are assigned sequentially:

• 5570
• 5571
• 5572

This keeps each container isolated and makes it easy to reboot or replace a single instance.

Bootstrap Flow

The bootstrap phase does the important post-boot cleanup:

• waits for Android boot completion
• waits for Magisk root when root-only actions are required
• sets provisioning flags
• disables setup wizard if the package exists
• sets mock location for shell
• applies the selected device profile through resetprop
• applies proxy settings
• installs the optional extreme script when requested

That bootstrap logic is the part that keeps Google Play and Magisk behavior stable after first boot.

Portainer

The script can start Portainer on the remote host.

Once it is running:

• open http://<server-ip>:9000
• use it to inspect containers, logs, volumes, and restart policies

Troubleshooting

ADB connects but shell fails

Check whether the instance actually reached a usable boot state:

./redroid13.sh check

If sys.boot_completed is not 1, the container may still be booting or the guest may have stalled.

Magisk root is unavailable

The bootstrap logic now retries root with the currently supported su syntax.

If you still do not see root:

• check the container logs on the remote host
• verify the image tag you selected
• make sure the container was started from the current repository revision

Google Play login looks broken

That usually means one of these is still wrong:

• device fingerprint
• setup wizard state
• provisioning state
• Google Play Services package state

Use ./redroid13.sh check to inspect all of those in one shot.

Host GPU causes boot issues

If a container never becomes reachable over ADB, switch back to guest GPU mode:

REDROID_GPU_MODE=guest ./redroid13.sh start

Host GPU is faster when it works, but guest GPU is the safe default for headless servers.

Notes

• This folder is a control layer, not the Android build itself.
• The actual server-side fixes live in the remote repository at /home/eric/redroid-android13.
• The goal is stability first: Magisk root, Google framework, and repeatable multi-instance startup.