this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2024
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Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Google is preparing to let you run Linux apps on Android, just like Chrome OS (www.androidauthority.com)
submitted 3 weeks ago by pnutzh4x0r@lemmy.ndlug.org to c/linux@lemmy.ml
48 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Google is developing a Terminal app for Android that'll let you run Linux apps. It'll download and run Debian in a VM for you.

...

Engineers at Google started work on a new Terminal app for Android a couple of weeks ago. This Terminal app is part of the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) and contains a WebView that connects to a Linux virtual machine via a local IP address, allowing you to run Linux commands from the Android host. Initially, you had to manually enable this Terminal app using a shell command and then configure the Linux VM yourself. However, in recent days, Google began work on integrating the Terminal app into Android as well as turning it into an all-in-one app for running a Linux distro in a VM.

...

Google is still working on improving the Terminal app as well as AVF before shipping this feature. AVF already supports graphics and some input options, but it’s preparing to add support for backing up and restoring snapshots, nested virtualization, and devices with an x86_64 architecture. It’s also preparing to add some settings pages to the Terminal app, which is pretty barebones right now apart from a menu to copy the IP address and stop the existing VM instance. The settings pages will let you resize the disk, configure port forwarding, and potentially recover partitions.

...

If you’re wondering why you’d want to run Linux apps on Android, then this feature is probably not for you. Google added Linux support to Chrome OS so developers with Chromebooks can run Linux apps that are useful for development. For example, Linux support on Chrome OS allows developers to run the Linux version of Android Studio, the recommended IDE for Android app development, on Chromebooks. It also lets them run Linux command line tools safely and securely in a container.

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[–] mindlight@lemm.ee 67 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Yeah... While making users run Linux applications on a system where Google is root might be a wet dream for Google, it's more of a nightmare for me.

I really hate the fact that the vast majority of consumers are perfectly fine with not being in full control of their appliances and that Google (and others) register everything they do.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The reason so many people are fine with using corporate garbage is ironically the same reason they'd be just fine using something that wasn't that. Users can adapt and learn a system way better than most people think.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It's the convenience angle.

I have very experienced IT friends who continue to use privacy invasive crap, knowingly because they like the convenience.

[–] flashgnash@lemm.ee 4 points 3 weeks ago

That kinda thing is a sliding scale for everyone, if my Linux machine wasn't 90% as reliable and usable as when I was on windows I would probably still be using windows

[–] SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee 4 points 3 weeks ago

I thought the snapdragon Samsung rooting would be farther along than where we are now. I'm stuck with my phone until further notice s23u

[–] Wildly_Utilize@infosec.pub 2 points 3 weeks ago

graphene OS. i would not have bought an android phone if i had to use google roms

[–] lengau@midwest.social 40 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Much more appealing to me is running Android apps on Linux officially. I don't want to use Android as my main system, but I sure as heck would love to have one or two Android apps available on my Linux Machines.

[–] GravelPieceOfSword@lemmy.ca 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

wayDroid does let you do that, in a fairly lightweight way (uses Linux namespaces iirc, similar to lxc.

It's still not full native, which would be even nicer. I play droidfish on my Linux machines using it.

[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm glad it worked for you, it borked the fuck out of my system 🤣

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 weeks ago

It also borked the eff out of my system too, and I'm still seeing traces of its lefotver desktop files after uninstallation

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 28 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Cool and all but id rather run android apps on a linux phone.

[–] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You can already, Waydroid exists

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I think you misread. They want a Linux phone, not a container for android apps on Linux Desktop. Also, yeah there are very limited options to do this, but most of us can't yet.

[–] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Linux phones do exist, I was saying that you could use Waydroid on those devices (although you can also use it on Linux Desktop), such as postmarketOS on eg a Fairphone 5.

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Okay but they only run on pretty weak(usually because it has to be old) hardware. We need a linux flagship phone.

[–] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Fairphone 5 isn't old. It's a fairly recent, midrange phone

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 weeks ago

As an American, I absolutely would choose a Fairphone if it wasn't only available through that third party distributor.

[–] tate@lemmy.sdf.org 26 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

an all-in-one app for running a Linux distro in a VM.

No, it won't

let you run Linux apps on Android

It will let you run Linux apps in Linux

[–] zwekihoyy@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

semantics

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 weeks ago

*Clickbait

[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 24 points 3 weeks ago

Can't wait to have Google's telemetry injected into my Linux apps

[–] whodoctor11@lemmy.ml 18 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Plasma Mobile for Android? 🤔

[–] theshatterstone54@feddit.uk 2 points 3 weeks ago

I was thinking the same thing! But it would be running from a Debian VM so I'm not sure how realistic that is. And I doubt it would have access to android apps.

[–] MossyFeathers@pawb.social 12 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Google is still working on improving the Terminal app as well as AVF before shipping this feature. AVF already supports graphics and some input options, but it’s preparing to add support for backing up and restoring snapshots, nested virtualization, and devices with an x86_64 architecture.

This is the part I cared about. Can it run x86_64 programs, or is it just an ARM-compatible version of Debian?

If it can actually run x86_64 programs on ARM devices, then that's kinda fucking sick and would likely help the world transition to ARM. Like, fuck Google, but this sounds like a good thing, maybe?

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago

devices with an x86_64 architecture

Sounds like the opposite of what you want; you would want x86_64 code on devices with an ARM architecture.

But I didn't actually read the article, so maybe that line is poorly worded

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 1 points 3 weeks ago

That just sounds painfully inefficient (though we've been doing stuff like this for decades).

Arm isn't as efficient at higher cpu states as x86, and running a VM you're definitely going to up the cpu usage.

Still interesting to watch. And every use-case is unique. For the typical short-run process this is for, it'll probably be fine.

[–] figaro@lemdro.id 10 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Steam?

[–] Xatolos@reddthat.com 4 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

No, not unless you have an x86 Android device. While this will run Linux apps, it will be limited to the CPU architecture. Unless there is a x86 to ARM translation layer on Linux that I'm not aware of?

[–] Markaos@lemmy.one 8 points 3 weeks ago

box86/box64, and there's also FEX-emu which is used by the Asahi Linux project (Linux on Apple Silicon macbooks).

[–] Nils@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 weeks ago

Unless there is a x86 to ARM translation layer on Linux that I’m not aware of?

https://steamdb.info/app/3043620/

It appears Valve is working on Proton for arm64, I was wondering if this is to attend the mobile market, a new Index or maybe a smaller Steam Deck.

[–] sue_me_please@awful.systems 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

You can use QEMU's usermode emulation to transparently run ARM binaries with binfmt_misc on x86.

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 4 points 3 weeks ago

Steam requires it to be installed in an x86 environment, whether natively, or through emulation (and most x86 emulation has significant overhead and imperfections)

But java applications should run natively if you supply an appropriate build of java. I have an arm VPS that I've hosted several Minecraft servers on without any problems (other than those I created myself) and I also learned by accident that Microsoft's builds of OpenJDK actually work for (at least some) Minecraft versions that they aren't supposed to, so I have to wonder if that's a happy accident or intentional work by Microsoft

[–] Mwa@lemm.ee 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Why not androids terminal since android is base on linux this one just downloads debian

[–] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I've never tried it myself, but I think you can run full Linux VMs on Pixel phones already. A quick search brings up https://www.xda-developers.com/nestbox-hands-on/

Anyone have experience with this or similar options? Personally I've never used anything more advanced than Termux (which is lean and super cool, but not a full-blown VM).

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago

You can pretty much chroot into a full debian installation, and even make kernel calls higher than that natively supported by your phone through proot. It's a weird time to be alive.

[–] savvywolf@pawb.social 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Chromebooks have the advantage of being mostly a laptop with a keyboard, mouse-analog and largish screen... Phones don't really have that, so it seems an odd choice to me. Especially for a platform which is hostile to giving users permissions to install software on their own devices.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If you dock your phone it will run with display keyboard and mouse. Not all phones support it though

[–] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

IIRC, Android has always had native support for keyboards and mice. I remember connecting a bluetooth mouse to my old Nexus 4 running...Android 4, maybe 5? It worked out of the box. Saved my butt when the touch screen broke. :)

Can't say I've tried this in recent years but I think it still works, yeah?

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yep OTG via usb. But only certain phones support secondaryvdisplay through USB

[–] KazuchijouNo@lemy.lol 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

We already have termux for that, and on a rooted device you could do pretty much anything. This is pointless

[–] y0kai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah but I'm unwilling to root my device, so hopefully this will allow me to do some cool stuff too.

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

Termux already does a lot of cool stuff without root. Makes due a decent ssh client in a pinch.

[–] b000rg@midwest.social 2 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, I just installed Debian in Termux last night. I've got a Samsung phone with a locked down bootloader, so it's the best I can do.

[–] Xylight@lemdro.id 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Irrelevant but the embed thumbnail terrifies me. why is the android fuzzy

[–] y0kai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Winter is coming

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I don't really see the need. It would be nice to have KVM but other than that I don't see much point.

[–] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

does this mean more steam support for android ?

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