Overview

• We need to install these packages to run Appium server, and I will show you how to make it step by step.

  • node.js
  • android-sdk
  • adb
  • appium & drivers
  • appium-doctor

• Works on Ubuntu 22.04 (Raspberry Pi, ARM64) and Ubuntu 24.04 (WSL)

Installation

STEP 1. INSTALL Node.js

• Update the OS to the latest

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

• Use "apt show ..." command to preview the nodejs version, if it less than 18.0.0 means it can't supports Appoim 2.x, you need download and install it manually.

$ apt show nodejs
Package: nodejs
Version: 18.19.1+dfsg-6ubuntu5
...

• Download and install node.js manually.
• Refer to "The nodesource for node.js"
• Install "curl" tool first

$ sudo apt install curl -y

• Find the target version (LTS version is recommended)
• Download the setup script
• You will see a "nodesource_setup.sh" file exists in the current directory

$ curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_23.x -o nodesource_setup.sh

• Run the setup script with sudo

$ sudo -E bash nodesource_setup.sh

• Install Node.js

$ sudo apt install nodejs

• Verify nodejs and npm installation

$ node -v
 v23.11.1

$ npm -v
 10.9.2

STEP 2. INSTALL android-sdk and adb

• Install android-sdk

$ sudo apt install android-sdk -y

• Install adb

$ sudo apt install adb -y

STEP 3. SET ANDROID_HOME and PATH

• Find the locate of android-sdk

$ whereis android-sdk
 android-sdk: /usr/lib/android-sdk

• Append \$ANDROID_HOME and \$PATH environment variables in ~/.bashrc

$ echo 'export ANDROID_HOME=/usr/lib/android-sdk' >> ~/.bashrc
$ echo 'export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/tools' >> ~/.bashrc
$ echo 'export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools' >> ~/.bashrc

• Activate

$ source ~/.bashrc

STEP 4. INSTALL appium and drivers

• Install appium

$ sudo npm install -g appium

• Install drivers
• For Android device

$ appium driver install uiautomator2

• For iOS device

$ appium driver install xcuitest

STEP 5. DIAGNOSTIC

• When the all installation steps finished, let's install appium-doctor for diagnostic
• Install appium-doctor

$ sudo npm install -g appium-doctor

• Execute "appium-doctor" command and make sure the necessary dependencies of diagnostic should be passed excepted "✖ android, emulator, apkanalyzer could NOT be found in /usr/lib/android-sdk/!".

$ appium-doctor
WARN AppiumDoctor [Deprecated] Please use appium-doctor installed with "npm install @appium/doctor --location=global"
info AppiumDoctor Appium Doctor v.1.16.2
info AppiumDoctor ### Diagnostic for necessary dependencies starting ###
info AppiumDoctor  ✔ The Node.js binary was found at: /usr/bin/node
info AppiumDoctor  ✔ Node version is 20.14.0
info AppiumDoctor  ✔ ANDROID_HOME is set to: /usr/lib/android-sdk/
info AppiumDoctor  ✔ JAVA_HOME is set to: /usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-arm64
info AppiumDoctor    Checking adb, android, emulator, apkanalyzer
info AppiumDoctor      'adb' is in /usr/lib/android-sdk/platform-tools/adb
WARN AppiumDoctor  ✖ android, emulator, apkanalyzer could NOT be found in /usr/lib/android-sdk/!
info AppiumDoctor  ✔ 'bin' subfolder exists under '/usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-arm64'
info AppiumDoctor ### Diagnostic for necessary dependencies completed, one fix needed. ###
info AppiumDoctor
...

STEP 6. VERIFY appium server can be executable

• Verify appium server can be executable and it expected printed logs likes below.
• Make sure the appium server version starts with v2.x

$ appium -v
  2.18.0

$ appium
[Appium] Welcome to Appium v2.18.0
[Appium] The autodetected Appium home path: /home/victor/.appium
[Appium] Attempting to load driver uiautomator2...
...

STEP 7. RUN Appium Server

• Now, we can run Appium server, the command format likes below

$ appium [-a ADDRESS] [-p port] [desired capabilities] [--log=$output_path]

• Here are some frequently used examples of mine

# For Linux
# Run Appium Server With MKDIR*
$ mkdir -p $HOME/adb_log && appium -a 127.0.0.1 -p 4723 --allow-cors --session-override --relaxed-security --log-timestamp --local-timezone -g=$HOME/adb_log/AppiumServer_$(date +"%Y%m%d-%H%M%S").log

# For Windows
# Run Appium Server With MKDIR*
$ mkdir -p C:\\adb_log || appium -a 127.0.0.1 -p 4723 --allow-cors --session-override --relaxed-security --log-timestamp --local-timezone -g=C:/adb_log/AppiumServer_%date:~0,4%%date:~5,2%%date:~8,2%_%Time:~0,2%%Time:~3,2%%Time:~6,2%.log

# The output log will be created automatically by current time, to acheive it, you need create a adb_log folder under C disk and set time format.
# The %date% & %time% format on computer should be "2024-06-03" "17:04:06.54".

Reference

• Installing node.js and npm
  • https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-node-js-on-ubuntu-20-04
  • https://joshtronic.com/2023/04/23/how-to-install-nodejs-20-on-ubuntu-2004-lts
• The nodesource for node.js
  • https://github.com/nodesource/distributions?tab=readme-ov-file
  • https://nodejs.org/zh-tw/about/previous-releases
• Installing Appium-doctor
  • https://www.npmjs.com/package/appium-doctor
• How to set $ANDROID_HOME variable
  • It's NOT a practical step, you can refer to it but not copy it.
  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/26256279/how-to-set-android-home-path-in-ubuntu
• Change datetime format in Windows 11
  • https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/change-the-windows-regional-settings-to-modify-the-appearance-of-some-data-types-in-access-databases-edf41006-f6e2-4360-bc1b-30e9e8a54989
• Migrating from Appium 1 to 2
  • https://appium.io/docs/zh/2.5/guides/migrating-1-to-2/