Aether Phone Lane Operations

VerifiedCaution

Operate and troubleshoot the SCBE Android emulator phone lane for AetherCode and Polly Pad, including launch, recovery, and status verification.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevOpsIntermediate
8/6/2026
Claude CodeCodex
#android-emulator#adb#powershell#troubleshooting#verification

Recommended for

Automated summary

This skill guides operation of the SCBE Android emulator lane (AVD `SCBE_Pixel_6_API35`) for AetherCode and Polly Pad: booting, recovering from stale lock state, resizing the phone surface, and proving lane state from local artifacts.

Strengths

  • Organizes work as a clear Discover → Recover → Launch/Attach → Operate → Verify sequence
  • Anchors decisions to repo PowerShell scripts and canonical status artifacts (emulator JSON, PID snapshot) instead of guesswork
  • Explicitly handles stale lock files (`.protobuf.lock`, `multiinstance.lock`) and warns against concluding the emulator is dead from a single launcher timeout
  • Gives ready-to-run commands: status script summary, `adb devices -l`, `-PreviewOnly` dry run, and a reading-friendly launch preset

Limitations

  • Tightly coupled to one setup (hard-coded Windows paths, a specific AVD name, the SCBE-AETHERMOORE repo), so it is not portable as-is
  • Does not automate the one-time Chrome `FirstRunActivity` setup, only flags it as a gate
  • Offers no generic emulator troubleshooting and does not bypass sandbox or approval rules
When to use it

Use it when a SCBE Android emulator is stale, missing from ADB, oddly sized, or when you need evidence-based confirmation of the current phone lane state.

When not to use it

Avoid it on machines without the SCBE-AETHERMOORE repo and the expected Android SDK paths, or for Android work unrelated to AetherCode and Polly Pad.

Security analysis

Caution
Quality score85/100

The skill directs execution of local PowerShell and Python scripts plus adb commands to manage an Android emulator. These are powerful local operations but do not include destructive, exfiltrating, or obfuscated actions. The use of -ExecutionPolicy Bypass and process/device control warrants caution.

Findings
  • •Instructs PowerShell with -ExecutionPolicy Bypass, which disables script execution policy safeguards.
  • •Stops and restarts the ADB server and emulator processes, which can disrupt local device state.
  • •Uses hardcoded absolute user paths that may obscure or limit the origin of executed scripts.
How this analysis is made

Examples

Check the lane before launching
Summarize the current Aether phone lane state from the local artifacts, then confirm whether emulator-5554 is visible to adb before I try to start anything.
Recover a stale emulator
The SCBE_Pixel_6_API35 emulator is invisible to ADB and I'm seeing .protobuf.lock noise — stop the phone mode and adb server, relaunch it, and verify with the status script.
Reading-friendly relaunch
Relaunch the Polly Pad emulator with the reading screen preset, density 340 and font scale 1.12, then confirm 127.0.0.1:8088 responds and the phone-mode PID snapshot exists.

name: aether-phone-lane-ops description: Boot, recover, tune, and verify the SCBE Android emulator phone lane for AetherCode and Polly Pad. Use when Codex needs to operate the SCBE_Pixel_6_API35 emulator, repair stale lock state, resize the phone surface, or prove the current lane state from local artifacts.

Aether Phone Lane Ops

Use this skill for Android emulator work around SCBE_Pixel_6_API35, AetherCode, and Polly Pad.

Truth Boundary

  • This skill does not bypass sandbox or approval rules.
  • It reduces friction by pointing Codex at the repo scripts, existing status artifacts, and already-approved launcher prefixes.
  • Treat artifacts/kindle/emulator/*.json and artifacts/system/aether_phone_mode_pids.json as the canonical local evidence surface.

Quick Start

Run from C:\Users\issda\SCBE-AETHERMOORE.

Preview the lane without launching anything:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/system/start_polly_pad_emulator.ps1 -PreviewOnly

Summarize the latest local state from artifacts:

python C:\Users\issda\.codex\skills\aether-phone-lane-ops\scripts\phone_lane_status.py

Packet Order

A. Discover

Check the emulator lane in this order:

  1. python C:\Users\issda\.codex\skills\aether-phone-lane-ops\scripts\phone_lane_status.py
  2. & "C:\Users\issda\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools\adb.exe" devices -l
  3. powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/system/start_polly_pad_emulator.ps1 -PreviewOnly

If the status script says phone mode is live and adb devices -l shows emulator-5554, prefer attach or direct ADB follow-up over a fresh launch.

B. Recover

If the emulator is stale, invisible to ADB, or showing .protobuf.lock / multiinstance.lock noise:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/system/stop_polly_pad_emulator.ps1 -StopPhoneMode -StopAdbServer

Then relaunch:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/system/start_polly_pad_emulator.ps1

C. Launch Or Attach

Default launch:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/system/start_polly_pad_emulator.ps1

Reading-friendly launch:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/system/start_polly_pad_emulator.ps1 `
  -ScreenPreset reading `
  -RuntimeDensity 340 `
  -FontScale 1.12

If the emulator is already booted and only device setup remains:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/system/start_polly_pad_emulator.ps1 -SkipEmulatorLaunch

Read references/launcher-matrix.md only when launch flags or failure modes matter.

D. Operate The Phone Lane

Canonical emulator browser base:

  • http://10.0.2.2:8088/

Canonical routes:

  • http://10.0.2.2:8088/polly-pad.html
  • http://10.0.2.2:8088/chat.html

Repo scripts to prefer:

  • scripts/system/start_polly_pad_emulator.ps1
  • scripts/system/stop_polly_pad_emulator.ps1
  • scripts/system/start_aether_phone_mode.ps1
  • scripts/system/stop_aether_phone_mode.ps1
  • scripts/system/kindle_device_diagnostics.ps1

If direct Polly Pad launch lands in Chrome FirstRunActivity, complete the one-time Chrome setup and rerun the route launch. Do not claim Polly Pad browser launch is clean until that gate is cleared.

E. Verify

The run is only complete when local evidence proves it:

  • adb devices -l shows a live emulator serial, or the latest emulator status JSON records ok=true
  • the phone-mode PID snapshot exists and the local web lane responds on 127.0.0.1:8088
  • the latest status JSON includes the routes or notes needed for the current run

Use the status script again at the end to summarize the local truth surface.

Guardrails

  • Do not claim the emulator is dead only because one launcher timed out; check raw adb devices -l and latest artifacts.
  • Do not start a second emulator instance against the same AVD if emulator or qemu-system-x86_64 is already holding the lock.
  • Prefer recovery before rebuild.
  • Keep the skill focused on emulator and phone-lane operations. Use other skills for publishing, research, or content generation.

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/download' --output '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/aether-phone-lane-ops' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk' '.claude/skills/aether-phone-lane-ops'

Codex
test -f '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.agents/skills' && test ! -e '.agents/skills/aether-phone-lane-ops' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk' '.agents/skills/aether-phone-lane-ops'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk'

openskills read 'aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/aether-phone-lane-operations-msh3uumk/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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