Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu • Hacker News Board

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#121

Post by tgtweak » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:11 PM UTC

ajvs wrote: post #104

tgtweak wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just looking for the delta between this and anbox free/anbox cloud/genynotion cloud. No quams about paying for it honestly, just inquiring if any of these formerly paid-only (or build it yourself) features are being offered in the open here.

From what I understand this is aimed only at ARM, so there's no emulation. This is therefore targeting Linux phones, but not Linux on desktop (which is usually run on x86).

From what I saw on docs, it seemed to be agnostic to host linux architecture (x86 or arm host), but it did say (on the desktop guide):

> The apk files you will sometimes find on the internet tend to only have arm support, and will therefore not work on x86_64.

Suggesting that they don't provide cross-abi compatability. If/when they move to Android 11 as the underlying image - it has both x86 and arm translations built into the packaged abi. I suspect that it will be on the user to install any abi translation packages (libhoudini for example) in order to get arm apk's to run on x86 host without qemu.

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#122

Post by jcuenod » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:13 PM UTC

tathisit wrote: post #84

jcuenod wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What's different between this and anbox I believe Waydroid was originally "anbox-halium"—a rewrite with LXC to get closer to the metal.

Why would anbox need lxc? For Ndk support? How good is it on waydroid?

Ahh, I think I was mistaken. I think Anbox already used LXC (which was good because it wasn't emulating the whole OS). The key difference that Waydroid brings is that it is written for Wayland. I guess this is an advantage over X because of how Wayland exposes device hardware.

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#123

Post by ev1 » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:16 PM UTC

numpad0 wrote: post #90

moritonal wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry if this is rude, but this comment reads really strangely. You seem to acknowledge that you really want something, whilst also accept you cannot do it for a lack of time|skill and then seem annoyed that the people who do ask for some kind of payment for their work?

I can understand how he ended up with that kind of accusatory tone. Existing solutions either come with severe compatibility issues(official Emulator, QEMU, etc.), or vaporwares with great demos(Project Astoria) or are really sketchy borderline malwares(rest of it - my presumptions) that does wonders.

Not just borderline. Most of the ones that can feasibly run a game for example are basically real malware.

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#124

Post by bogwog » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:18 PM UTC

oynqr wrote: post #43

bogwog wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the app doesn't use any native libraries, it should be able to run on any architecture. Otherwise, I don't think you'll find many developers shipping x86/x86_64 binaries nowadays considering there are no real devices that use it. I think Intel has (or had?) a tool/library for translating ARM to x86 called Houdini. Can't seem to find it though, and it might require a license anyways.

Aren't x86 chromebooks real devices?

Can Chrome books run Android apps?

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#125

Post by htrp » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:20 PM UTC

ev1 wrote: post #123

numpad0 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can understand how he ended up with that kind of accusatory tone. Existing solutions either come with severe compatibility issues(official Emulator, QEMU, etc.), or vaporwares with great demos(Project Astoria) or are really sketchy borderline malwares(rest of it - my presumptions) that does wonders.

Not just borderline. Most of the ones that can feasibly run a game for example are basically real malware.

Do you mind elaborating on this? Is it just because the use case turns into something like app install fraud?

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#126

Post by lights0123 » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:28 PM UTC

bogwog wrote: post #124

oynqr wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren't x86 chromebooks real devices?

Can Chrome books run Android apps?

Yes they can. It's been an advertised feature for a few years.

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#127

Post by ev1 » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:29 PM UTC

htrp wrote: post #125

ev1 wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not just borderline. Most of the ones that can feasibly run a game for example are basically real malware.

Do you mind elaborating on this? Is it just because the use case turns into something like app install fraud?

It's everything from a mix of cryptominers being deployed quietly (since of course anyone installing these will have a low end or better GPU), app install fraud, review fraud, Play token theft, spyware-tier telemetry. Even on the ones that don't install anything bad at all, they tend to auto-install the lowest common denominator apps via advertisements or paid placement that then have their own absurdist SDKs or whatever for data collection and mining.

Pretty much any of the closed source emulators that can feasibly run games (i.e., be horribly abused en masse for botting games) are festering piles of crap.

Another super common thing in those low tier trash apps is using your computer as a proxy ala Hola. Pay-per-install for using you to run stolen card traffic.

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#128

Post by slim » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:35 PM UTC

tgtweak wrote: post #25

piaste wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I even able to install Aurora Store and install Telegram from there, which also run perfectly Why Telegram specifically, when it already offers both a web client and a FOSS Linux client?

Isolation probably. edit: or if it's anything like signal, the mobile app has some extra functionality that is omitted from the desktop/web client...

Yes namely e2e encryption does not work on linux client

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#129

Post by aritmo » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:38 PM UTC

zekrioca wrote: post #94

gizdan wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do they need to? Sure it'll be nice, but depending on your market, maybe that's an unnecessary implementation detail.

They do mention "Waydroid uses Linux namespaces (user, pid, uts, net, mount, ipc) to run a full…" [see main page] when in fact they simply use LXD, which uses all these features. Besides, it is a project dependency, which is not mentioned anywhere. Edit: clarity.

LXC, not LXD.

Re: Waydroid – Run Android containers on Ubuntu

#130

Post by alex_smart » Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 7:54 PM UTC

fsflover wrote: post #100

kowlo wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps! My point was that it's quite a large order for the desired price of 0.

Those are just questions. I think the OP would accept the answers "no".

I mean sure he would accept the answer "no", but why even ask the questions in the first place?

That is like going to a used car lot, looking at a car with a tag price of 1000 dollars and asking is it electric, does it have doors that open like wings, does it have level 2 autonomous etc. Sure, you will take no for an answer, but why you be even asking that?