Running Android on Linux Mint

Tagged with android, linux on October 2, 2024

When I heard about Anbox years ago, a software compatibility layer that would let me run Android applications on Linux Mint, I wanted to find out if it was worth the effort. Until development shifted to Waydroid in 2023, it didn’t seem like it was something I could actually accomplish.

Linux Mint started supporting an experimental Wayland session with version 21.3, and it’s still present in version 22. I recently installed Waydroid, just to see if it was something I would use.

Waydroid Installation

It wasn’t difficult because the folks behind Waydroid published excellent installation instructions, which worked without a lot of hassle. I logged out, started a Wayland session, dropped to the terminal and followed those instructions. As soon as I completed the last item, “Waydroid” appeared as a category in my menu, with “Waydroid” as the only launcher.

When I launched Waydroid from the menu, I was given a choice between a vanilla setup or a GAPPS setup. I chose GAPPS because I wanted access to the Google Play Store. In order to have access to the store, I had to follow some additional instructions.

The next time I checked that category in the menu, there were a lot of new launchers available. Since this was merely a test, I didn’t mess with any of them.

I’ve read some forum remarks where people had issues connecting to the Internet with Waydroid, requiring firewall entries. I didn’t have my firewall running during this test. Apparently, the folks at Waydroid published the fix.

Waydroid Is Android

It’s a version of android created by LineageOS. I once used LineageOS to breathe new life into a Samsung Galaxy S4, after the phone was no longer supported.

I played with the interface for a while before it no longer interested me. Using the removal instructions provided on the same documentation page as the installation instructions, I completely removed Waydroid. My curiosity was satisfied.

Now that I know I can run Android on Linux Mint, I’ll install it again should I ever need it to use it. I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Image by Anbox team, redraw by SweetCanadianMullet, GPLv3, via Wikimedia Commons