Two weeks after releasing a speedy caching framework for iOS, LinkedIn Inc. is turning its attention to Android. The company this morning open-sourced a tool called Test Butler that aims to make it easier for developers who work with Alphabet Inc.’s mobile operating system to find usability issues in their software.

Testing is usually carried out in Android Emulator, a virtual device created by the search giant that can be installed on a desktop and customized to mimic the characteristics of different handsets. It also provides an expansive set of command-line controls designed to streamline developers’ work, but the functionality doesn’t always work as intended. Key features like the Wi-Fi link have a tendency of shutting off when they’re not supposed to, while some other components must be disabled from the outset to prevent the software from crashing. But what led LinkedIn to try and come up with a solution wasn’t so much the tool’s unreliability in itself as the fact that the prescribed workaround presents security problems.

The approach involves configuring apps to lock Android Emulator’s Wi-Fi link and other problematic functions into the desired state. The reason why it’s risky is because the configuration file used for the task requires permissions to access low-level components of the software that can theoretically carry over to a physical device. In other words, forgetting to remove the file before releasing an application could potentially make end-users vulnerable to hacking, a hazard that LinkedIn deemed unacceptable. That’s where Test Butler comes into the picture.

The tool automates permission management to let developers tweak Android Emulator without the risk of leaving vulnerable code in their apps. Its accessible through a relatively simple command-line interface that makes it possible to lock the software’s Wi-Fi link, virtual CPU and keyguard into a fixed “on” state for the duration of tests.  LinkedIn says that the software can also be used to surpass error notifications, which are another common cause of crashes. The functionality is complemented by controls for  regulating lower-priority settings such as the screen orientation of the virtual devices and apps’ display language.

The code for Test Butler is available on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license.

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