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Run Linux containers on Android, no root required

221 points by politelemon

by vimredo

15 subcomments

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?

by anthk

1 subcomments

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.

by hu3

1 subcomments

Added to my list of things that will never be possible on iOS.

by figmert

1 subcomments

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.

by nullbyte808

3 subcomments

Is it possible to get the reverse of this working? (Waydroid with play services on Linux phones, such as postmarketOS)

by spidermonkey23

0 subcomment

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.

by nixosbestos

2 subcomments

I just want a folding portable monitor now. We're getting so close...

by unnouinceput

0 subcomment

I want the opposite. And I want to behave like a true Android. Reason: My fucking useless bank that has a banking app that only runs on non-rooted Android only (cause fuck iOS/web according to them). My attempts to run their shitty app on emulators, virtual machines and the like failed. So currently I have a dumb phone that only has their crappy app on it and that's all. On a separate Google account, because I do not dare to link my main Google account to their name.
Any advice?

by k38f

0 subcomment

The QEMU TCG approach makes sense for isolation, but I'm curious about the traffic routing story. Does each container get its own network namespace, or does all traffic still go through Android's network stack? The latter would mean carrier-level DPI still sees everything the container sends — which matters a lot depending on what you're running.

by Antitoxic6185

1 subcomments

tmux with proot distros exist though

by ike____________

0 subcomment

Just tried it, the last 2 versions, I cannot continue after specifying the ram and cpu number.

by tuananh

4 subcomments

what about the other way around?
i'm aware about waydroid but it has too many problems with nvidia. also require wayland.

by Beijinger

1 subcomments

How is it the other way around? What is the status of Waydroid?

by pjmlp

2 subcomments

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.

by ilsubyeega

3 subcomments

curious is this just software qemu(not sure what word exactly was) instead of virtualization acceleration, probably more overheads?

by ggm

0 subcomment

And local FS access is mediated how?

by TheRoque

0 subcomment

With this I could in theory do all my work from my Android phone.

by ekropotin

0 subcomment

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.

by nsonha

0 subcomment

What would be the usecases?

by cringleyrobert

0 subcomment

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

by randomtoast

1 subcomments

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.

by Aegis_Labs

0 subcomment

[dead]

by venyxx__tnt

0 subcomment

[flagged]

by VonGuard

0 subcomment

Podman.....