Launch Android apps on Linux with Anbox
Resources and Administration
Anbox uses very little in terms of resources on the Linux host compared to other emulators or run-time environments. The main memory requirement for the container is also moderate. The Application Manager occupies about 240MB RAM, while the Settings Manager takes around another 85MB. Each app you launch increases the memory requirement by about 15MB. This means that Anbox is quite fast even on older hardware with little RAM.
The Snap daemon manages the Anbox container. Some terminal commands, which differ from their counterparts for conventional package management, are used for this purpose. For example, Snap for Anbox does not offer automatic updates; you have to do this manually (Listing 2, line 1). To discover the current version of the Anbox container, type:
Listing 2
Updating and Deleting Anbox
snap info anbox
To remove Anbox from the system, delete the container (line 3). In addition, you also need to remove the matching kernel modules, which requires the ppa-purge package (line 4). Then remove the PPA archive (line 5). You have now completely removed Anbox and its helpers from the system.
Conclusions
Anbox is a quick solution for taking Android applications to the Linux desktop. The container solution, which is still under constant development, is already surprisingly stable and can be used in production.
Restrictions that apply to smartphones do not apply on Linux. Not only can multiple apps be opened simultaneously, but their windows can also be displayed at any scale. In addition, Android apps can coexist on the Linux desktop parallel to other windows without any problems. This greatly boosts the desktop's usefulness.
However, it would be nice if Anbox supported other container formats, such as AppImage, so that users outside of the Ubuntu/Debian universe could take advantage of it.
Infos
- Anbox: https://anbox.io
- Snap: https://snapcraft.io
- LXC: https://linuxcontainers.org
« Previous 1 2
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Arch Linux 2023.12.01 Released with a Much-Improved Installer
If you've ever wanted to install Arch Linux, now is your time. With the latest release, the archinstall script vastly simplifies the process.
-
Zorin OS 17 Beta Available for Testing
The upcoming version of Zorin OS includes plenty of improvements to take your PC to a whole new level of user-friendliness.
-
Red Hat Migrates RHEL from Xorg to Wayland
If you've been wondering when Xorg will finally be a thing of the past, wonder no more, as Red Hat has made it clear.
-
PipeWire 1.0 Officially Released
PipeWire was created to take the place of the oft-troubled PulseAudio and has finally reached the 1.0 status as a major update with plenty of improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Rocky Linux 9.3 Available for Download
The latest version of the RHEL alternative is now available and brings back cloud and container images for ppc64le along with plenty of new features and fixes.
-
Ubuntu Budgie Shifts How to Tackle Wayland
Ubuntu Budgie has yet to make the switch to Wayland but with a change in approaches, they're finally on track to making it happen.
-
TUXEDO's New Ultraportable Linux Workstation Released
The TUXEDO Pulse 14 blends portability with power, thanks to the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU.
-
AlmaLinux Will No Longer Be "Just Another RHEL Clone"
With the release of AlmaLinux 9.3, the distribution will be built entirely from upstream sources.
-
elementary OS 8 Has a Big Surprise in Store
When elementary OS 8 finally arrives, it will not only be based on Ubuntu 24.04 but it will also default to Wayland for better performance and security.
-
OpenELA Releases Enterprise Linux Source Code
With Red Hat restricting the source for RHEL, it was only a matter of time before those who depended on that source struck out on their own.