Eclipse Emulator doesn't (seem to) Launch

Post date: Sep 26, 2011 6:17:51 AM

So I had this problem a bunch of times on my Macbook Pro when I started developing the Hammock Tools app and figured out how to resolve it and went on my merry way. Months pass, I start a new job and move across coasts and then decide to develop a new app.

And then I had this problem again.

And I had no idea how I resolved it all those months ago in New Jersey.

So, like a good child of the internet, I googled the problem and for one of the first times, couldn't find an answer.

After trying a bunch of things that I vaguely remembered trying I figured out a work around. I still don't know why the emulator doesn't show (I should have mentioned that the problem wasn't that it didn't launch, the problem was that it didn't display.. it didn't show it the dock even though it was running. No idea why.. the console shows it is running but it didn't seem to be accessible. (note: this was through clicking "Run" and letting it run on the default android version)).

So, here is my work around (in Eclipse Helios running on Mac OSX Lion):

First make sure that you've set the default run configuration to Manual (so it doesn't try and open an unreachable virtual device). To do this (Mac OSX Lion, Eclipse Helios): Click Run:Run Configurations... In the opened dialog, click on the hierarchy on the left: Android:[app name]. in the main window, click the Target tab and select the radio button labeled Manual. Close the dialog.

Open up the AVD Manger (Window:Android SDK and AVD Manager). Click on an existing virtual device and then click the "Start" button. (Another potential issue could have been related to out of date references to previously created virtual devices... when I still couldn't get it to work, I deleted previously created virtual devices and created new ones). After clicking Start (and play with settings and click Launch), you should see a virtual device launch. If not, read the previous sentence in parentheses, do what it says and try again. (you may have to restart your computer to completely kill the virtual devices that launched but didn't show previously.)

Now, when you click Run:Run (or the Run button) it should ask you where you want to run the app. Under "Choose a Running Android device" and choose the device you just launched in the previous paragraph (as example: my existing device was called emulator-5554) and then click OK.

Congratulations, you've just worked around an annoying bug.

If you know why the original issue happened or how to completely fix it, drop me a note or leave it in comments and i'll update this text and credit you. I may even name my first born after you.