Consider support for Android VMs

[andrewdavidwong]

Over the years, many Qubes users on the mailing lists have expressed the desire to be able to run some kind of Android VM (e.g., HVM) under Qubes OS.

[JohnnyCalavera]

Did someone try to create an android-x86 VM on qubes? I was planning on doing it myself in the near future. (by the way: the stable Marshmallow release is out now)

[JohnnyCalavera]

Did someone try to create an android-x86 VM on qubes? I was planning on doing it myself in the near future. (by the way: the stable Marshmallow release is out now)

[grote]

I tried running RemixOS, but without success. There might be a general problem of running Android as a guest in a Xen hypervisor.

[grote]

I tried running RemixOS, but without success. There might be a general problem of running Android as a guest in a Xen hypervisor.

[Jeeppler]

@andrewdavidwong can you reference to those mailing list entries?

[Jeeppler]

@andrewdavidwong can you reference to those mailing list entries?

[andrewdavidwong]

@Jeeppler: This is based on my memory of the mailing lists over the years, so I don't have an exhaustive list. However, here are some examples:

• https://groups.google.com/d/topic/qubes-users/vNTiiulU5n4/discussion
• https://groups.google.com/d/msg/qubes-users/l2bcrfJpF4s/4kUxHqCZAQAJ

[andrewdavidwong]

@Jeeppler: This is based on my memory of the mailing lists over the years, so I don't have an exhaustive list. However, here are some examples:

• https://groups.google.com/d/topic/qubes-users/vNTiiulU5n4/discussion
• https://groups.google.com/d/msg/qubes-users/l2bcrfJpF4s/4kUxHqCZAQAJ

[Jeeppler]

According to the posts, people want to run Android x86 to do application development.

However, it seems the Android emulator uses the CPU virtualization extension. The problem could also be solved by using nested virtualization on Xen.

[Jeeppler]

According to the posts, people want to run Android x86 to do application development.

However, it seems the Android emulator uses the CPU virtualization extension. The problem could also be solved by using nested virtualization on Xen.

[andrewdavidwong]

Cross-linking new discussion thread:

https://groups.google.com/d/topic/qubes-users/frK8xaBh9pI/discussion

[andrewdavidwong]

Cross-linking new discussion thread:

https://groups.google.com/d/topic/qubes-users/frK8xaBh9pI/discussion

[entr0py]

@grote I have not had any issues running RemixOS under Qubes. But it suffers from the same Android-x86 mouse issue mentioned in the thread that Andrew just linked.

Qubes is actually a convenient platform for running Android emulators because most of them don't allow static IP addresses. Qubes' mini-DHCP server works just fine.

[entr0py]

@grote I have not had any issues running RemixOS under Qubes. But it suffers from the same Android-x86 mouse issue mentioned in the thread that Andrew just linked.

Qubes is actually a convenient platform for running Android emulators because most of them don't allow static IP addresses. Qubes' mini-DHCP server works just fine.

[grote]

@3n7r0p1 which version did you use? Could you send me the link to the download?

Please also let me know if you find a solution for the mouse issue.

[grote]

@3n7r0p1 which version did you use? Could you send me the link to the download?

Please also let me know if you find a solution for the mouse issue.

[entr0py]

I used an older version of RemixOS so I checked again with the latest release and it also installs and boots fine.

version: 3.0.206, 64-bit
filename: Remix_OS_for_PC_Android_M_64bit_B2016101201.zip
download: http://www.jide.com/remixos-for-pc#downloadNow
https://www.fosshub.com/Remix-OS.html

when booting iso, add INSTALL=1 to kernel parameters
create partition, gpt: no, efi: no
if boot hangs, add vga=ask to kernel parameters (may need debug mode on)
allow 10-15 mins for first boot, 10-15 mins for desktop after setup

Confirmed mouse behavior hasn't changed. Not all functionality can be replicated from keyboard. Unusable without mouse fix.

IMO, RemixOS is more resource-heavy than Android-x86 (especially graphics).
I've Googled the heck out of the mouse issue. Don't have the expertise to take it any further. :(

[entr0py]

I used an older version of RemixOS so I checked again with the latest release and it also installs and boots fine.

version: 3.0.206, 64-bit
filename: Remix_OS_for_PC_Android_M_64bit_B2016101201.zip
download: http://www.jide.com/remixos-for-pc#downloadNow
https://www.fosshub.com/Remix-OS.html

when booting iso, add INSTALL=1 to kernel parameters
create partition, gpt: no, efi: no
if boot hangs, add vga=ask to kernel parameters (may need debug mode on)
allow 10-15 mins for first boot, 10-15 mins for desktop after setup

Confirmed mouse behavior hasn't changed. Not all functionality can be replicated from keyboard. Unusable without mouse fix.

IMO, RemixOS is more resource-heavy than Android-x86 (especially graphics).
I've Googled the heck out of the mouse issue. Don't have the expertise to take it any further. :(

[Wikinaut]

👍 yes, please

[Wikinaut]

👍 yes, please

[micahflee]

I just tried android-x86 in an HVM, and it actually works great (the only change I had to do was increase the RAM -- I'm using 4GB, but it probably will work with less). It doesn't have the same mouse issues as RemixOS (which, as of today, is a discontinued project).

I downloaded an Android 4.4.4 iso from https://sourceforge.net/projects/android-x86/ -- but the more I look into it, it appears there are later versions of android-x86 available, including 7.1: http://www.android-x86.org/releases/releasenote-7-1-rc1

[micahflee]

I just tried android-x86 in an HVM, and it actually works great (the only change I had to do was increase the RAM -- I'm using 4GB, but it probably will work with less). It doesn't have the same mouse issues as RemixOS (which, as of today, is a discontinued project).

I downloaded an Android 4.4.4 iso from https://sourceforge.net/projects/android-x86/ -- but the more I look into it, it appears there are later versions of android-x86 available, including 7.1: http://www.android-x86.org/releases/releasenote-7-1-rc1

[micahflee]

It would be cool to make an Android template. I'm not quite sure how the partitioning could work so that android-x86 AppVMs could have private images though.

[micahflee]

It would be cool to make an Android template. I'm not quite sure how the partitioning could work so that android-x86 AppVMs could have private images though.

[micahflee]

Update: I tried installing android-x86 7.1 in an HVM, and it doesn't work nearly as well as 4.4.4. I could boot in live mode, but I had the same mouse issues that exist in RemixOS, and when I install to the hard disk and try booting, it never finishes.

[micahflee]

Update: I tried installing android-x86 7.1 in an HVM, and it doesn't work nearly as well as 4.4.4. I could boot in live mode, but I had the same mouse issues that exist in RemixOS, and when I install to the hard disk and try booting, it never finishes.

[nm8800]

@micahflee How did you get an AndroidVM to work in Qubes? Currently trying to figure out how to use the Android-x86 vm to do the same.

[nm8800]

@micahflee How did you get an AndroidVM to work in Qubes? Currently trying to figure out how to use the Android-x86 vm to do the same.

[aseralis]

I push the topic gently upwards, an android HVM in qubes would be great! Unfortunately it's very painful to get Android x86 running, but I'm going to test a bit by myself and share results.

[aseralis]

I push the topic gently upwards, an android HVM in qubes would be great! Unfortunately it's very painful to get Android x86 running, but I'm going to test a bit by myself and share results.

[kuzega]

So hows going with android vm ?

My testing results on qubes r4.0-current-testing are that none of android works so far.
Tested iso images : remixOS, android x86 latest cyanogenmod 7.1 release1 and normal 7.1r1, 4.4r5, phoenixOS.
None of them detect the hard drive.
So another test I installed centos7minimal then andro x86 latest cyanogenmod in rpm package so it added grub entry, it does not boot
Most of the tests showed familiar boot screen but did not run, VM killed itself.

But i remember it was working on qubes 3.2, cant remember what android did i run but probably it was remixOS, when i was testing this like a year ago or so. It was install-able but did not boot from installation, had to use iso and all the changes were gone. The performance was really choppy and i gave up, that probably was because of SLAT feature missing on previous laptop.

PS: was not editing grub entries at all, only tested different VESA modes when available

Hint: try to test preinstalled android VM images and just put them in /var/lib/qubes . Personally i couldnt get this method to work, first have to convert given preinstalled images to qcow RAW format

[kuzega]

So hows going with android vm ?

My testing results on qubes r4.0-current-testing are that none of android works so far.
Tested iso images : remixOS, android x86 latest cyanogenmod 7.1 release1 and normal 7.1r1, 4.4r5, phoenixOS.
None of them detect the hard drive.
So another test I installed centos7minimal then andro x86 latest cyanogenmod in rpm package so it added grub entry, it does not boot
Most of the tests showed familiar boot screen but did not run, VM killed itself.

But i remember it was working on qubes 3.2, cant remember what android did i run but probably it was remixOS, when i was testing this like a year ago or so. It was install-able but did not boot from installation, had to use iso and all the changes were gone. The performance was really choppy and i gave up, that probably was because of SLAT feature missing on previous laptop.

PS: was not editing grub entries at all, only tested different VESA modes when available

Hint: try to test preinstalled android VM images and just put them in /var/lib/qubes . Personally i couldnt get this method to work, first have to convert given preinstalled images to qcow RAW format

[tonsimple]

@micahflee
Sorry for nagging, but could you please kindly step-by-step creation of android HVMs under Qubes R3.2 for the less talented of us?

can't seem to make it boot/install (tried Android 4.4.4 and later)

[tonsimple]

@micahflee
Sorry for nagging, but could you please kindly step-by-step creation of android HVMs under Qubes R3.2 for the less talented of us?

can't seem to make it boot/install (tried Android 4.4.4 and later)

[tschakram]

Hello,
any solution to get a android hvm running on Qubes 4 ? Booting a live iso worked for all Versions of Androidx86,RemixOS and CM. But installtion failed because of the error "No hard drive avalible". Possible to prepare the hvm drive before installing?
thanks

[tschakram]

Hello,
any solution to get a android hvm running on Qubes 4 ? Booting a live iso worked for all Versions of Androidx86,RemixOS and CM. But installtion failed because of the error "No hard drive avalible". Possible to prepare the hvm drive before installing?
thanks