Run Linux containers on Android, no root required - Comments

Run Linux containers on Android, no root required

ilsubyeega

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

meltyness
NewJazz

Itbsays it doesnt use kvm, so i thinj that meens no accel.

em500

Yes, under How It Works:

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

TCG means software emulation

TheRoque

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

figmert

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.

functional_dev

That would be great

ggm

And local FS access is mediated how?

nullbyte808

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

vimredo

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.

seba_dos1

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.

nixosbestos

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

volemo

I’ve heard Samsung makes something like that. :D

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

anonzzzies

I use xreal one pro for that, works well.

Antitoxic6185

tmux with proot distros exist though

vimredo

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?

j45

Sometimes the capability unlocks the possibilities.

nagaiaida

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

gbil

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.

ghywertelling

We can use old phones for running PiHole.

jacek

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.

tuananh

what about the other way around?

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

unicornporn

X86 builds of Android are stuck at many generations back of the OS. Running Android in a VM on X86 is basically dead AFAIK. :(

VonGuard

Podman.....

ekropotin

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.

anthk

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.

spidermonkey23

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.

nsonha

What would be the usecases?

pjmlp

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.

randomtoast

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.

AlexeyBelov

Please stop posting LLM comments, that is not allowed on HN :)

ilsubyeega

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

meltyness
NewJazz

Itbsays it doesnt use kvm, so i thinj that meens no accel.

em500

Yes, under How It Works:

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

TCG means software emulation

TheRoque

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

figmert

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.

functional_dev

That would be great

ggm

And local FS access is mediated how?

nullbyte808

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

vimredo

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.

seba_dos1

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.

nixosbestos

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

volemo

I’ve heard Samsung makes something like that. :D

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

anonzzzies

I use xreal one pro for that, works well.

Antitoxic6185

tmux with proot distros exist though

vimredo

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?

j45

Sometimes the capability unlocks the possibilities.

nagaiaida

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

gbil

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.

ghywertelling

We can use old phones for running PiHole.

jacek

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.

tuananh

what about the other way around?

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

unicornporn

X86 builds of Android are stuck at many generations back of the OS. Running Android in a VM on X86 is basically dead AFAIK. :(

VonGuard

Podman.....

ekropotin

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.

anthk

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.

spidermonkey23

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.

nsonha

What would be the usecases?

pjmlp

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.

randomtoast

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.

AlexeyBelov

Please stop posting LLM comments, that is not allowed on HN :)