it's baffling because there's no security! it makes it really hard to develop code without protecting against any attack i can think of!
Conversation
The build of an app build being debuggable isn't reflected in the app data permissions. It's not a case of security people locking stuff down and making development inconvenient. ADB is a low-level tool and isn't designed to offer a high level user interface.
3
whyever would somebody expect the android debugger to allow debugging
1
1
1
It's not "the Android debugger". It's the Android Debug Bridge i.e. the low-level bridge between the host and mobile device.
2
1
Debugging on a mobile device isn't done the same way as traditional development, since it's tethered to another host. ADB is the low-level implementation of that bridge between the devices. It's not a debugger or an app development tool.
2
It's the base for higher-level tools by bridging between the devices. For example it can proxy gdb <-> gdbserver on the device and similarly for jdb, perf, etc. The app layer could be completely different like a desktop Linux stack without app sandboxing and ADB wouldn't change.
2
wrote a programming language and I'm me. We do know what adb is, we're just not impressed about what it isn't. That's all.
1
I don't understand where the hostility is coming from, sorry. You presented this as a narrative about security people hindering development, which isn't the case at all.
2
I see. You thought I was complaining about the tool. I was complaining about the permissions jank. Which of course high level tools work around, but then introduce their own headaches about.
Spent a manweek building an Android ROM a few weeks ago. Took only a few hrs 6mo ago.
1
No, I think you're trying to fit complaints about the lack of features in ADB into your narrative about Android security when it doesn't fit. My impression is that would be happy with it integrating the same feature that run-as implements, which it could do.
We work with what we have. My best rebuttal isn’t a narrative, it would be to just code something better. So check that out when it’s done.