Super Farm
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Quickstart

For someone who has finished Install and wants to create an Android, run an app on it and take a backup.

Each step gives the panel click path and the CLI command that does the same thing. You need the daemon running (sf serve or sf service start) and, for the panel, the API token from sf token. The panel is at http://127.0.0.1:7700 unless you changed server.port.

Commands that start work, such as start, app install and backup create, follow their task to the end when you run them in a terminal. In a script, add --wait to get the same behaviour, or use sf tasks to follow it later.

1. Check the host#

Panel: open the Dashboard. The first-run checklist reads the state of the machine and shows the exact fix for each failing host check. System in the sidebar lists every check.

CLI:

sf doctor

Fix every fail before you go on. A warning does not stop you.

2. Prepare the Android image#

An Android needs an image: the upstream redroid image for the Android version (redroid/redroid:13.0.0-latest for the default, version 13) with the farm's overlays on top. The first start does this by itself. Doing it now keeps the first start short.

Panel: System, then Images, then Prepare for Android 13.

CLI:

sf image pull 13
sf image ls

This downloads the base image, so it takes as long as your connection needs.

3. Create an Android#

Panel: Androids, then New Android. Only the count is required. Everything left empty follows the farm settings. Press Create. Tick "Start them now" if you want to skip step 4.

CLI:

sf create --name demo
sf ls

sf create makes the Android and leaves it stopped. sf ls shows its id (the first Android is 1), its state and its ADB address. The commands below use id 1.

To create several at once: sf create -n 5 --tag eu. Tags work in selectors as tag:eu.

4. Start it and look at it#

Panel: in the Androids list, press Start on the row, then open it (the open icon or its name). The page shows the live screen next to the Android's facts and takes touch and keyboard input.

CLI:

sf start 1
sf screenshot 1 -o shot.png

A start on the test machine took about 11 seconds with software rendering and about 17 seconds with the Intel iGPU, once the image was ready. Starting more Androids than the capacity estimate says will fit only warns by default. With performance.enforce_capacity on, sf start refuses, explains why and tells you to add --force; see Scaling.

For a native window on your desktop (needs scrcpy and a desktop session for the daemon):

sf window open 1

sf top shows the load of the host and every running Android.

5. Install an app#

You bring the app file. Super Farm keeps APK, XAPK, APKS and APKM files in an app library and installs from there, so one upload serves any number of Androids.

Panel: Apps. Press Upload an app (or drop files on the box). In the Selection box type which Androids to act on (running, 1 or all), then press Install on the app's row.

CLI:

sf apps add ~/Downloads/shop.apk
sf apps ls                               # shows the app id and package name
sf app install 1 com.example.shop        # a package name picks its newest version
sf app launch 1 com.example.shop

sf app ensure installs only where the app is missing or older, which is what you want in a script that runs more than once. Apps covers split bundles, permissions and the version matrix.

6. Run an example flow#

A flow is a short YAML script that finds screen elements by id, text or description, not by coordinates. The project ships examples. examples/open-app opens an app and waits until it is in front. Try it on Android's own Settings app, first as a dry run that reads the screens and touches nothing.

Panel: Automation, then the Flows tab. Choose examples/open-app in the list, press Run, set the selector to 1, enter package=com.android.settings under values for this run, and tick the dry run box. Run it again without the box ticked.

CLI:

sf auto flows ls
sf auto run flow examples/open-app 1 --var package=com.android.settings --dry-run
sf auto run flow examples/open-app 1 --var package=com.android.settings
sf auto runs

Other shipped examples are examples/settings-open-entry, examples/scroll-until-visible, examples/type-into-focused-field and examples/dismiss-permission-dialog. Automation explains recording, training and writing your own.

7. Back it up#

Panel: Backups. Type 1 in the selector and press Back up now.

CLI:

sf backup create 1
sf backup list
sf backup verify android-1/<time>      # use the name from the list

By default a running Android is stopped while its data is copied and started again afterwards (backup.stop_for_backup). Restoring as a new Android never touches the original:

sf backup restore android-1/<time>

Backup covers farm backups, restoring over an Android, schedules and moving a farm to another machine.

8. Stop#

sf stop 1

Stopping keeps the data. sf rm 1 deletes the Android and its data after taking a safety backup first. The daemon can be stopped without stopping any Android.

Next#

  • Apps: bundle formats, permissions and keeping versions in step.
  • Networking: give an Android a VPN or a proxy before it leaves the machine.
  • GPU: choose how Androids draw, which sets how many fit.
  • Automation: record, train and schedule.
  • AI assistants: let an assistant operate the farm with your approval.
  • Command reference: every command.

This page is docs/QUICKSTART.md in the repository.