sfdk-emulator-install

Install an emulator

$ sfdk emulator install [name]

$ sfdk emulator remove [name]

$ sfdk emulator list [[-a|--available]]

$ sfdk emulator list

sfdk emulator-install [OPTIONS] [EMULATOR_NAME]

--list, -l
    Lists all available Sailfish OS emulator images that can be installed or are already installed.

--update, -u
    Checks for and updates installed Sailfish OS emulator images to their latest available versions.

--delete <EMULATOR_NAME>, -d <EMULATOR_NAME>
    Removes the specified Sailfish OS emulator image from the system.

--no-confirm, -y
    Proceeds with operations without requiring user confirmation for prompts.

--version <VERSION>
    Specifies a particular version of the emulator image to install or update.

--download-only
    Downloads the specified emulator image without performing the full installation and configuration.

--install-path <PATH>
    Specifies an alternative directory for installing emulator images, overriding the default SDK path.

The sfdk-emulator-install command is an integral part of the Sailfish OS Software Development Kit (SDK). Its primary purpose is to streamline the installation and management of Sailfish OS emulator images, which are essential for application development and testing without requiring physical devices. This utility typically handles the entire process from downloading specific emulator versions to their proper configuration, making them readily available for use within the Sailfish OS IDE (Qt Creator) or via other SDK command-line tools. It simplifies the setup of a robust development environment by providing a consistent and efficient method for acquiring and maintaining virtual devices that mirror Sailfish OS devices.

This command requires the Sailfish OS SDK to be properly installed and configured on your system.
An active internet connection is typically required to download emulator images, which can be substantial in size.
Emulator performance relies heavily on underlying virtualization technologies (like QEMU/KVM); ensure hardware virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) is enabled in your system's BIOS/UEFI for optimal speed.

The functionality of sfdk-emulator-install is often integrated into the Sailfish OS IDE (Qt Creator), allowing developers to manage emulator installations and updates graphically directly from the development environment.

Sailfish OS emulators typically leverage virtualization software such as QEMU, often accelerated by KVM on Linux hosts. Ensuring that your system meets the virtualization requirements, including enabling hardware virtualization in BIOS and having necessary kernel modules loaded, is crucial for smooth emulator operation.

The sfdk-emulator-install command is part of the Sailfish OS SDK, developed by Jolla. Its evolution has mirrored the development of Sailfish OS itself, adapting to new OS releases and hardware architectures to provide developers with stable and performant emulator environments. It has been a key component in simplifying the setup process for Sailfish OS application developers since the early days of the SDK.

sfdk(1), sfdk deploy(1), qemu(1), kvm(1)