Enabling ADB & Key Pairing

To protect against unauthorized wireless connections, the Android operating system requires incoming ADB clients to authenticate using an RSA public/private keypair. On the scooter’s head unit, authorized public keys are loaded from /adb_keys.

Because the scooter’s root filesystem is mounted read-only (ro), you cannot directly edit /adb_keys. Instead, we push our public key (adbkey.pub) to a temporary writable directory, mount-bind it over /adb_keys, and switch the scooter to manufacturing mode (mfg). While adbd always listens on port 5555, switching to mfg mode unblocks the port in the firewall and triggers the daemon to reload the keys from /adb_keys.

You can perform this setup automatically with s1util.py or execute the commands manually.

---

Option A: Automatic Pairing (Recommended)

Compatibility Notice

Gen 1 and Gen 2 compatibility is experimental and not verified to work on all scooters yet.

The s1util.py utility includes a setup-adb command that fully automates the key generation, file transfer, mount binding, and mode-switching sequence:

python s1util.py setup-adb --host "<scooter-ip>"

What Happens Automatically

1. Key Detection & Generation: Checks your computer for an existing ADB keypair (adbkey / adbkey.pub). If none exists, it automatically generates one using adb keygen.
2. Default Path Resolution: Loads your public key directly from the standard OS location (e.g., ~/.android/adbkey.pub or %USERPROFILE%\.android\adbkey.pub).
3. Pushes & Configures Key: Uploads your public key to the scooter and applies proper permissions (666). On Gen 3 scooters, it stages the key and mount-binds it over /adb_keys. If it detects a Gen 1 / Gen 2 MoveOS device (by checking for /data/misc/adb/adbkeymoveos3_pub_prod), it pushes directly to /data/misc/adb/adb_keys and /data/misc/adb/adbkeymoveos3_pub_prod instead, skipping the bind-mount.
4. Unblocks Port & Reloads Keys: Switches persist.ola.security.scootermode to mfg, unblocking port 5555 in the firewall and restarting adbd so it loads your key from /adb_keys.

This provides a single-command, frictionless pairing experience without needing manual file transfers or shell commands.

---

Option B: Manual Pairing

If you prefer full control over each step, follow the manual workflow below.

Prerequisite: Android SDK Platform-Tools

To execute adb commands, ensure you have Android SDK Platform-Tools installed on your computer. If you do not have it installed yet, download the standalone package for your platform (Windows, macOS, or Linux) from the

Android Developers Platform-Tools Release Page

and extract it to your system or add it to your PATH.

1. Generate an ADB Key (If Not Already Present)

If you have already used the Android SDK platform tools on your computer, your keypair is likely already generated. If not, generate one by running:

adb keygen ~/.android/adbkey

Your public key (adbkey.pub) is stored at the following default location depending on your operating system:

Windows

%USERPROFILE%\.android\adbkey.pub

(Typically C:\Users\<YourUsername>\.android\adbkey.pub)

Linux/macOS

~/.android/adbkey.pub

2. Push the Public Key to the Scooter

Push your local adbkey.pub to the scooter using s1util.py push:

Gen 3

On Gen 3, push the key to a temporary location (/data/local/tmp/adb_keys_temp):

Windows (PowerShell):

python s1util.py push --host "<scooter-ip>" "$env:USERPROFILE\.android\adbkey.pub" /data/local/tmp/adb_keys_temp

Linux / macOS:

python s1util.py push --host "<scooter-ip>" ~/.android/adbkey.pub /data/local/tmp/adb_keys_temp

Gen 1 / Gen 2

On Gen 1 and Gen 2, push the key directly to /data/misc/adb/adb_keys:

Windows (PowerShell):

python s1util.py push --host "<scooter-ip>" "$env:USERPROFILE\.android\adbkey.pub" /data/misc/adb/adb_keys

Linux / macOS:

python s1util.py push --host "<scooter-ip>" ~/.android/adbkey.pub /data/misc/adb/adb_keys

3. Set File Permissions

Android expects authorized key files to be readable by system processes. Set the permissions of the pushed key file to 666:

Gen 3

python s1util.py exec --host "<scooter-ip>" "chmod 666 /data/local/tmp/adb_keys_temp"

Gen 1 / Gen 2

python s1util.py exec --host "<scooter-ip>" "chmod 666 /data/misc/adb/adb_keys"

4. Mount-Bind the Key File (Gen 3 Only)

Gen 3 Only

This step is only required for Gen 3 scooters. On Gen 1 and Gen 2, the keys are loaded directly from /data/misc/adb/adb_keys, so bind-mounting is not required and you can skip directly to step 5.

Because / (root) is read-only on Gen 3, /adb_keys cannot be written to directly. Bind-mount the temporary file over /adb_keys:

python s1util.py exec --host "<scooter-ip>" "mount --bind /data/local/tmp/adb_keys_temp /adb_keys"

5. Switch Scooter Mode to Unblock Firewall & Reload Keys

With the new key file mounted, switch the scooter’s security property to manufacturing (mfg) mode:

python s1util.py exec --host "<scooter-ip>" "setprop persist.ola.security.scootermode mfg"

Strict Execution Order

These steps must be completed in this exact order. The ADB daemon already listens on port 5555 locally, but setting persist.ola.security.scootermode to mfg unblocks the port in the firewall and restarts adbd to read and cache the keys from /adb_keys. If you switch modes before bind-mounting the key file, the daemon will reload without your authorized key.

---

Reverting ADB Setup

If you want to revert your scooter to its original factory state and undo the ADB pairing changes, run the revert-adb command with s1util.py:

python s1util.py revert-adb --host <scooter-ip>

This removes the authorized keys, unmounts any temporary bindings, and resets the security mode back to standard customer mode (cust), re-enabling the firewall on port 5555.

---

Next Steps

Now that ADB is paired successfully and port 5555 is unblocked in the firewall, proceed to establish an interactive root shell and mirror your scooter’s display.