Knowledge Base

emteria Device Hub

Remote device management

Overview of MDM commands

This is an overview of all MDM commands and their attributes.

Article overview

ProcessSubcommands
ApplyPolicy
ChangePermission
ChangePreference
   ChangePreference examples
ChangeProperty
ChangeSetting
   Change NTP server
   Enable Keep Awake option
   Enable immersive mode
CopyFile
CreatePath
DeletePath
DownloadFile
EnablePackage
EnableRestriction
InstallCertificate
InstallPackage
RebootDevice
SendBroadcast
SetupEthernetMode
SetupEthernetProxy
ShowDialog
StartActivity
StartExecutable
StartPackage
StartService
StopPackage
UninstallPackage
UpdatePolicy
WriteFile

ProcessSubcommands

A special command that defines a list of multiple commands to be executed one by one.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
subcommands	Array	array of commands to be processed	yes
success	String	values: ALL, SINGLE Defines one of the two conditions for when execution of this command is considered successful. ALL: successful when all subcommands finish successfully SINGLE: successful when at least one of the subcommands finish successfully

This example shows how to change preferences for inactive days and hours. This list of commands would define that a scheduled update would be performed only on Saturdays and Sundays between 9 PM and 4 AM.

{
  "command": "processSubcommands",
  "success": "all",
  "subcommands": [
    {
      "command": "changePreference",
      "package": "com.emteria.update",
      "category": "com.emteria.update_preferences",
      "key": "allowed_days",
      "type": "set",
      "value": ["6", "7"]
    },
    {
      "command": "changePreference",
      "package": "com.emteria.update",
      "category": "com.emteria.update_preferences",
      "key": "allowed_time_start",
      "type": "string",
      "value": "21:00"
    },
    {
      "command": "changePreference",
      "package": "com.emteria.update",
      "category": "com.emteria.update_preferences",
      "key": "allowed_time_end",
      "type": "string",
      "value": "04:00"
    }
  ]
}

ApplyPolicy

Enforces to apply group policy on the device. This command has no parameters.

ChangePermission

Grants or revokes permissions for the given package.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
package	String	android app package name e.g. com.android.calendar
permission	String	android permission name e.g. android.permission.BLUETOOTH
action	String	Values: grant/revoke

ChangePreference

Changes value of a preference with the given key for the requested package and category.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
package	String	android app package name e.g. com.android.calendar
category	String	Android SharedPreferences category (name of the app’s shared preferences file without the .xml suffix)
type	String	BOOL, FLOAT, INT, LONG, SET, STRING
key	String	Name of the preference to be changed
value	String	Value of the preference to be changed	yes

ChangePreference Examples

Enable “Hide Back button”:

{  
	"command": "changePreference",
	"package": "com.emteria.kiosk",
	"category": "com.emteria.kiosk_preferences",
	"key": "prefs_hide_back_key",
	"type": "bool",
	"value": "true"
}

Change “Stability level” (Live = 0, Beta = 1, Nightly = 2):

{  
	"command": "changePreference",
	"package": "com.emteria.update",
	"category": "com.emteria.update_preferences",
	"key": "stability_level",
	"type": "string",
	"value": "0"
}

Enable “Hide Home button”:

{  
	"command": "changePreference",
	"package": "com.emteria.kiosk",
	"category": "com.emteria.kiosk_preferences",
	"key": "prefs_hide_home_key",
	"type": "bool",
	"value": "true"
}

Set “Default website”:

{
       "command": "changePreference",
       "package": "com.emteria.kiosk",
       "category": "com.emteria.kiosk_preferences",
       "key": "prefs_default_website",
       "type": "string",
       "value": "https://www.emteria.com"
}

ChangeProperty

Change value of the given system property, equivalent to adb shell setprop "property" "value".

Name	Type	Description	Optional
property	String	system property name e.g. persist.sys.vncd.enabled
value	String	value of the property	yes

ChangeProperty Examples

Enable “adb over Ethernet”:

{
  "command": "processSubcommands",
  "success": "all",
  "subcommands": [
    {
      "command": "changeProperty",
      "property": "persist.sys.usb.config",
      "value": "adb"
    },
    {
      "command": "changeProperty",
      "property": "persist.adb.tcp.port",
      "value": "5555"
    }
  ]
}

Disable “adb over Ethernet”:

{
  "command": "processSubcommands",
  "success": "all",
  "subcommands": [
    {
      "command": "changeProperty",
      "property": "persist.sys.usb.config",
      "value": "none"
    },
    {
      "command": "changeProperty",
      "property": "persist.adb.tcp.port",
      "value": ""
    }
  ]
}

Reboot your device afterwards.

ChangeSetting

Change value of the given system setting, equivalent to adb shell settings set "section" "key".

Name	Type	Description	Optional
section	String	GLOBAL, SYSTEM, SECURE
type	String	BOOL, FLOAT, INT, LONG, SET, STRING
key	String	Name of the setting to be changed e.g. sound_effects_enabled
value	String	value of the property	yes

Examples:

Change NTP server

Section Name: Global
Value type: String
Settings key name: ntp_server
New Value: de.pool.ntp.org

Enable Keep Awake option

Section name: Global

Setting type: Int

Setting key: stay_on_while_plugged_in

New value: 7

Enable immersive mode

Section name: Global
Setting type: String
Setting key: policy_control
New value: immersive.status= com.package1,com.package2

If you want to reset the option use: immersive.status=null

Note: This only will work for Android 7. In Android 11 the app has to define the immersive mode itself.

CopyFile

Copy files from source to target.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
source	String	source path
mode	int	file permissions
destination	String	target path

CreatePath

Creates give path.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
path	String	path to create

Note: This command can at the moment only be added manually through the MDM Command Editor.

DeletePath

Deletes given path.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
path	String	path to delete

DownloadFile

Downloads file from url.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
url	String	source url
path	String	target path
mode	int	file permissions

EnablePackage

Enables or disables a package.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
package	String	android app package name e.g. com.android.calendar
state	String	values: 1 – enabled 0 – disabled

EnableRestriction

Enables or disables a user restriction. This option is available only when the device admin component is active on the device.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
key	String	restriction name
state	String	values: 1 – adds user restriction 0 – removes user restriction

InstallCertificate

Installs a certificate from the given path. This option is available only when the admin component is active on the device.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
path	String	path to the certificate file

InstallPackage

Installs an app package from the given url.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
url	String	URL of the package file
package	String	android app package name e.g. com.android.calendar
version	int	package version number

RebootDevice

Reboots device with given option.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
reason	String	option for reboot	yes

SendBroadcast

Sends broadcast with the given intent.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
intent	String	JSON String that may contain optional intent details category, action, extras. Command fails if any of the attributes is declared, but empty.
Subattributes of intent:
action	String	Intent action, like “android.intent.action.MAIN”	yes
component	String	Intent component	yes
extras	Array	array of intent extras	yes
Subattributes of extras:
type	String	BOOL, FLOAT, INT, LONG, SET, STRING	yes
key	String	key of the extra	yes
value	String	extra value	yes

SetupEthernetMode

Sets up either DHCP or static Ethernet mode.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
mode	String	IP mode, values “dhcp” or “static” “dhcp” if missing	yes
ip	String	IP address, empty if missing	yes
gateway	String	empty if missing	yes
netmask	String	empty if missing	yes
dns	String	empty if missing	yes

SetupEthernetProxy

Sets up proxy.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
mode	String	Proxy mode, values “none”, “static” or “pac” empty if missing	yes
host	String	Proxy host, empty if missing	yes
port	String	empty if missing	yes
pac	String	PAC URL, empty if missing	yes
exclusions	String	Hosts excluded from using the proxy connection in the form of a String with comma separated values. empty if missing	yes

ShowDialog

Show dialog to identify the device. Only available on emteria.OS 11.3.11 or higher.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
message	String	User written message that is displayed in the dialog	yes
time	String	Set dialog duration	yes

StartActivity

Starts activity with the given intent.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
intent	String	JSON String that may contain optional intent details category, action, extras. Command fails if any of the attributes is declared, but empty.
Subattributes of intent:
action	String	Intent action, like “android.intent.action.MAIN”	yes
component	String	Intent component	yes
extras	Array	array of intent extras	yes
Subattributes of extras:
type	String	BOOL, FLOAT, INT, LONG, SET, STRING	yes
key	String	key of the extra	yes
value	String	extra value	yes

StartExecutable

Runs a shell command on the device.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
executable	String	Command to run in the shell

StartPackage

Starts a package installed on the device.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
executable	package	android app package name e.g. com.android.calendar

StartService

Starts service with the given intent.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
intent	String	JSON String that may contain optional intent details category, action, extras. Command fails if any of the attributes is declared, but empty.
Subattributes of intent:
action	String	Intent action, like “android.intent.action.MAIN”	yes
component	String	Intent component	yes
extras	Array	array of intent extras	yes
Subattributes of extras:
type	String	BOOL, FLOAT, INT, LONG, SET, STRING	yes
key	String	key of the extra	yes
value	String	extra value	yes

StopPackage

Force stops a package installed on the device.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
executable	package	android app package name e.g. com.android.calendar

UninstallPackage

Uninstalls a package installed on the device.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
package	String	android app package name e.g. com.android.calendar
version	String	Version if the installed package

UpdatePolicy

Downloads the current policy of the group to the device. This command has no parameters.

WriteFile

Write content to a file.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
path	String	Path of a file to update
content	String	Text to write	yes