Raspberry Pi Forums

Hi,

How can I run an Android app on Linux (Raspbian) without installing the Android operating system?

I'm looking for a kind of emulator that allows me to run Android apps on Raspbian.

Wishful thinking, AFAIK such a thing does not exist.

Take the source of the android app, and rewrite it for Debian linux with a graphics library supported by Raspbian (QT), then compile it for the ARM CPU used in the PI.

A simpler possibility does not exist?

For example, an emulator that allows you to run Android apps?

Rootinator wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 14, 2019 12:32 pm

A simpler possibility does not exist?

For example, an emulator that allows you to run Android apps?

not that I know. Its not as simple as you seem to think...

What Andriod app are you wanting to use? There might be something similar available under Linux.

It is the Android app "dab-z", with which I would like to hear with a DAB+ receiver radio (no RTL-SDR !!!).

I have just read about https://anbox.io/ in another context. Might be worth a look, it's available as a package on Buster.

But a radio app would probably use the phone hardware. I know that my analog radio app uses the headphone cord for the antenna. I doubt that that is emulated by any emulator.

benny

cc_benny wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 14, 2019 2:49 pm

I have just read about https://anbox.io/ in another context. Might be worth a look, it's available as a package on Buster.

But a radio app would probably use the phone hardware. I know that my analog radio app uses the headphone cord for the antenna. I doubt that that is emulated by any emulator.

Most of that would need to be done via hardware, not emulation.

I believe the WiFi/Bluetooth chip in at least some of the Pis has an FM tuner build in, but it isn't connected to anything, so can't be used.

A USB tuner should work with a small FM antenna and appropriate software (of which I'm sure there is some, but isn't a subject I've investigated).

There is also the possibility of Internet Radio.

cc_benny wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 14, 2019 2:49 pm

I have just read about https://anbox.io/ in another context. Might be worth a look, it's available as a package on Buster.

Might be worth trying it. It installs and runs on a Pi 3B (non-plus) but I ran out of time before figuring out how to make it work, ends with "No session manager" or similar, seg faults if not run from a Terminal from the Desktop. YMMV ... If anyone gets it working, please do let us know.

My solution was to get Emteria OS or Konsta's Android images which will work on PI3. I recommend emteria but it's a commercial product, you need to register and use their own disk imager.
I mainly use whatsapp and nintendo switch payload injector on it. Other stuff like uploading instagram photos can be done with a web-browser.

And it's going to be slow enough natively so under linux host it will get worse. But if you need both then wayland could be more suitable.

DAB+ is a digital broadcasting system, not really related to analog FM Radio at all.

Dab-Z appears to be an android app for listening to such broadcasts received with a USB tuner dongle, so as long as that dongle is supported by the Raspbian kernel (which in all likelihood it is if it works in Android), all you need is an appropriate application installed.

A quick glance in the Raspbian repository shows Gnuradio and kradio4 that both appear to offer this functionality.

I would imagine this is a much more efficient and elegant way to achieve your goal, even if you got Android emulation to work, and somehow got it to talk nicely to the USB dongle, it would be slower and poorly integrated into the rest of the desktop than a native solution.

It's really best to avoid giving the Pi unnecessary work to do.