Dockerify-android hanging on install for more than 30 minutes

[CharlieScott768]

I am installing Dockerify-Android on a Window 11 os that does not successfully start while using the stock installation method. My terminal interaction is below including the recommended log command. I am not sure how to address these errors.

May I have your advice on how to complete this install?

Charles

PS C:\Users\Charles\source\repos> j:
PS J:> cd docker
PS J:\docker> git clone https://github.com/shmayro/dockerify-android.git
Cloning into 'dockerify-android'...
remote: Enumerating objects: 257, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (131/131), done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (65/65), done.
remote: Total 257 (delta 102), reused 66 (delta 66), pack-reused 126 (from 2)
Receiving objects: 100% (257/257), 2.54 MiB | 20.01 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (153/153), done.
PS J:\docker> cd dockerify-android
PS J:\docker\dockerify-android> docker compose up -d
[+] up 1/3
✔ Network dockerify-android_default Created 0.0s

• Container dockerify-android Waiting 3141.2s
• Container scrcpy-web Starting 3141.2s
  PS J:\docker\dockerify-android> docker logs -f dockerify-android
  2026-10-08 00:57:28,290 INFO Set uid to user 0 succeeded
  2026-10-08 00:57:28,292 INFO supervisord started with pid 1
  2026-10-08 00:57:29,294 INFO spawned: 'first-boot' with pid 8
  2026-10-08 00:57:29,295 INFO spawned: 'emulator' with pid 9
  Init AVD ...
  WARNING | Crash handler not found, crash reporting disabled.
  INFO | Android emulator version 36.5.11.0 (build_id 15261927) (CL:N/A)
  INFO | Graphics backend: gfxstream
  ERROR | Unknown AVD name [android], use -list-avds to see valid list.
  ERROR | ANDROID_AVD_HOME is defined but there is no file android.ini in $ANDROID_AVD_HOME
  ERROR | (Note: Directories are searched in the order $ANDROID_AVD_HOME, $ANDROID_SDK_HOME/avd and $HOME/.android/avd)
  2026-10-08 00:57:29,324 INFO exited: emulator (exit status 1; not expected)
  [=======================================] 100% Fetch remote repository...
  Auto-selecting single ABI x86_64

• daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
• daemon started successfully
  Do you wish to create a custom hardware profile? [no] 2026-10-08 00:57:31,166 INFO success: first-boot entered RUNNING state, process has stayed up for > than 1 seconds (startsecs)
  2026-10-08 00:57:31,167 INFO spawned: 'emulator' with pid 114
  WARNING | Crash handler not found, crash reporting disabled.
  INFO | Android emulator version 36.5.11.0 (build_id 15261927) (CL:N/A)
  INFO | Graphics backend: gfxstream
  INFO | Found systemPath /opt/android-sdk/system-images/android-30/default/x86_64/
  2026-10-08 00:57:32,208 INFO success: emulator entered RUNNING state, process has stayed up for > than 1 seconds (startsecs)cd

[aashish254]

the "unknown avd name [android]" line is the tell — the emulator never created the avd on first boot, so compose just hangs waiting for something that doesnt exist.

usual causes: the first-boot init didnt finish (killed too early, or the emulator crashed silently), or the avd got created under a different name than what the compose file expects.

fix: wipe the emulator data volume and let first boot complete fully — docker compose down -v then docker compose up -d, and dont interrupt it. watch the emulator container logs until you see the avd created message. if it still fails, check the emulator has enough disk/cpu allocated — avd creation dies quietly on resource starvation.

[CharlieScott768]

As a last attempt, I created a .wslconfig file and added nestedVirtualization=true, restarted and got the same results.

Yes, Linux is a better way to go, but the hours it would take to make me proficient exceeds what I got for the problem.

It sounds like we are tapped out. Thank you so much for working with me! I have learned a lot and am grateful.

[CharlieScott768]

Just on a lark, I commented out the scrcpy-web in the compose file and started it. Docerify-android stood right up.
Is this informative?

[CharlieScott768]

Chasing down this rabbit hole, I altered the compose file to include a delay command (sleep 1000 && scrcpy-web -g 'daemon off;') instead of a depends on. Both services started and the logs are shown below.

Is this the same problem expressed differently or is this a change in the understanding?

The Dockerify-android logs show:
2026-10-08 20:14:07,731 INFO Set uid to user 0 succeeded
2026-10-08 20:14:07,733 INFO supervisord started with pid 1
2026-10-08 20:14:08,736 INFO spawned: 'first-boot' with pid 8
2026-10-08 20:14:08,737 INFO spawned: 'emulator' with pid 9
Init AVD ...
WARNING | Crash handler not found, crash reporting disabled.
INFO | Android emulator version 36.5.11.0 (build_id 15261927) (CL:N/A)
INFO | Graphics backend: gfxstream
ERROR | Unknown AVD name [android], use -list-avds to see valid list.
ERROR | ANDROID_AVD_HOME is defined but there is no file android.ini in $ANDROID_AVD_HOME
ERROR | (Note: Directories are searched in the order $ANDROID_AVD_HOME, $ANDROID_SDK_HOME/avd and $HOME/.android/avd)
2026-10-08 20:14:08,808 INFO exited: emulator (exit status 1; not expected)
Loading local repository...
[========= ] 25% Loading local repository...
[========= ] 25% Fetch remote repository...
[=======================================] 100% Fetch remote repository...
Auto-selecting single ABI x86_64

• daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
• daemon started successfully
  Do you wish to create a custom hardware profile? [no] 2026-10-08 20:14:10,560 INFO success: first-boot entered RUNNING state, process has stayed up for > than 1 seconds (startsecs)
  2026-10-08 20:14:10,561 INFO spawned: 'emulator' with pid 112
  WARNING | Crash handler not found, crash reporting disabled.
  INFO | Android emulator version 36.5.11.0 (build_id 15261927) (CL:N/A)
  INFO | Graphics backend: gfxstream
  INFO | Found systemPath /opt/android-sdk/system-images/android-30/default/x86_64/
  2026-10-08 20:14:11,603 INFO success: emulator entered RUNNING state, process has stayed up for > than 1 seconds (startsecs)
  2026/10/08 20:30:50 socat[926] E connect(5, AF=2 127.0.0.1:5555, 16): Connection refused
  2026/10/08 20:30:50 socat[927] E connect(5, AF=2 127.0.0.1:5555, 16): Connection refused
  2026/10/08 20:30:50 socat[928] E connect(5, AF=2 127.0.0.1:5555, 16): Connection refused
  2026/10/08 20:30:51 socat[929] E connect(5, AF=2 127.0.0.1:5555, 16): Connection refused
  2026/10/08 20:30:51 socat[930] E connect(5, AF=2 127.0.0.1:5555, 16): Connection refused
  (not stopping )

The other service logs show:
sh: scrcpy-web: not found

• daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
• daemon started successfully
  failed to connect to dockerify-android:5555

ws-scrcpy@0.9.0-dev start
node ./index.js

Listening on:
http://e8b6a429d9b0:8000/ http://localhost:8000/
http://127.0.0.1:8000/ http://172.22.0.2:8000/
http://[::1]:8000/

[CharlieScott768]

One more follow up. This web site:
https://www.paralint.com/2022/11/find-new-modified-and-unversioned-subversion-files-on-windows
Gave a good discussion on how to ensure hardware accelleration in WSL2 /docker. I was able to work all of these steps, but it did allow Dockerify-Android to stand up correctly.
At least this is another tool in that someone else might make use of.
Thanks again for all your help!

[aashish254]

that's great news🥳, really glad it stood up. and thanks for dropping the link, that will save the next person who lands here with the same symptom.