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Android Linux

Is Google Preparing to Let You Run Linux Apps on Android, Just like ChromeOS? (androidauthority.com) 17

Posted by EditorDavid from the smarter-phones dept.
"Google is developing a Linux terminal app for Android," reports the blog Android Authority. "The Terminal app can be enabled via developer options and will install Debian in a virtual machine.

"This app is likely intended for Chromebooks but might also be available for mobile devices, too." While there are ways to run some Linux apps on Android devices, all of those methods have some limitations and aren't officially supported by Google. Fortunately, though, Google is finally working on an official way to run Linux apps on Android... 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...

A set of patches under the tag "ferrochrome-dev-option" was recently submitted to the Android Open Source Project that adds a new developer option called Linux terminal under Settings > System > Developer options. This new option will enable a "Linux terminal app that runs inside the VM," according to its proposed description. Toggling this option enables the Terminal app that's bundled with AVF...

Google is still working on improving the Terminal app as well as AVF before shipping this feature... What's particularly interesting about the patch that adds these settings is that it was tested on "tangorpro" and "komodo," the codenames for the Pixel Tablet and Pixel 9 Pro XL respectively. This suggests that the Terminal app won't be limited to Chromebooks like the new desktop versions of Chrome for Android.

Is Google Preparing to Let You Run Linux Apps on Android, Just like ChromeOS? More | Reply

Is Google Preparing to Let You Run Linux Apps on Android, Just like ChromeOS?

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  • local IP address why can't it go to any IP?

  • Doesn't UserLAnd already let you do this?

  • I've not been in the Android ecosystem for a while, but Android is Linux with a different userland, so terminal + busybox should be able to provide most commands if one didn't feel like tossing in bash or zsh, and for Linux apps, one could go with a Debian or Ubuntu userland, or run the Linux stuff in a Docker or LXC container, so it would have its own world, and not be able to affect anything outside of that, even with root.

    Many ways to skin this cat. Docker or another container comes to mind as the easie

    • VM is better because Android doesn't expose a lot of the syscalls that are used in regular linux. Eg try running docker containers.

    • >I've not been in the Android ecosystem for a while, but Android is Linux with a different userland, so terminal + busybox should be able to provide most commands if one didn't feel like tossing in bash or zsh, and for Linux apps, one could go with a Debian or Ubuntu userland, or run the Linux stuff in a Docker or LXC container, so it would have its own world, and not be able to affect anything outside of that, even with root.

      This seems to be an easier more automated way to get up and running. Properly i

    • A good example is "Termux".
      You can get it, and many many other FOSS applications, from F-Froid.

  • Google is ending all development of AVF. Please find replacement apps in Google Play Store.

    You know, the usual Google life-cycle of software & services.

  • I invite you to consider F-Droid [f-droid.org] where many FOSS applications are available. Terminal appplications are among them.

  • On my ChromeBook I do use the Linux environment ("Penguin") to run a couple of apps that aren't available on native ChromeOS.
    1. Thunderbird. This favorite email program doesn't exist for ChromeOS, is being rewritten for Android, and offers something native Android and ChromeOS email apps (including gmail) lack: Auto-BCC self on send. Chrome browser has a plugin that provides this for gmail, but it nags about paid upgrade options regularly. In short, not needed on Android.

    2. Signal-Desktop. On my Chrome

  • Now, google, please, pretty please bring back a phone with a hardware keyboard!!! My god, I don't get why there is no phone with a decent keyboard to be found. I would buy one the day after it was presented.....!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by GuB-42 ( 2483988 )

      There are phones with a hardware keyboard, the choice is limited though. There are also add-on options like cases with a builtin keyboard. You can also use a regular Bluetooth or USB keyboard.

      Maybe not the most satisfactory answer, but there are options. I find the lack of diversity in Android phones disappointing though. There are hundreds of "different" phones on the market, yet, most of them are essentially the same featureless 6 inch slab, the only difference being the camera arrangement on the back.

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