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Enable ADB option not available

I have a Fire 7 (9th Gen) that came out this year, running Fire OS 6.3.1.2

I'm a hobbyist app developer and wanted to use my device as documentation says I should be able to. Turned on Developer Options but Enable ADB is not an option anywhere in that page. I tried to see if my device would be picked up by Android Studio with just USB debugging but no dice, it won't recognize that my tablet is plugged in.

I guess my question is, where did Enable ADB go and is there any way to get it back or am i just out of luck for using this tablet for testing.

fire tablet
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Lazlo Hollyfeld avatar image Lazlo Hollyfeld commented ·

Same issue, c'mon guys.

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Levon@Amazon avatar image Levon@Amazon ♦ commented ·

Hi @Lazlo Hollyfeld,

Could you please specify what operating system and version is on your computer? Thanks!

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Jacek avatar image Jacek Levon@Amazon ♦ commented ·

Hi @Levon@Amazon,

The hardest part of doing is actually doing it.

It would be great if those ‘@’ marked names would be really notifying people that they have some message. However, that is another part of Amazon devs forum that is broken (was mentioned few times already). Maybe it works for Amazon employees, but it doesn’t work for the rest of us.

A quick update from my side. Actually, I used two different Fedora installations. The second one I installed just few days back, to see how those devices will respond to a clean machine. So, in my opinion, asking people about their setup is just spinning wheels.

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4 Answers

Aviar avatar image
Aviar answered

Bump.


Same issue.

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montybeal avatar image
montybeal answered

Is there no response?

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Levon@Amazon avatar image Levon@Amazon ♦ commented ·

Hi @montybeal,

Could you please specify what operating system and version is on your computer? Thanks!

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Levon@Amazon avatar image
Levon@Amazon answered

Hi there,

Please perform the following actions:

- go to Settings, then tap on Device Options

- there tap on Developer Options (usually the last menu item). If it's not there, tap on Serial Number seven times, until Developer Options menu item appears

- there tap on Enable ADB. If you don't see that specific text, see if there's an Android standard USB Debugging -- they are the same thing just titled differently

- connect your computer and if you see any USB related warnings on your device, select that you agree

Please see the screenshots below. If you are seeing something different, then please post screenshots from your device. Thanks!



fire-device-options.png (51.2 KiB)
fire-developer-options.png (81.6 KiB)
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Jacek avatar image Jacek commented ·

Hi @Levon@Amazon,

No luck on my side. adb sees those tablets (7 and HD9), but shows them as:

12345...FDKL no permissions; see [https://developer.android.com/studio/run/device]

That link to google is rather worthless, asks to start Studio, check USB, restart adb and take some valium early in the process.

Maybe I still missed something in the developer settings, but on the other hand, those two tablets are running FOS 7, so isn't that somehow connected to broken WAT?

Thanks, Jacek

PS.

The old tablet is connecting fine, though.

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Levon@Amazon avatar image Levon@Amazon ♦ commented ·

Hi Jacek,

I've had something similar in the past and here's how I fixed it, if I'm remembering it correctly:

- right under Enable ADB or USB Debugging option, there's a menu item saying Revoke USB debugging authorisations -- tap on it to revoke any previous authorisations

- [optionally restart both the device and the computer]

- connect your device to the computer directly, that is not via any USB hubs or via monitor / keyboard USB ports if any, etc -- the cable should connect to one of the computer's USB ports. Ensure the port is working properly, otherwise try a different port

Thanks!

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Jacek avatar image Jacek Levon@Amazon ♦ commented ·

Hi @Levon@Amazon,

Thank you for a quick response.

Seeing your answer, I started with valium, and that was really the only good thing in this process.

You mentioning that 'I've had something similar in the past' didn't make me comfortable. It means to me that you are trying to provide some answers based on some previous most likely not related events, without even trying to look at those new Amazon devices, i.e., you are not serious. You work for Amazon, and have access to everything that you would potentially be need (H/W, relevant developers, Studio/adb versions from those that made it happen, etc.).

Yeah, revoked authorization few times. Restarted my tablet few times. Tried different direct USB ports. Restarted adb server few times. New (OS7) tablets don't work, the old tablets do.

I guess, I could reinstall that desktop, if I see that someone got it working.

Thanks, Jacek

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Jacek avatar image Jacek Levon@Amazon ♦ commented ·

Hi @Levon@Amazon,

Valium is wearing off, so I thought that I write another reply.

  1. What is common in this thread are 5 developers that publish for Amazon Fire devices; however, cannot debug on FOS7 based devices (gen 2019).
  2. What is similar to this thread are threads about WAT missing for FOS7 devices
  3. What is also similar to this thread are those thread where other developers struggle to properly generate apks for FOS7 devices

So, all the above clearly point to FOS7 issues. With all due respect, providing anecdotal references for developers that are blocked is at best misguided.


Could you get one/two (a tablet and a cube) FOS7 devices, and try whether you can connect to those using adb. If you succed, could you let us know about:

  1. OS used
  2. USB device driver used
  3. Android Studio version
  4. adb version
  5. Device type
  6. Device OS/FW versions
  7. Potentially, some extra steps if those were needed


Thanks, Jacek

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Levon@Amazon avatar image Levon@Amazon ♦ commented ·

Hi Jacek,

Thanks for additional details. I never said that I had those issues with an Amazon device. My past experience that I described with regards to that issue was with various Android phones, including Nexus and Pixel phones, and the issues were related to USB drivers on the computer, USB ports, cables or USB authorizations on the device that had to be revoked.

Quick question: are you using a Windows or macOS machine? Thanks!

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Jacek avatar image Jacek Levon@Amazon ♦ commented ·

Hi Levon,

As mentioned, let's put all anecdotal things behind us, and focus on the problem on hand.

The point is that we (third party developers) are being blocked for several months, and you are the only senior enough / experienced enough liaison between us and the Amazon team responsible for making it happen. So, getting one tablet, and trying to use adb to connect to it is the only thing that we ask for. (Yeah, the second thing we ask for is that if that connection doesn't work, you will work with that Amazon team to make it happen, and keep us informed about the progress. Or if it works, you let us know about your setup.)

I have Fedora 31 with the latest studio / sdk, tried both USB2 and USB3 ports, also did that revoke thing. All devices I used have the latest updates installed. When I connect the old Fire HD 8, first it gives me a message about low power connection, and then follows with another message whether I want to allow USB debugging. However, both Fire 7 (FOS 6, 2019) and Fire HD10 (FOS7, 2019) only give that 'low power' message. Also, for those two devices, 'adb devices' cmd shows that 'no permission' thing. Of course, all three devices have developer options and USB debugging enabled.

Actually, both Fire 7 and HD10 in the notification area show that 'USB Debugging Connected / Select to Disable USB debugging.' So, low level connection is there, but permission was not granted (through that missing dialog). But again, we know about that, as adb shows 'no permission' for those two.

I am also not married to that Fedora. I have next to it Windows and Mac boxes, and can install whatever you suggest to do, so whatever you make it work on, I (and I assume others) will be able to do as well.

Thanks, Jacek

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Jacek avatar image
Jacek answered

Hi @Levon@Amazon,

Thanks to your update about WAT for FOS7 devices, I started to play with WAT/adb today. Have some good news to report.

  1. After connecting those devices via USB, there is a message in notification area (that one pulled from the top): “System – Charging this device via USB v” (there is no indication related to this message, you just need to pull down the notification area, and search for it).
  2. Tapping that message is adding “Tap for other USB options”
  3. Tapping that gives “USB Preferences” with “No data transfer” selected
  4. Changing that to “PTP” (didn’t try other options) finally brings up the debugging permission dialog.
  5. Granting permission makes adb happy.

This is like pulling teeth.

  1. What was the reason to suppress that permission dialog on those two devices?
  2. What is the point to have “USB debugging / Debug mode when USB is connected’ switch in settings if it doesn’t work?

Well, that is not the end, though. Trying to run the app (in-house Cordova) with the index file pointing to a local (in-house) box that sits on a private DNS is a no go. Neither the app, nor Silk browser can see anything that sits on a private DNS. Actually, looking at that DNS logs, there are no hits from that tablet at all (from the last update, or so). Apparently, for whatever dumb reason, those tablets ignore DHCP provided DNS, and use potentially burned in their package DNS. Where is the esteemed Amazon’s security team when needed? This change calls either for rooting those tablets, to properly setup DNS related files, or installing a better router, that will re-route DNS calls from those devices to the local DNS. I can alreay see how that will fit with most of the corporate users, or households with kids where some parental control DNS is installed (maybe some libraries have also some DNS filters).

There were also a couple of minor snags on the way related to Fire 7 tablet refusing to connect via clear http protocol (requiring https), but those were really minor snags. (Those connections were aborted, not just giving you an option to decide what to do.)

One more thing that was already mentioned few years back. Fire TV devices don’t need USB connection to get adb going. On the other hand, all tablets need to run that USB connection basically every time they go to sleep. Having few tablets to work with or test, and getting them WiFI disconnected, and redoing those USB connection is really a pain. What would it take to make them behave the same way as Fire TV devices? How to escalate this issue. It is really only for us developers, so not that much consensus is needed (as far UI, usability, …) – whatever bare-bone fix will do.

So, even though the way it works right now sucks a bit, the really good part is that we can use adb with those devices now.

Thanks, Jacek

PS.

Looking at 'Network details' for that WiFi connection, the DNS provided there is the one given by DHCP. What a joke. So, why it is not being used?

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Jacek avatar image Jacek commented ·

There is a nice article on xda developers forum about that extra DNS entry forced there. adb can be used to potentially block that DNS entry:

  adb shell settings put global private_dns_mode off

With that change, HD 10 can see internal DNS without any problems, so can be used as primary development/test device.

Maybe Amazon should consider FOS update to kill that DNS entry, and have their tablets respect standard DNS rules.

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