Is Google Preparing to Let You Run Linux Apps on Android, Just like ChromeOS?

'Google is developing a Linux terminal app for Android,' reports the blog Android Authority. 'The Terminal app can be enabled via developer options and will install Debian in a virtual machine.

'This app is likely intended for Chromebooks but might also be available for mobile devices, too.'

While there are ways to run some Linux apps on Android devices, all of those methods have some limitations and aren't officially supported by Google. Fortunately, though, Google is finally working on an official way to run Linux apps on Android... This Terminal app is part of the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) and contains a WebView that connects to a Linux virtual machine via a local IP address, allowing you to run Linux commands from the Android host...

A set of patches under the tag 'ferrochrome-dev-option' was recently submitted to the Android Open Source Project that adds a new developer option called Linux terminal under Settings > System > Developer options. This new option will enable a 'Linux terminal app that runs inside the VM,' according to its proposed description. Toggling this option enables the Terminal app that's bundled with AVF...

Google is still working on improving the Terminal app as well as AVF before shipping this feature... What's particularly interesting about the patch that adds these settings is that it was tested on 'tangorpro' and 'komodo,' the codenames for the Pixel Tablet and Pixel 9 Pro XL respectively. This suggests that the Terminal app won't be limited to Chromebooks like the new desktop versions of Chrome for Android.

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