Running Linux apps on Android without rooting your phone

Smartphones are getting more and more powerful. Is it time to start thinking of a smartphone as something more like a tablet or a real computer? Is it possible to set up an Android phone with a full version of Linux – connected to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse?

Android OS is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel. In theory, a hardware-compatible Linux should be able to run on systems that Android OS runs on, but the Android developers at Google have added lots of proprietary drivers and bits. Additionally, the complexity of the communication hardware means that Android has drifted quite a distance from what we think of as a conventional Linux. Still, the power of the GPL means that Android OS is available to the community in source code form [1], and of course, developers all over the world are always tinkering with Linux to make it do useful things. A number of independent distros have evolved to provide mobile alternatives based on both the Linux kernel and the Android kernel (see the box entitled "Linux on Android Distros").

A full install of a mobile-based Linux on your smartphone provides a complete escape from Google's walled garden and offers access to the wide range of applications provided with Linux. But it also comes with some risks. You'll need to root your phone to replace the factory-installed OS, which will almost certainly void the warranty. If anything goes wrong, you might not be able to restore the original system.

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • New Android Security

    Google says the upcoming Android L release will be far more secure than its predecessors.

  • Firefox OS vs. Android

    Firefox OS has come out of nowhere to challenge Android and iOS in the mobile operating system market. We'll show you what is different about Firefox OS and compare a recent Firefox OS phone with a comparable Android device.

  • Linux Android Backup

    Linux Android Backup offers an open source solution to backing up the most important content from your Android devices in just a few steps.

  • Launch Android apps on Linux with Anbox

    Have you ever wished you could use an Android smartphone app on your Linux desktop? Thanks to Anbox and Snap, you can launch Android apps in a Linux virtual environment.

  • guiscrcpy

    With guiscrcpy graphical user interface and the scrcpy command-line tool, you can control your smartphone from the comfort of your Linux desktop and even record what you're doing onscreen.

comments powered by Disqus
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.

Learn More

News