Run Linux containers on Android, no root required
127 points by politelemon 12 hours ago | 42 comments

vimredo 7 hours ago
I don't understand what this would be useful for. The Linux terminal app on Android (check Developer settings if you want it) already exists and it uses hardware accelerated virtualization, while this uses QEMU with TCG. The Linux terminal app also supports running a DE (No VNC - as in no VNC, not NoVNC - required!), has full shell, full root, all the features of Podroid, and hell, you could even swap out the terminal if you wanted to. The only advantage to this seems that it supports Android 14, 15, and 16. Am I missing something, or does this have no purpose?
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gbil 5 hours ago
My understanding is that the integrated linux terminal is not supported on all processors like snapdragon ones and also is not available on all manufactures like Samsung. Therefore this approach covers a much bigger audience.
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microtonal 3 hours ago
I think it was only available on Google Pixel until recently. As far as I understand, some Samsung Exynos devices support it (e.g. Z Flip 7, non-US S26 with Exynos), but not Snapdragon devices, which don't seem to support non-protected VMs yet:

Error code: java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException: Non-protected VMs are not supported on this device

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gbil 58 minutes ago
I can find it on my S25fe with exynos android 16/oneui 8.0 if I search for it in the setting but is greyed out. I wait for 8.5 to see if it is enabled then and is the only time I'm happy to have an exynos device!
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iraizo 59 minutes ago
The new app is truly awesome, was able to get a desktop environment running, and a minecraft server & client. Just a shame that you can't pass through USB.
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jacek 2 hours ago
I tried it on my Samsung phone. Keeps crashing, "recovery" just deletes everything and you start over from scratch. No session lasted more than 5 minutes.
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thrance 17 minutes ago
Wow, didn't know this existed, thanks. But 761 Mo download?? That's insanely big for a terminal, what could possibly make this bundle so big?
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nagaiaida 6 hours ago
you seem to have articulated precisely the advantage that makes it serve a purpose for me: supporting the version of android on my phone. presumably i am far from unique in not having android 16
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ghywertelling 3 hours ago
We can use old phones for running PiHole.
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realusername 2 hours ago
Personally this toggle doesn't do anything (Android 16, Samsung) so I'm not sure when it's supposed to be ready
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j45 7 hours ago
Sometimes the capability unlocks the possibilities.
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spidermonkey23 4 hours ago
I think this is great, I've wanted some sort of docker on android system and this does the job quite nicely all wrapped up in an apk. So there is definitely space for this in the current ecosystem. The new terminal built into android crashes whenever I try booting it up.
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figmert 10 hours ago
This can probably be upstreamed into podman. Podman already has supports using a VM using podman machine (uses different tech under the hood depending on the OS). This seems like it can be yet another backend for it.
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functional_dev 4 hours ago
That would be great
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anthk 5 hours ago
Termux and a BT keyboard it's enough.

Also, native Emacs under FDroid has recently been improved a lot.

With just Emacs you get:

- An IRC, Usenet and Mail client. The ONLY libre Usenet client. comp.arch and comp.misc have really engaging discussions. You can score up nice commenters and blacklist every spammer

- Gemini and Gopher via ELPA (run Esc-x package-install RET elpher)

- A math mini CAS with Esc-x calc RET

- Esc-x package-install RET malyon, get some nice ZMachine text adventures at IFDB

- Elisp environment+cl-lib can do a lot

- Esc-x package-install jabber, Esc-x jabber. Chat with cool people at XMPP servers.

- Org-Mode, enough said

- eshell will allow you to automate stuff

- Elisp + Android related functions + org-mode: heaven.

- Sudoku, Sokoban, Tetris...

- LSP integration it's possible

Get some $10 pocket bluetooth keyboard and try it.

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nullbyte808 9 hours ago
Is it possible to get the reverse of this working? (Waydroid with play services on Linux phones, such as postmarketOS)
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seba_dos1 6 hours ago
I've been using Waydroid with microG on a Librem 5 with PureOS for years. Not extensively as I don't have a lot of reasons to boot Android, but when I do have one it's there.

I've seen some guides for installing Play Services in Waydroid, but personally I'm not interested.

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unicornporn 5 hours ago
The latest Waydroid beta is over three years old. Waydroid is dead and I haven't found an alternative.
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vimredo 7 hours ago
Why wouldn't it? All you need is a binder device for Android IPC and root access to launch Waydroid. It should work perfectly fine when installed and used with Wayland.
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tuananh 5 hours ago
what about the other way around?

i'm aware about waydroid but it has too many problems with nvidia. also require wayland.

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RobotToaster 42 minutes ago
You could run a windows VM and run windows subsystem for android.
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unicornporn 5 hours ago
X86 builds of Android are stuck at many generations back of the OS. Running Android in a VM on X86 is basically dead AFAIK. :(
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randomtoast 2 hours ago
I find it somewhat amusing that it uses QEMU to emulate Linux in order to create a container with restricted permissions, even though it is already running on Linux with restricted permissions. I get the point while it is designed that way, but still funny.
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AlexeyBelov 2 hours ago
Please stop posting LLM comments, that is not allowed on HN :)
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Antitoxic6185 8 hours ago
tmux with proot distros exist though
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pjmlp 3 hours ago
I don't see the purpose to run containers on Android, the managed userspace provides everything I need, including code on the go apps, already sandboxed.

Also not a termux fan.

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ekropotin 5 hours ago
I find the title very misleading. Linux containers typically means LXC, but when in readme you say it’s intended for running OCI-based containers.
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ilsubyeega 11 hours ago
curious is this just software qemu(not sure what word exactly was) instead of virtualization acceleration, probably more overheads?
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em500 10 hours ago
Yes, under How It Works:

> libqemu-system-aarch64.so (QEMU TCG, no KVM)

TCG means software emulation

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kristianp 8 hours ago
I thought why is qemu used here? Why not use linux native namespaces and cgroups.
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NewJazz 7 hours ago
Permissions. Isolation.
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Retr0id 6 hours ago
so, like namespaces and cgroups?
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figmert 5 hours ago
Android kernel has the relevant kernel parameters disabled. It is entirely possible to run containers directly on android, but it requires enabled the relevant parameter (iirc no recompilation need, just a cmdline change). But this of course requires root.
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NewJazz 10 hours ago
Itbsays it doesnt use kvm, so i thinj that meens no accel.
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ggm 9 hours ago
And local FS access is mediated how?
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nixosbestos 9 hours ago
I just want a folding portable monitor now. We're getting so close...
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volemo 5 hours ago
I’ve heard Samsung makes something like that. :D

https://www.samsung.com/us/smartphones/galaxy-z-trifold/

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anonzzzies 4 hours ago
I use xreal one pro for that, works well.
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TheRoque 10 hours ago
With this I could in theory do all my work from my Android phone.
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nsonha 4 hours ago
What would be the usecases?
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VonGuard 5 hours ago
Podman.....
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