Running Shell commands though java code on Android?

Question

I've got an app that's supposed to use some shell commands to copy a file from the sdcard to /system/media/. It will require root, and I am testing on a rooted device. I'm using runtimes to execute the shell commands, but it's not working. Here's what I've got for my runtimes

public void RunAsRoot{String[] commands = {"sysrw", "rm /data/local/bootanimation.zip", "sysro"};{
    Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("su");
    DataOutputStream os = new DataOutputStream(p.getOutputStream());            
    for (String tmpCmd : commands) {
    os.writeBytes(tmpCmd+"\n");
    }           
    os.writeBytes("exit\n");  
    os.flush();
}

But my logcat only shows two of them not getting rejected

07-30 03:14:11.112: WARN/su(3593): request rejected (10047->0 /system/bin/sh)
07-30 03:14:11.132: DEBUG/su(3592): 10047 com.bba.stormdroid executing 0 /system/bin/sh using shell /system/bin/sh : sh
07-30 03:14:11.152: WARN/su(3594): request rejected (0->0 /system/bin/sh)
07-30 03:14:11.182: WARN/su(3595): request rejected (0->0 /system/bin/sh)
07-30 03:14:11.202: WARN/su(3596): request rejected (0->0 /system/bin/sh)
07-30 03:14:11.242: DEBUG/su(3597): 10047 com.bba.stormdroid executing 0 /system/bin/sh using shell /system/bin/sh : sh

Those two look to be the sysrw and sysro commands, yet the app still asks for root permission when I trigger this code. I'm new to working with root stuff and I can't seem to figure out how to get this to work.

Redeemable

can i get a working project of this sample? – Watercool

This isn't working for me and I'm not getting any FileNotFound exceptions or anything in Java. Also, SuperSU intercepts the root request and I'm able to grant it so I know that getRuntime() is working. For some reason it just won't let me manipulate files in the /system/media folder. – Scintillometer

Ah it looks like sysrw and sysro are unknown commants. – Scintillometer

Sorry for the naive question: this only works with a rooted device, isn't it? – Headspring

Answer 1

To run root commands, you have to use the flllowing format:

    public void RunAsRoot(String[] cmds){
            Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("su");
            DataOutputStream os = new DataOutputStream(p.getOutputStream());            
            for (String tmpCmd : cmds) {
                    os.writeBytes(tmpCmd+"\n");
            }           
            os.writeBytes("exit\n");  
            os.flush();
}

where you pass in an array of strings, each string being a command that needs to be executed. For example:

String[] commands = {"sysrw", "rm /data/local/bootanimation.zip", "sysro"};

Orometer

When I put that in my onClick, it says the ()'s around (String[] cmds) should be ;'s, which just adds more errors when I do that. – Redeemable

I just edited my original answer to show an example of the string array that needs to be passed in – Orometer

Unless I'm doing this wrong, it's highlighting RunAsRoot and saying void is an invalid type for RunAsRoot. I've updated my question with the code I have now – Redeemable

You can't pass in a string array like that. You have to assign it first, then pass it in as a variable. The RunAsRoot function should be identical to what I posted – Orometer

One thing I wonder is why input is via outputstream and output via inputstream, naming issue ? – Staten

Is it possible to get the output of the command I just executed..? for example "ls /data" – Anticipatory

The above code seems not working with non-Rooted devices – Martz