Environment Variables¶

Most users can use the defaults. Set these variables when you need a different state directory, logs, tool set, or device behavior.

State and logs¶

Variable	Use	Default
`AUTOMOBILE_DATA_DIR`	Base directory for observe, accessibility, navigation, CtrlProxy-build, screen-streaming, WebRTC, tool-output, and daemon-failure artifacts	`~/.auto-mobile`
`AUTOMOBILE_LOG_DIR`	Directory for daemon and client logs	`~/.auto-mobile/logs`
`AUTOMOBILE_LOG_FORMAT`	`text` or newline-delimited `json`	`text`
`AUTOMOBILE_LOG_SINK`	`file`, `stderr`, or `both`	`file`
`AUTOMOBILE_COORDINATION_DIR`	Absolute, shared directory for cross-process CtrlProxy forwarding leases	OS account home `.auto-mobile`

For container log collection:

export AUTOMOBILE_DATA_DIR=/var/lib/automobile
export AUTOMOBILE_LOG_FORMAT=json
export AUTOMOBILE_LOG_SINK=stderr

Some persistent stores still use fixed paths under ~/.auto-mobile, including device snapshots, video archives, and downloaded libwebp tools. Set their feature-specific options where available; AUTOMOBILE_DATA_DIR does not currently relocate them.

Set AUTOMOBILE_COORDINATION_DIR when the OS account home is read-only or when AutoMobile agents that share an ADB server need an explicit shared lease root. All cooperating agents must use the same absolute path. The legacy AUTO_MOBILE_COORDINATION_DIR alias is accepted when the preferred name is unset.

Database¶

Variable	Use	Default
`AUTOMOBILE_DB_PATH`	Exact SQLite database path	`~/.auto-mobile/auto-mobile.db`
`AUTOMOBILE_DB_DIR`	Directory containing `auto-mobile.db`	unset

AUTOMOBILE_DB_PATH takes precedence over AUTOMOBILE_DB_DIR. Relative paths are resolved from the daemon’s launch directory. Use a path unique to each concurrent instance:

export AUTOMOBILE_DB_PATH="$PWD/.auto-mobile/auto-mobile.db"

Do not use AUTOMOBILE_DB_PATH=:memory: in production. It is allowed only for tests that also set AUTOMOBILE_ALLOW_IN_MEMORY_DB=1.

Tool defaults¶

export AUTOMOBILE_ENABLED_TOOLS=clipboard,sqlQuery
export AUTOMOBILE_DISABLED_TOOLS=observe

Tool names are exact and case-sensitive. Unknown names and same-layer enable/disable conflicts fail startup. Repeatable --enable-tool and --disable-tool flags override these environment values; persisted setToolEnabled choices override startup defaults.

Device behavior¶

AutoMobile does not create an emulator or simulator by default. The legacy compatibility path can opt in:

export AUTOMOBILE_ALLOW_DEVICE_CREATE=1
auto-mobile --cli startDevice --platform ios --create-if-missing

An explicit --create-if-missing false disables creation even when the environment variable is set. Created devices can be removed with xcrun simctl delete <udid> or avdmanager delete avd -n <name>.

Enable device recovery only when AutoMobile owns the virtual device:

export AUTOMOBILE_DEVICE_RECOVERY_ON_LOSS=1
export AUTOMOBILE_DEVICE_RECOVERY_MAX_ATTEMPTS=2

Recovery restarts eligible AutoMobile-owned Android AVDs. Physical devices, externally started emulators, and iOS simulators are not restarted.

Shared ADB server¶

By default AutoMobile leaves the local ADB server running. Set AUTOMOBILE_MANAGED_ADB_SERVER=1 only when this process owns the server; a clean shutdown then stops it after active device sessions are released.

The preferred AUTOMOBILE_* spelling is documented here. Older AUTO_MOBILE_* aliases are accepted for the state, log, database, recovery, and ADB settings when the preferred name is unset.