BARREL

Installation

How to install Barrel on your platform.

sudo dpkg -i Barrel_0.3.0_amd64.deb

sudo rpm -i Barrel_0.3.0_1.x86_64.rpm

chmod +x Barrel_0.3.0_amd64.AppImage
./Barrel_0.3.0_amd64.AppImage

Quick Start

Get up and running in minutes.

Dashboard

The home screen and device hub.

The Dashboard is your starting point. It shows all connected devices, provides quick-access shortcuts to each tool, and displays device properties.

Device Management

• Active Device dropdown - Select which connected device to target. All tools inherit this selection by default.
• Refresh button - Re-scans for connected devices.
• Device indicator - Green dot when connected, gray when no device detected.

Per-Module Device Selection

Each tool tab has its own compact device dropdown in the toolbar. By default it shows "Default device" (the globally selected device). You can override it per-tool to target different devices independently - browse files on device A while monitoring logcat on device B.

Device Info

The Device Info card shows: model name, Android version + API level, build ID, battery percentage + status, and serial number. Auto-updates when the device changes.

Custom Commands

Create reusable ADB command shortcuts that persist across sessions. Type a label and command, click Save (or press Enter twice), then Run any time. Output appears inline. Commands are saved to localStorage.

Session Save/Load

Save your entire workspace layout - all shell tab names, logcat configurations (filter, level, package), and per-module device overrides. Load to restore everything at once.

Wireless ADB

Connect devices over the network without USB.

1. On your device: Settings → Developer Options → Wireless Debugging → enable it
2. Tap "Pair device with pairing code" - you get an IP:Port and a 6-digit code
3. In Barrel's Dashboard, find the Wireless ADB card
4. Pair: Enter IP:Port code (e.g. 192.168.1.100:41241 123456) and click Pair
5. Connect: Enter the IP:Port shown under Wireless Debugging (different port, e.g. 192.168.1.100:39251) and click Connect

The device appears in the Dashboard dropdown and is ready to use with all tools.

Shell

Interactive PTY-based terminal with multi-tab support.

Each tab runs an independent shell session - local bash on the host machine, or adb shell on a connected device. Terminal output is rendered via xterm.js with a custom dark theme.

Getting Started

• A "Terminal 1" tab opens automatically with a local bash session.
• Type commands directly - behaves like a native terminal emulator.
• Copy/paste with Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V (smart: copies selected text, or sends SIGINT if nothing selected).

Device Shell

1. Select a device on the Dashboard.
2. Click Connect in the Shell toolbar.
3. The terminal switches from local bash to an adb shell session.
4. The toolbar indicator changes from LOCAL to DEVICE: <serial>.
5. Click Disconnect to return to the local shell.

Multi-Tab Management

Copy & Paste

Logcat

Real-time Android device log streaming with multi-tab support.

Each tab maintains its own filter, log level, and output buffer (capped at 1000 lines).

Getting Started

1. Select a device on the Dashboard.
2. Navigate to the Logcat tab.
3. Click Start to begin streaming logs.
4. Logs appear in real-time in the output pane.

Controls

Per-Tab Device Selection

Each logcat tab has its own device dropdown in the toolbar. By default it follows the Dashboard's active device, but you can target different devices per tab - monitor logs on device A while another tab watches device B.

Log Level Hierarchy

Levels are cumulative - selecting a level shows that level and everything above it in severity:

Color-Coded Output

File Explorer

Browse the Android device filesystem.

A collapsible tree view with support for su fallback on protected directories, plus file pull/push with native OS dialogs.

Getting Started

1. Select a device and navigate to the Files tab.
2. Click Refresh to load the root directory (/).
3. Click any directory to expand it (lazy-loaded on demand).

Usage

• Expand/collapse - click the arrow (▶/▼) next to a directory.
• Set active directory - click a directory name (the path appears in the toolbar).
• Select file - click a file name (highlighted row).
• Directories in blue, files in white.
• Symlinks to directories (e.g., /sdcard) detected as expandable.
• Protected directories auto-attempt su -c and su 0 fallbacks.

File Viewer

Double-click any file or hover and click View to open a syntax-highlighted preview modal. Supports JSON, XML, HTML, CSS, JS/TS, YAML, and shell scripts. Close with Escape, click outside, or the X button.

File Transfers

Pull (device → host): Click a file to select it, then click Pull. A Save As dialog appears.

Push (host → device): Navigate to the target directory, click Push, select a file. The tree refreshes automatically.

Network Inspector

Active TCP and UDP connections with proxy management.

Lists all connections from /proc/net/{tcp,udp,tcp6,udp6} with color-coded states, protocol badges, and a summary bar.

Getting Started

1. Select a device and navigate to the Network tab.
2. Click Refresh to fetch connections.
3. Use the filter field to narrow by address, port, state, protocol, or UID.
4. Toggle Auto-refresh (3s) for live monitoring.

Color Legend

Proxy Settings

Configure and test an HTTP proxy on the connected device:

• Set Proxy - enter a host IP and port, runs settings put global http_proxy.
• Clear - removes proxy via settings put global http_proxy :0.
• Verify - sends a request through the proxy from the device using curl -x. Returns the HTTP status code.

Process Explorer

Live process list with filtering and kill capability.

Getting Started

1. Select a device and navigate to the Processes tab.
2. Click Refresh to fetch the current process list.
3. Use the filter field to narrow by name, PID, or UID.
4. Toggle Auto-refresh (3s) for live monitoring.

Killing a Process

Click Kill next to any process (PID > 1) to terminate it. A glass confirmation dialog appears. Terminating critical system processes may destabilize the device.

Columns

Package Manager

List, filter, install, and uninstall Android packages.

Getting Started

1. Select a device and navigate to the Packages tab.
2. Click Refresh to load the full package list.
3. Type in the Filter field to search by package name in real-time.

Install APK

Click Install APK, select an .apk via the native file dialog. Installs with -r (replace if exists). The list refreshes automatically on success.

Test-only APKs

Some APKs (often analysis, debug, or internal test builds) are marked android:testOnly="true" and are rejected by a normal install with INSTALL_FAILED_TEST_ONLY. Tick the Test-only checkbox before clicking Install APK to install these with adb install -r -t <apk>. For ordinary apps, leave it unchecked.

Note: this only handles test-only APKs. An APK signed with only the legacy v1 signature scheme on Android 11+ will still fail with INSTALL_PARSE_FAILED_NO_CERTIFICATES — re-sign it with apksigner (v2/v3) before installing.

Per-Package Actions

Every package row has quick actions for testing an installed app without leaving the app:

Uninstall

Click Uninstall next to any package. A glass confirmation dialog shows the package name. Click Yes, Uninstall to proceed. The list refreshes automatically.

If the standard uninstall is rejected (DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR - common for device-admin packages on newer Android, or when using an older adb client), Barrel automatically retries with adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 <pkg>, which works regardless of the host adb version.

Screen Capture

Screenshots, recording, and real-time mirroring.

Screenshot

Click Take Screenshot. A preview modal opens with the device screen. Save overwrites the previous file, Save As opens a file dialog to pick a location. Captured via adb exec-out screencap -p | base64 and rendered inline.

Screen Recording

1. Click Start Recording - runs adb shell screenrecord.
2. Interact with the device normally.
3. Click Stop & Save - the MP4 is pulled from the device and a Save As dialog appears.

Screen Mirroring (scrcpy)

Click Launch Mirror to stream the device display in real-time via scrcpy. Requires scrcpy to be installed on your system.

Frida

Server setup, live tracing, and a ready-to-run script library.

Prerequisites

• frida-tools on your PC - pip install frida-tools (if using pipx, verify frida --version works; the pipx entry point may need a manual fix)
• curl and xz available on your system

1. Server Setup

Check Environment - click Check Frida Version to verify frida is installed, then Detect Device Arch to read the device CPU architecture. Both values are needed to download the correct frida-server binary.

Download & Deploy - Download & Decompress pulls the matching frida-server from GitHub Releases, then Push to Device uploads it to /data/local/tmp/frida-server and sets permissions.

Server Control - Start Server launches frida-server in the background (tries su -c first), Stop Server kills it by PID, and Refresh Status polls pidof frida-server.

2. Frida Trace

Run frida-trace as a live streaming session from the Frida tab. Great for a first pass at "what does this app call, and when?"

• Target mode - Spawn launches the app under instrumentation (works for cold starts), Attach by package hooks an already-running app (match the full package identifier, e.g. com.example.app), and Attach by PID hooks a specific process.
• Function filters - include/exclude by function name with glob support (e.g. *strdup*).
• Module filters - restrict to modules like libc.so, libart.so.
• Live output streams into an auto-following panel with Start/Stop/Clear and Export Log via native save dialog.
• Sessions stop automatically when the device disconnects.

3. Script Library

Pick a ready-to-run Frida script (searchable by name or tag), choose a target, and stream its output live - no command-line typing required. Select from Spawn, Attach by package, or Attach by PID, then hit Run Script. Start/Stop/Clear and Export Log work exactly like Frida Trace.

Custom Scripts

Use Load Script... to import your own .js Frida script from disk - useful for targets the built-ins don't cover (e.g. fintech apps). Loaded scripts appear under a Custom tag and are searchable alongside the built-ins, persist across restarts, and can be removed without touching the file on disk.

Preview: every script that ships with Barrel - built-in library scripts and your own custom-loaded scripts - is fully previewable via the Preview button.

Intent Sender

Craft and fire Android intents via ADB for security testing.

Intents are Android's inter-component messaging system. The Intent Sender lets you construct and send arbitrary intents to a connected device - useful for testing exported components, deep link handling, and broadcast receivers. Every field maps 1:1 to an adb shell am flag, so the Raw command panel always shows the exact command being sent.

Fields

Flags

Flags control how the intent is delivered. The checkboxes map to the following bit values:

Extras

Extras carry data into the component. Pick the type that matches what the target reads:

Mismatched types (e.g. sending a String when the component reads a Boolean) are silently ignored or throw a ClassCastException on the target - matching the correct type is key.

Modes

Implicit vs Explicit

Explicit - fill in Package/Class to target exactly one component (-n <pkg>/<class>). This is what you use to probe a specific exported activity, service, or receiver. If the component is not exported, Android rejects the intent.

Implicit - leave Package/Class empty and let Android resolve the intent through intent filters using Action + Data + MIME. This is how deep links and share sheets work, and it is the correct way to test URL-scheme handling.

Worked Example - Credential Leak via an Extra

Launch the exported APICreds2Activity in DIVA (an intentionally vulnerable app) and pass a Boolean extra that bypasses its PIN gate:

1. Mode: Start Activity
2. Package: jakhar.aseem.diva   Class: .APICreds2Activity
3. Flags: leave NEW_TASK checked (default)
4. + Add Extra - key check_pin, type Boolean, value false
5. Click Start Activity

adb shell am start -n jakhar.aseem.diva/.APICreds2Activity -f 0x10000000 --ez check_pin false

The activity reads check_pin and skips its PIN check, revealing hardcoded API credentials on the device screen. If the target is already open, force-stop it first (Packages tab) - this component only reads the extra in onCreate.

SQLite Browser

Browse app databases, run raw SQL queries, and export results.

Open any SQLite database from a connected device and explore its contents without leaving Barrel. Browse tables, inspect schemas, run arbitrary SQL, and export results to CSV. Pull databases directly from the device or open local .db files.

Getting Started

1. Navigate to the SQLite tab in the sidebar.
2. Click Open Database and select a local .db file, or right-click a database file in the File Explorer and choose Open in SQLite Browser.
3. The left panel lists all tables. Click a table to preview its rows.
4. Type a SQL query in the editor and click Run Query to execute.
5. Click Export CSV to save the current result set.

Features

• Table preview - click any table to see its rows with column headers.
• Schema inspector - view column names, types, and constraints for each table.
• Raw SQL - run any SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE query.
• Export to CSV - save query results via native file dialog.
• Right-click integration - open databases directly from the File Explorer context menu.

APK Analyzer

Full static analysis of Android APKs - identity, permissions, secrets, and more.

Analyze any APK file or installed package directly from Barrel. Get a complete picture of an app without running it: package identity, permissions, tech stack, security risks, hidden secrets, and DEX string extraction. All analysis runs locally - nothing leaves your machine.

Getting Started

1. Navigate to the APK Analyzer tab in the sidebar.
2. Click Analyze File to pick a local .apk via native file dialog, or select a connected device and choose an installed package from the dropdown.
3. Click Analyze to run the analysis.
4. Browse the results across multiple tabs: Overview, Permissions, Secrets, Manifest, Resources, and Code Strings.

Analysis Tabs

Settings

Configure tool paths, appearance, and behavior.

Appearance

• Dark Mode - toggle between light and dark themes. Persisted across restarts.
• Font Size - slider (10–22px) with preset buttons (Small–XX-Large). Scales the entire interface via the --app-font-size CSS variable.

Tool Paths (Optional)

If auto-detection fails to find a prerequisite tool, you can set its path manually. Barrel normally finds tools via PATH, common install directories (/opt/homebrew/bin, /usr/local/bin, platform-tools), and WSL interop paths. Override only when needed.

• ADB - Android Debug Bridge executable.
• Frida - Frida CLI executable (frida).
• scrcpy - Screen mirroring tool.

When a path is set and saved, Barrel creates a bash wrapper script in ~/.local/bin/ so the configured binary is used by every part of the app. Click Detect to search common install locations, or type the path manually. Click Save to persist all settings to ~/.config/barrel/settings.json.

Updates

Stay up-to-date with automatic update notifications.

Barrel checks for new releases on every launch and displays the result in the Updates tab - green for up-to-date, pink when a new version is available with release notes and a one-click download button.

Update Channels

• Automatic check - on launch Barrel silently fetches the latest version from GitHub Releases.
• Manual check - click "Check for Updates" in the Updates tab at any time.
• One-click download - detects your platform (Linux deb/rpm/AppImage, macOS dmg, Windows msi) and opens the correct installer.

Plugin SDK

Extend Barrel with your own tools. Plugins add new tabs, run ADB commands, and render custom UI, all with plain JavaScript.

Plugins are how Barrel grows beyond its built-in tools. A plugin is a folder with a manifest.json and a main.js file. Drop it into the Plugins tab, enable it, and it appears as its own sidebar entry under the Plugins group. No compilation, no hosting, no account. The whole SDK runs locally inside Barrel.

Install a plugin

Build your first plugin

A plugin needs exactly two files. Start a folder named hello-barrel and create these inside it.

manifest.json

Declares who the plugin is and what it can do. Barrel reads this on install.

{
  "id": "hello-barrel",
  "name": "Hello Barrel",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": "Your Name",
  "description": "My first Barrel plugin",
  "entry": "main.js",
  "tab": {
    "label": "Hello Barrel"
  },
  "permissions": ["adb.exec"]
}

main.js

This is your plugin code. It runs as a JavaScript module and talks to Barrel through one global object: window.BarrelPlugin. Here is a complete working plugin:

const api = window.BarrelPlugin;

api.registerTab({
  id: "hello",
  label: "Hello Barrel",
  render(container) {
    container.innerHTML = "";

    const heading = document.createElement("p");
    heading.textContent = "Welcome to the Barrel Plugin SDK!";
    container.appendChild(heading);

    const listBtn = api.ui.button({
      label: "List devices",
      variant: "accent",
    });
    container.appendChild(listBtn);

    const output = api.ui.outputPane();
    output.style.marginTop = "10px";
    container.appendChild(output);

    listBtn.addEventListener("click", async () => {
      output._clear();
      output._append("Active device: " + (api.getDevice() || "(none)"));
      try {
        const res = await api.execAdb(["devices", "-l"]);
        output._append(res.stdout);
      } catch (e) {
        output._append("Error: " + e);
      }
    });
  },
});

What just happened:

• window.BarrelPlugin is the frozen API Barrel gives every plugin. You read it once at the top of your file.
• registerTab tells Barrel to create a new tab. The render function receives a container element and fills it with your UI on every activation.
• api.ui.button and api.ui.outputPane build Barrel-styled UI for you, so your plugin looks native.
• api.execAdb runs adb on the host and returns the output. The adb.exec permission you declared makes it available.
• api.getDevice() returns the device currently selected for your plugin, or an empty string when no device is connected.

Install the folder in the Plugins tab, enable it, and your tab appears under Plugins in the sidebar. Click it, press List devices, and the output streams into the pane.

The BarrelPlugin API

Everything a plugin can reach. All of it is exposed through the single frozen BarrelPlugin global, so there is nothing else to import.

Permissions

Plugins run with the lowest privilege by default. Every capability you list in manifest.json is checked both in the UI and in the Rust backend, so a plugin cannot silently escalate past its manifest. Keep the list as small as your plugin needs.

Share your plugin with the community

Barrel plugins are plain folders, so sharing is simple. Zip the folder, post it to GitHub, or share it in your team. Anyone can install it in seconds from the Plugins tab.

Example plugins are uploaded to the Barrel releases page. Grab a zip, click Install Zip… in Barrel, and you are running it.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Global and context-specific shortcuts.

Tab Shortcuts

Changelog

What's new in each release.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions.

"No devices detected"

• Ensure USB debugging is enabled on your Android device.
• Run adb devices in a terminal to verify the device is listed.
• If the device shows as "unauthorized", accept the RSA fingerprint prompt on the device.
• Click Refresh on the Dashboard after connecting.

Shell: "Terminal not ready"

• The first tab's shell session may still be initializing. Wait a moment and try again.
• Check the browser/console for errors (Ctrl+Shift+I in dev mode).

Shell: Connect fails

• Ensure a device is selected on the Dashboard.
• Verify the device is still connected (adb devices).
• The Connect button only works when the toolbar shows LOCAL mode.

Logcat: Shows old messages / No output

• Old messages are normal - adb logcat dumps the kernel buffer first. Click Stop, Clear, then Start to begin fresh.
• Ensure a device is selected and click Start (does not auto-start).
• Verify adb logcat works from a terminal.

File Explorer: Permission denied

• System directories require root - Barrel auto-attempts su fallback.
• Unrooted devices may not access directories like /data/data.

macOS: "Barrel cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified"

• This is expected - Barrel is not notarized by Apple. Use one of these workarounds:
• Right-click Barrel.app in Applications → Open → click Open in the dialog (one-time).
• Or run: xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Barrel.app

Windows: SmartScreen / Windows Defender warning

• This is expected - Barrel is not code-signed with a Microsoft certificate.
• Click More info then Run anyway to launch the installer or app.
• You can verify the download authenticity using the signature verification steps.

App freezes on splash screen (logo visible, nothing happens)

• Run frida --version in a terminal. If it hangs, you have a broken frida binary. Barrel checks tool versions on startup - a hanging binary blocks the whole app. Remove or fix the broken frida in your PATH.
• Certain GPU/driver combinations can cause WebKit's hardware compositing to hang. Launch with software rendering:

    WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 ./Barrel_0.3.0_amd64.AppImage

# Or for the installed version:
WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 barrel

• To make this permanent, add to your ~/.bashrc:

alias barrel='WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 barrel'

FAQ

Testimonials

Used by penetration testers and security researchers who need a fast, focused Android toolkit.

"I was jumping between three different tools to do what Barrel does in one window. Logcat with highlight rules alone saves me an hour a week."

- Mobile security researcher, red team operator

"The Frida integration is what sold me. No more manually downloading frida-server, pushing it, and remembering to chmod. One click and it's running."

- Pentester, freelance Android security auditor

"I keep a USB hub with 4 test devices on my desk. Barrel's per-tab device selector means I can run logcat on all of them without fighting with ADB serials."

- Android app security reviewer, financial sector

Licensing

Barrel is free to use. Paid licenses are coming for advanced features.

Feedback & Support

Found a bug? Have a feature request? Something isn't working?