How to get Virtual Machine Manager LineageOS virtual machine `boot.img` via ADB?
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Jul 13, 8:49pm

To get the boot.img from a LineageOS virtual machine (VM) running in Virtual Machine Manager (virt-manager), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) if the VM is properly set up with ADB access. Here’s a step-by-step guide:


Prerequisites

  1. ADB Installed: Ensure adb is installed on your host machine.

    • On Linux: sudo apt install adb (Debian/Ubuntu)
    • On macOS: brew install android-platform-tools
    • On Windows: Download Platform Tools from Google.
  2. ADB Enabled in VM: The LineageOS VM must have ADB enabled in its settings (usually under Developer Options).

  3. Network Access: The VM must be accessible via ADB over the network or USB (if using USB passthrough).


Steps to Pull boot.img via ADB

1. Connect to the VM via ADB

  • If the VM is running in virt-manager, ensure it has network access (NAT or bridged).

  • Find the VM’s IP address (check ip a or ifconfig inside the VM).

  • Connect via ADB:

    bash
    adb connect <VM_IP_ADDRESS>:5555
    • If ADB is running on a non-standard port, replace 5555 with the correct port.
  • Verify the connection:

    bash
    adb devices
    • You should see your VM listed.

2. Locate boot.img in the VM

  • The boot.img file is typically located in:

    • /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot (symbolic link)
    • /boot (if the VM uses a standard Linux-like structure)
    • /dev/block/mmcblk0boot0 or /dev/block/mmcblk0boot1 (for some Android devices)
  • Check the exact path inside the VM:

    bash
    adb shell ls -l /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/

    or

    bash
    adb shell find /dev/block -name "*boot*"

3. Pull boot.img to Your Host Machine

  • Once you confirm the path, pull the file:

    bash
    adb pull /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot boot.img
    • If the file is in a different location, replace the path accordingly.
  • Alternative: If boot.img is not directly accessible, you may need to dump it manually:

    bash
    adb shell su -c "dd if=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot of=/sdcard/boot.img"
    adb pull /sdcard/boot.img

4. Verify the File

  • Check the file size and integrity:
    bash
    ls -lh boot.img
    file boot.img
    • It should be a valid Android boot image (usually a few MB in size).

Troubleshooting

  • Permission Denied: If adb pull fails, ensure you have root access in the VM:

    bash
    adb root
    • Then retry the pull command.
  • ADB Not Detected: If adb devices doesn’t list the VM:

    • Check if ADB is running in the VM (adb daemon).
    • Restart ADB in the VM:
      bash
      adb kill-server
      adb start-server
  • VM Network Issues: Ensure the VM’s firewall allows ADB connections (port 5555).


Alternative: Extract boot.img from VM Disk Image

If ADB is not an option, you can extract boot.img directly from the VM’s disk image (e.g., qcow2 or raw):

  1. Locate the VM’s disk file (e.g., /var/lib/libvirt/images/lineageos.qcow2).
  2. Mount the disk image and extract boot.img:
    bash
    sudo modprobe nbd max_part=8
    sudo qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 /path/to/lineageos.qcow2
    sudo mount /dev/nbd0p1 /mnt
    cp /mnt/boot.img ~/
    sudo umount /mnt
    sudo qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0

Final Notes

  • If the VM is not rooted, you may need to enable root access in LineageOS settings.
  • For custom LineageOS builds, the boot.img path may vary. Check the device’s partition layout (adb shell cat /proc/partitions).
Jul 13, 8:49pm

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