Android on Pi

[Dude905]

Hello... I'm a newbie with Linux and I'm curious can Android be installed as an operating system on the Pi 4B ? if not, which operating system should I install if I only care to use it for web browsing the internet and playing movie videos. I don't care for anything else, thanks

[B.Goode]

See the 'Sticky' post on this topic in this section of the forum:

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/view ... 73&t=71658

[fruitoftheloom]

Hello... I'm a newbie with Linux and I'm curious can Android be installed as an operating system on the Pi 4B ? if not, which operating system should I install if I only care to use it for web browsing the internet and playing movie videos. I don't care for anything else, thanks

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/view ... 3&t=247482


Why Android as "Raspbian Buster with desktop" is more than capable !

[Dude905]

See the 'Sticky' post on this topic in this section of the forum:

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/view ... 73&t=71658

I will thank you.

[Dude905]

Why Android as "Raspbian Buster with desktop" is more than capable!

Can it install apk files?

[B.Goode]

Why Android as "Raspbian Buster with desktop" is more than capable!

Can it install apk files?

Picking a description from an Internet search:

A file with the APK file extension is an Android Package file that's used to distribute applications on Google's Android operating system.

APK files are saved in the ZIP format and are typically downloaded directly to Android devices, usually via the Google Play store, but can also be found on other websites.

The Raspberry Pi Raspbian Buster Operating System is a distribution of Linux targeted at the arm processors in Raspberry Pi single board computers.

It is not Android. It won't install APKs. (There is a project called Shashlik that was intended to do this, but it is probably not available for Raspbian.)

The tasks you seek to do can be done with Raspbian.

If that is not to your liking perhaps you need to rethink your selection of hardware for your project.

[Dude905]

The tasks you seek to do can be done with Raspbian.

Hi.... I'm assuming you meant it can not be done with Raspbian? If Android can't be installed I will search for other ideas, thanks

PS I haven't looked at those links yet

[drgeoff]

The tasks you seek to do can be done with Raspbian.

Hi.... I'm assuming you meant it can not be done with Raspbian?

No, B.Goode meant what he wrote. Your "web browsing the internet and playing movie videos" can be done with Raspbian.

[B.Goode]

The tasks you seek to do can be done with Raspbian.

Hi.... I'm assuming you meant it can not be done with Raspbian?

No, B.Goode meant what he wrote. Your "web browsing the internet and playing movie videos" can be done with Raspbian.

Exactly so.

And @dude - Links that people provide often contain information that they think contributes to the discussion: it would be sensible and courteous to read them before persisting with your questioning.

[Dude905]

Hi.... I'm assuming you meant it can not be done with Raspbian?

No, B.Goode meant what he wrote. Your "web browsing the internet and playing movie videos" can be done with Raspbian.
[/quote]

Oh okay, thanks, if that's what he meant but I need a OS that can use apk files. I get that Raspbian has software were by I can surf the internet with its browser and play movies but I really would like to know if there any chance of installing Android

[Dude905]

Exactly so.

And @dude - Links that people provide often contain information that they think contributes to the discussion: it would be sensible and courteous to read them before persisting with your questioning.

Hi... Don't get offended and I do appreciate what people say when helping but to be honest a lot of it I don't understand it, it why I'm trying to ask a yes or no question with regarding whether Android can be installed on a Pi4B, I need an OS that can use apk files for Pi4b

[B.Goode]

Exactly so.

And @dude - Links that people provide often contain information that they think contributes to the discussion: it would be sensible and courteous to read them before persisting with your questioning.

Hi... Don't get offended and I do appreciate what people say when helping but to be honest a lot of it I don't understand it, it why I'm to ask a yes or no question with regarding whether Android can be installed on a Pi4B, I need an OS that can use apk files for Pi4b

So let's go with No.

[fruitoftheloom]

Exactly so.

And @dude - Links that people provide often contain information that they think contributes to the discussion: it would be sensible and courteous to read them before persisting with your questioning.

Hi... Don't get offended and I do appreciate what people say when helping but to be honest a lot of it I don't understand it, it why I'm to ask a yes or no question with regarding whether Android can be installed on a Pi4B, I need an OS that can use apk files for Pi4b

There is no Officially Supported version of Android or Android Things or Android TV for any Raspberry Pi SBC, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Raspberry Pi Trading only support Raspbian Operating System.



You will need to try a developers forum and ask if a 3rd party developer can help you with your quest:

https://groups.google.com/forum/?nomobi ... ndroid-rpi

[B.Goode]

I need an OS that can use apk files for Pi4b

Just a reminder of your initial question(s)

I'm curious can Android be installed as an operating system on the Pi 4B ? if not, which operating system should I install if I only care to use it for web browsing the internet and playing movie videos.

At an early stage you were told -

In practical terms, No to the first.

Raspbian to the second.



Nothing has changed since, other than us learning that you didn't like the answers you got.


No mention there of it being mandatory to handle APK packages.

[fruitoftheloom]

May I now suggest you buy a product with Android support such as a Hardkernel Product:

https://www.hardkernel.com/

[Dude905]

May I now suggest you buy a product with Android support such as a Hardkernel Product:

https://www.hardkernel.com/

Wow, I guess people do get offended easily. Like I said I'm a newbie and I'm just making sure whether it can't or can and I don't what different hardware I'm okay with using whatever with this Pi4 thing. This is just a hobby something to mess around with. The Pi4 is cheap and its something new I want to try out and afterward maybe you are right it might not be for me time will tell. I wanted to see if I could use it with my iptv sub... The link above that device support Android, cool, thanks, I have to give that a look too

[Gavinmc42]

apk files are just zip files with another name?
I think Alpine Linux uses apks?

While Android uses old Linux 3.? kernels the graphics output is different than Linux X11.
If ARM Android apks can run on x86 Windows with Bluestacks it should be able to run on Pi4's.

The answer is "Yes" in theory, "No " in practice.
Over the years I've seen screenshots and there is the Android forum.
Personaly I have never had any luck getting LineageOS etc working.

Due to the VC6 change in the Pi4 I expect that it might take some time to get working.
But the Pi4 performance is good enough to attract many more users and gurus to the platform.

So that "No" might not be "No" forever.
Wait and see.

[procount]

Hello... I'm a newbie with Linux and I'm curious can Android be installed as an operating system on the Pi 4B ?

Not as far as I know yet. There are some Android versions for the Pi3 available (e.g. LineageOS) but they are not officially supported and you have to wait and rely on third party support if it ever comes to the Pi4.

if not, which operating system should I install if I only care to use it for web browsing the internet and playing movie videos.

As stated above, Raspbian is perfectly capable of doing this. Versions of popular media centres such as Kodi, LibreELEC etc have been or are being ported to the Pi4 as well for "playing movie videos".

I don't care for anything else, thanks

If this is all you care about, then why are you so insistent on asking if it supports APK files? They are only a distribution format.
Do you have a particular Android package that you want to try on a PI4 that you already have as an APK file?
Have you considered asking if this package is available for other Linux OSes?
Maybe there is a different package that will run on Raspbian that performs similar functionality?

I wanted to see if I could use it with my iptv sub...

Ah, maybe this Is the reason you are asking if it supports APK files?
If so, It might have been more beneficial to ask whether your "iptv sub" (whatever that is) is supported on the PI4, rather than about general APK files, and provide more details about what it is you want to do.

[Dude905]

@procount what package are you talking about, I don't have any package. I just have an apk file that I want to use. My iptv box when I install the apk file it shows an icon for services for my iptv on my iptv box and I'm curious if I could install that same apk file on whatever operating system I use for this Pi4 device.

@ Gavinmc42 Thank you so much, much appreciated

[procount]

By "package" I mean a program, an application, or a piece of software that you are wanting to use.
In this case, it is becoming clearer that you have a specific piece of software that you want to use with your iptv box, which is the apk file that came with your iptv box that is only suitable for Android.

If we knew the make/model/name of the iptv box you were using, and the name of the software (apk file) that you use with it on Android, maybe someone more knowledgeable than me on here could assist you with alternative software suggestions that would work equally well with your iptv box on a Pi4 running a different OS to Android, such as Raspbian?

[drgeoff]

@procount what package are you talking about, I don't have any package. I just have an apk file that I want to use. My iptv box when I install the apk file it shows an icon for services for my iptv on my iptv box and I'm curious if I could install that same apk file on whatever operating system I use for this Pi4 device.

Your apk file is a packaged app suitable for installation and use on the Android OS on your iptv box. It is very unlikely to run on any other OS.

[Dude905]

@procount what package are you talking about, I don't have any package. I just have an apk file that I want to use. My iptv box when I install the apk file it shows an icon for services for my iptv on my iptv box and I'm curious if I could install that same apk file on whatever operating system I use for this Pi4 device.

Your apk file is a packaged app suitable for installation and use on the Android OS on your iptv box. It is very unlikely to run on any other OS.

Okay, perfect. That is why I asked whether Android could possibly be installed. I want to see if it was possible to convert this Pi4 unit into an iptv box, oh well I will install Raspbian and see how the browser will perform from the iptv website... thanks all

[B.Goode]

I don't have any package. I just have an apk file that I want to use.

Proof, again, that you are ignoring information that is presented to you.

In the fifth reply to this thread I gave the result of an Internet search explaining this. Here is the quote again:

A file with the APK file extension is an Android Package file that's used to distribute applications on Google's Android operating system.

Offended?

Yes, I am offended that the time I have spent sincerely trying to help has been wasted. So I will be adding you to my quite extensive forum 'ignore' list.

[jamesh]

Please keep it civil. Locking this as getting out of hand