Anbox with xvfb

[v1nc]

I tried to run anbox with xvfb today.
Neither xvfb-run nor changing the display env var to the xvfb display worked.
If you try xvfb-run anbox launch --package=org.anbox.appmgr --component=org.anbox.appmgr.AppViewActivity, you will see the appmgr launching on your display.
I think the display env does not apply because the anbox launch command does not start the applications with the terminal display env. How can i change the display server of anbox ?

[lag-linaro]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I believe you have to start the Session Manager on the specified FB, not the Launcher.

[morphis]

@lag-linaro is correct. The session manager is what talks to the X11 display server. The anbox launch command only sends a dbus call to the session manager to start a specific application (which is then owned by the session manager). There is an edge case where the anbox launch command spawns the session manager but I would recommend that in your case you start the session manager always manually.

[v1nc]

Why is this closed ? I never got anbox running with xvfb or xpra/xdummy, did you ? Starting the session manager manually does not fix it.

[lag-linaro]

Probably because it's not broken. #worksforme

Please provide exact steps to recreate and maybe we can see what's going wrong.

[imShara]

@morphis How to run anbox in specific X? Like:

DISPLAY=:1 anbox launch --package=org.anbox.appmgr --component=org.anbox.appmgr.AppViewActivity

This not works, anbox runs in DISPLAY=:0

And what you mean about starting session manager manually? I'm trying to run:

Xvfb :0 -screen 0 1024x768x16 &
DISPLAY=:0 dbus-launch
DISPLAY=:0 openbox-session
DISPLAY=:0 anbox launch --package=org.anbox.appmgr --component=org.anbox.appmgr.AppViewActivity

But anbox not works

realpath: '': No such file or directory
realpath: '': No such file or directory
realpath: '': No such file or directory
realpath: '': No such file or directory
realpath: '': No such file or directory
realpath: '': No such file or directory
realpath: '': No such file or directory
realpath: '': No such file or directory
[ 2020-01-26 01:13:39] [daemon.cpp:61@Run] Failed to connect to DBus

Where is mistake?

[baptx]

@morphis Isn't Anbox using X11 isolation by default? Otherwise is there a way to use Xephyr (or Xvfb / Xpra) with Anbox like it can be done with firejail? This would improve the security to prevent an Android app using a spyware to track the host OS (keylogger, screenshots, clipboard). An alternative for security could be to use VNC or NX (X2Go) but it is less convenient. Otherwise Anbox should not be used at the same time when we are doing something sensitive on the computer, for example logging in to a bank website.
I asked a related security question here: #880

[imShara]

Is there changes since last comment?