anbox

Launch Anbox into the app manager

$ anbox launch --package=[org.anbox.appmgr] --component=[org.anbox.appmgr.AppViewActivity]

anbox {COMMAND} [OPTIONS]

Common COMMANDS include:
  session-manager
  system-info
  launch
  help

session-manager
    Starts the Anbox session manager, responsible for managing the Android container and its lifecycle.

system-info
    Displays detailed information about the Anbox environment, including kernel module status, paths, and system capabilities.

launch --package <package_name> --component <component_name>
    Launches a specific Android application by its package name and component (activity) name.

help
    Displays a help message for the anbox command or its subcommands.

--version
    Shows the program's version number and exits.

--debug
    Enables debug output, providing more verbose logging for troubleshooting.

--gles-driver <driver>
    (Used with session-manager) Specifies the GLES driver to be used by the Android container (e.g., host-mesa).

--gles-driver-path <path>
    (Used with session-manager) Specifies the filesystem path to the GLES driver library.

--enable-root-container
    (Used with session-manager) Allows the Android container to run with root privileges. Use with caution.

Anbox (Android in a Box) is a compatibility layer that allows running Android applications on GNU/Linux distributions. It achieves this by putting a complete Android operating system into a Linux container, leveraging kernel namespaces and technologies like LXC. Unlike traditional emulators, Anbox directly utilizes the host system's kernel, which aims to reduce resource consumption and improve performance, providing a more native-like experience. Android applications run in a sandboxed environment but integrate with the host desktop, appearing in application launchers and behaving similarly to native Linux applications.

While Anbox provides a robust framework for Android integration, its development pace has fluctuated. It requires specific kernel modules (`ashmem` and `binder`) to be loaded on the host system to function correctly. Anbox does not include Google Play Services by default, which often needs to be installed manually for applications relying on them. It represents a significant effort to bridge the gap between Android's vast app ecosystem and the Linux desktop.

Anbox's development has seen periods of reduced activity; users seeking a more actively maintained alternative might consider Waydroid.
It strictly requires the `ashmem` and `binder` kernel modules to be present and loaded, which might necessitate specific kernel builds or configurations on some systems.
Performance can vary significantly depending on the host system's hardware and graphics drivers.
Not all Android applications are guaranteed to function correctly or seamlessly, especially those relying on Google Play Services (which often need manual installation via third-party scripts).
Setting up Anbox can be complex, involving LXC configuration, kernel module loading, and proper graphics driver setup.

Anbox requires specific kernel modules, ashmem and binder, to be loaded on the host system. These modules provide the necessary memory and inter-process communication mechanisms for the Android container. Some Linux distributions or custom kernels might not have these enabled by default.

By default, Anbox does not ship with Google Play Services (GMS) or the Google Play Store. Users typically need to install these manually using third-party scripts if they wish to use applications dependent on GMS.

Anbox is commonly distributed as a Snap package, simplifying its installation and updates on Snap-enabled Linux distributions. This packaging method helps in isolating the Anbox environment from the rest of the system.

Anbox was primarily developed by Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) and the broader open-source community, with its initial public release around 2017. It emerged from the vision of enabling Android applications to run natively on Linux, particularly for Ubuntu's convergence efforts (allowing the same OS to run on phones and desktops). While it gained significant interest for its innovative container-based approach, its development pace has fluctuated over the years, leading to the rise of alternative solutions like Waydroid, which build upon similar principles but often offer more recent updates and broader device support.

lxc(1), systemd(1), adb(1)