this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2024

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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

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 4 days ago by pnutzh4x0r@lemmy.ndlug.org to c/linux@lemmy.ml

177 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 99 points 4 days ago (4 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 19 points 4 days ago (2 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 17 points 4 days 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 5 points 4 days 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

[–] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

And yet there they all are, using corporate garbage.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yep. Because that's the default. And the corporate garbage says that the other stuff is a worse experience.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Well, it is.

It's a lot more work to use not-Google stuff on Android. Which I try very hard to do.

Now trying to get a family member to install and run anything not from the Play store is like pulling teeth.

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[–] SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee 6 points 4 days 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

[–] Quackdoc@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

I personally run a custom rom, even with that I find this very exciting, This should balance the Security, Perf, Convience, aspects quite nicely

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[–] LordWiggle@lemmy.world 90 points 4 days ago (7 children)

I want a Linux phone capable of running android apps

[–] uis@lemm.ee 7 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Pine64+waydroid

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[–] NegativeLookBehind@lemmy.world 72 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I’ll just run Linux shit on…Linux

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 14 points 4 days ago (8 children)

I’ll just run Linux shit on…Linux

Android is a variant of Linux, just not GNU/Linux because of not using glibc.

[–] fl42v@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

With diffs sometimes around 5m lines of code (in case of qcom)

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[–] leadore@lemmy.world 43 points 4 days ago (4 children)

I'd rather have a linux OS on the phone that can run Android apps.

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[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 35 points 3 days ago

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

[–] independantiste@sh.itjust.works 27 points 4 days ago

This could actually make Samsung dex/desktop mode actually useful

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 19 points 4 days ago

yeah I'll stick to the other way around

[–] whodoctor11@lemmy.ml 18 points 4 days ago (6 children)

Plasma Mobile for Android? 🤔

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[–] figaro@lemdro.id 11 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Steam?

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[–] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 4 days 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).

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[–] Xylight@lemdro.id 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] y0kai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Winter is coming

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[–] artvabas@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

Would it be like a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) but then for Android?

[–] soothing_salamander@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 days ago

This could be really interesting. I don't personally see a use case for me to run Linux apps on Android. I could see myself running android apps on Linux though. Pretty happy to see this.

[–] humblebun@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I just wish I had vim with a tiny keyboard that I hit with one finger

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[–] IsusRamzy@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Interesting... but well.. Android isn't rooted, so will it use chroot or something like that? Or it will use a whole another kernel, complete VM?

[–] DasSkelett@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Well, the summary pasted in the post mentions "VM" about a dozen times

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[–] markstos@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

This seems as much about converging Android and ChromeOS as anything.

[–] solrize@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Does termux not already do this?

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