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How to set up many devices automatically with device provisioning

Define your settings once in the Emteria Hub and apply them to every device on its first start.

Device provisioning lets you set up many devices the same way, automatically. You define your settings once in the Emteria Hub and save them to a file. When a device with Android OS built by Emteria starts for the very first time, the SetupWizard reads this file and applies all settings for you. Device provisioning is available on every plan, including the free plan.

Why use device provisioning?

Our community images are generic: every installation starts with the same default settings. If you need many devices with the same apps, screen rotation, Wi-Fi and other settings, configuring each one by hand takes a long time and is easy to get wrong.

With device provisioning, every device gets your settings during its first start. It can also register itself automatically in your Emteria workspace, so you don't enter a license code on each device manually. After the first boot finishes, the device is ready to use with all settings applied.

How it works

  1. Create your provisioning settings in the Emteria Hub and export them as a file.
  2. Install Android OS built by Emteria on your device, as usual.
  3. Give the device the provisioning file on its very first start: on a USB flash drive (recommended), or on the SD card.
  4. The SetupWizard reads the file and applies your settings.

Only on the first start: the SetupWizard reads provisioning settings only during the very first start after installation. Changing provisioning settings later doesn't affect devices that are already set up. To provision a device again, install Android OS built by Emteria again.

Step 1: Create and export your provisioning settings

  1. Log in to the Emteria Hub. No account yet? Sign up for free.
  2. Open Provisioning.
  3. Choose existing provisioning settings, or create new ones with Manage > Create.
  4. Set the options you need and click Save.
  5. Click Export. Your computer downloads a file named like provisioning_NAME.json.
  6. Rename the file to oem.json. The device only recognizes this name.

Keep the file private: if you use automatic registration, the file contains a universal license code. Anyone with this file can register devices in your account.

Step 2 (Option A): Use a USB flash drive (recommended)

This is the easiest way. It works on all devices and with all Android versions.

  1. Format a USB flash drive with FAT32.
  2. Copy oem.json to the USB flash drive. Put it directly on the drive, not into a folder.
  3. Install Android OS built by Emteria on your device's SD card or storage, as usual. Don't start the device yet.
  4. Plug the USB flash drive into a free USB port of the device.
  5. Switch the device on. The SetupWizard finds the file and applies your settings.
  6. When the setup is finished, remove the USB flash drive. You can use the same USB drive with the same provisioning file again for the next device.

Step 2 (Option B): Put the file on the SD card

You can also put the file on the SD card itself, so you don't need a USB flash drive. This is a bit more technical.

Background: after you write Android OS built by Emteria to an SD card, the card contains several partitions. Only one of them, called bootloader, uses a format that all operating systems like Windows, macOS and Linux can easily open. The device looks for the provisioning file there.

  1. Install Android OS built by Emteria on the SD card, as usual. Don't start the device yet.
  2. Take the SD card out of your computer and put it back in. Your computer should now show a drive named bootloader.
  3. If Windows doesn't show the drive:
    1. Right-click the Start button and open Disk Management.
    2. On your SD card, right-click the bootloader partition and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.
    3. Click Add, keep the suggested letter and click OK.
  4. Copy oem.json to the bootloader drive. If a file with this name is already there, replace it.
  5. Eject the SD card safely, put it into your device and switch it on.

Set up many devices with one SD card

With Option B you can prepare one SD card and copy (clone) it as often as you need. If your provisioning settings include automatic registration, each copy registers itself:

  • A device that was registered before gets its previous license back.
  • When a copy starts on new hardware, the Emteria License app notices that the hardware has changed. It then registers the new device automatically in the same group, without anyone entering a new code manually.

Automatic or manual setup

In the Setup automation section of your provisioning settings, choose how the SetupWizard applies your settings:

  • Automatically: the SetupWizard applies all settings and finishes on its own. The device starts to the home screen, ready to use. Nobody needs to touch it.
  • Manually: the SetupWizard shows the list of settings it will apply. The person setting up the device can skip some of them.

If something goes wrong during automatic setup, the SetupWizard switches to manual setup, so you can see and fix the problem.

Provisioning options

You only need to set the options you want to change. Everything else keeps the default settings.

Option What it does
Setup automation Choose automatic or manual setup (see above). Automatic setup requires that you accept the Emteria terms and conditions.
Internet configuration How the device connects to the internet during setup: Ethernet, mobile modem or Wi-Fi.
Device registration Choose the group your devices join when they register automatically. The Hub creates the universal license for this group in the background. You find it on the Universal licenses page.
Screen settings The screen rotation.
Product branding Your own boot animation and default wallpaper, as download links. See how to change the boot animation.
Product administration Set an app as the device owner, for example your own device management application after it was preinstalled.
Disabled components Apps or system components you don't need, for example com.android.mms.service. They are disabled permanently.
Preinstalled applications Apps to download and install during setup. See how to preinstall apps.
Runtime permissions Grant permissions to your preinstalled apps in advance, so nobody has to confirm them on the device.
Application preferences Preferences of system apps. For example, see how to enable kiosk mode.
SSH keys Public keys (OpenSSH format, usually starting with ssh-rsa) that may login to the device's SSH server.
Connectivity options Turn built-in services on or off: SSH server, SFTP server, MDM client, ADB, VNC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi requires a Wi-Fi network in Internet configuration.
System settings Change Android system defaults. For example, see how to keep the screen awake.
System properties Change system properties, for example the display resolution. These changes stay in place after system updates.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a paid plan for device provisioning?

No. Device provisioning is available on every plan, including the free plan.

Can I change the settings of a device that is already set up?

Not with provisioning. Provisioning settings are applied only during the very first start. To provision a device again, install Android OS built by Emteria again. To manage devices that are already in use, use remote device management in the Emteria Hub.

The device ignores my provisioning file. What can I check?

  • Is the file named exactly oem.json?
  • Is the file directly on the USB flash drive or the bootloader drive, not in a folder?
  • Is the USB flash drive formatted with FAT32?
  • Was it the very first start after installation? If the device was already started once, install Android OS built by Emteria again.
  • Did you put the file on the SD card that contains Android OS built by Emteria? An empty SD card or a different card doesn't work.

Is it safe to leave the provisioning file on the device?

If your settings include automatic registration, the file contains a universal license code. If a code gets out, delete it on the Universal licenses page. Then open your provisioning settings, choose the group under Device registration again, save and export a new file. Use a USB flash drive if you don't want the file to stay on the SD card.