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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

  • mindlight@lemm.ee
    83·
    2 months ago

    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.

    • Kairos@lemmy.today
      201·
      2 months ago

      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
        15·
        2 months ago

        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
          4·
          2 months 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

        • Kairos@lemmy.today
          131·
          2 months ago

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

          • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
            111·
            2 months ago

            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.

    • Quack Doc@lemmy.world
      31·
      2 months 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

    • SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee
      2·
      2 months 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