Android-x86

Last updated
Android-x86
Android-x86.png
Developer Chih-Wei Huang, Yi Sun
OS family Android (Linux)
Source model Open source (includes proprietary components such as Google Play)
Latest release
Android 9.0r2 [1] (based on Android Pie 9.0.0 (android-9.0.0_r54)) / March 25, 2020;4 years ago (2020-03-25)
Android 8.1r6 [2] (based on Android Oreo 8.1.0 (android-8.1.0_r81)) / June 23, 2021;2 years ago (2021-06-23)
Android 7.1r5 [3] (based on Android Nougat 7.1.2 (android-7.1.2_r39)) / February 14, 2021;3 years ago (2021-02-14)
Kernel type Monolithic (modified Linux kernel)
License Apache License 2.0
Official website www.android-x86.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Android x86 (ver. 4.0) on EeePC 701 4G Android x86 on EeePC 701 4G.jpg
Android x86 (ver. 4.0) on EeePC 701 4G

Android-x86 is an open source project that makes an unofficial porting of the Android mobile operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance to run on devices powered by x86 processors, rather than RISC-based ARM chips. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Contents

Developers Chih-Wei Huang and Yi Sun originated the project in 2009. The project began as a series of patches to the Android source code to enable Android to run on various netbooks, tablets and ultra-mobile PCs. Huang is the current project maintainer. Currently active developers include Mauro Rossi and Michael Goffioul. [10]

Overview

The OS is based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) with some modifications and improvements. Some components are developed by the project which allow it to run on PC architecture. For instance, some low-level components are replaced to better suit the platform, such as the kernel and HALs. The OS enables OpenGL ES hardware acceleration via Mesa if supported GPUs are detected, including Intel GMA, AMD's Radeon, Nvidia's chipsets (Nouveau), VMware (vmwgfx) and QEMU (virgl). Without a supported GPU, the OS can run in non-accelerated mode via software rendering. Since release 7.1, the software renderer has been implemented via the SwiftShader project. [11]

Like a normal Linux distribution, the project releases pre-built ISO images which can run under live mode or installed to a hard disk on the target system. Since release 4.4-r2, the project also releases efi_img [12] which can be used to create a live USB to be booted from on UEFI systems. Since release 4.4-r4, the UEFI support was united into the ISO images and efi_img was marked as deprecated.

Except AOSP, the following incomplete list of components are developed from scratch or derived from other open source projects to form the entire Android-x86 codebase:

More and more components may be added to the updated version.

History
Legend:Old version, not maintainedOlder version, still maintainedCurrent stable versionLatest preview versionFuture release
VersionAndroid versionRelease dateStatus
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9 1.5 (Cupcake) 2009-07-29Discontinued
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.6 1.6 (Donut) 2009-11-20Discontinued
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.2 2.1 (Eclair) 2010-06-30Discontinued
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.2 3.0 (Honeycomb) 2011-08-28Discontinued
Old version, no longer maintained: 4.0 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) 2013-06-23Discontinued
Old version, no longer maintained: 4.2 4.2 (Jellybean) 2012-12-25Discontinued
Old version, no longer maintained: 4.3 4.3 (Jellybean) 2013-07-25Discontinued
Old version, no longer maintained: 4.4 4.4.2 (KitKat) 2014-08-08Discontinued
Old version, no longer maintained: 6.0 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) 2016-09-13Discontinued
Older version, yet still maintained: 7.1 7.1.2 (Nougat) 2018-02-06Maintained
Older version, yet still maintained: 8.1 8.1.0 (Oreo) 2019-01-15Maintained
Current stable version: 9.0 9.0.0 (Pie) 2020-02-27Maintained
Future release: 10.0 10.0 (Q) ?Source Code [13]
(Work In Progress)
Future release: 11.0 11.0 (R) ?Source Code [14]
(Work In Progress)


Project Celadon

A related project, Celadon (formerly Android-IA) [15] has been produced by Intel that will run on newer UEFI devices. The project states that its intention is to drive Android support and innovation on Intel Architecture in addition to providing a venue for collaboration. [15] It re-used the drm_gralloc graphics HAL module from Android-x86 in order to support Intel HD Graphics hardware. Back as Android-IA, it provided a FAQ [16] with more detailed information.

Remix OS

Jide Technologies partnered with Chih-Wei Huang, the main developer of Android-x86, on Remix OS, a closed-source derivative of Android-x86 designed for use on conventional PCs. The first beta of Remix OS was made available on March 1, 2016. [17] The project was discontinued on July 17, 2017. [18]

Android TV x86

In late 2020, a senior member of XDA Developers created Android TV x86 to provide Android TV for PCs, which "should work out of the box because the ROM has its roots in the Android-x86 project". [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

In computing, cross-platform software is computer software that is designed to work in several computing platforms. Some cross-platform software requires a separate build for each platform, but some can be directly run on any platform without special preparation, being written in an interpreted language or compiled to portable bytecode for which the interpreters or run-time packages are common or standard components of all supported platforms.

PearPC is a PowerPC platform emulator capable of running many PowerPC operating systems, including pre-Intel versions of Mac OS X, Darwin, and Linux on x86 hardware. It is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). It can be used on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and other systems based on POSIX-X11. The first official release was made on May 10, 2004. The software was often used to run early versions of OS X on Windows XP computers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UEFI</span> Operating system and firmware specification

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface is a specification that defines the architecture of the platform firmware used for booting the computer hardware and its interface for interaction with the operating system. Examples of firmware that implement the specification are AMI Aptio, Phoenix SecureCore, TianoCore EDK II, InsydeH2O. UEFI replaces the BIOS which was present in the boot ROM of all personal computers that are IBM PC compatible, although it can provide backwards compatibility with the BIOS using CSM booting. Intel developed the original Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) specification. Some of the EFI's practices and data formats mirror those of Microsoft Windows. In 2005, UEFI deprecated EFI 1.10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QEMU</span> Free virtualization and emulation software

QEMU is a free and open-source emulator. It emulates a computer's processor through dynamic binary translation and provides a set of different hardware and device models for the machine, enabling it to run a variety of guest operating systems. It can interoperate with Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) to run virtual machines at near-native speed. QEMU can also do emulation for user-level processes, allowing applications compiled for one architecture to run on another.

coreboot Open-source computer firmware

coreboot, formerly known as LinuxBIOS, is a software project aimed at replacing proprietary firmware found in most computers with a lightweight firmware designed to perform only the minimum number of tasks necessary to load and run a modern 32-bit or 64-bit operating system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackintosh</span> Non-Apple computer running macOS

A Hackintosh is a computer that runs Apple's Macintosh operating system macOS on computer hardware that is not authorized for the purpose by Apple. This can also include running Macintosh software on hardware it is not originally authorized for. Benefits of "Hackintoshing" can include cost, ease of repair and piecemeal upgrade, and freedom to use customized choices of components that are not available in the branded Apple products. macOS can also be run on several non-Apple virtualization platforms, although such systems are not usually described as Hackintoshes. Hackintosh laptops are sometimes referred to as "Hackbooks".

Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance, though its most widely used version is primarily developed by Google. It was unveiled in November 2007, with the first commercial Android device, the HTC Dream, being launched in September 2008.

A mobile operating system is an operating system used for smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or other non-laptop personal mobile computing devices. While computers such as typical/mobile laptops are "mobile", the operating systems used on them are generally not considered mobile, as they were originally designed for desktop computers that historically did not have or need specific mobile features. This line distinguishing mobile and other forms has become blurred in recent years, due to the fact that newer devices have become smaller and more mobile unlike hardware of the past. Key notabilities blurring this line are the introduction of tablet computers, light-weight laptops, and the hybridization of the two in 2-in-1 PCs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moblin</span>

Moblin, short for 'mobile Linux', is a discontinued open source operating system and application stack for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), netbooks, nettops and embedded devices.

The Android Package with the file extension apk is the file format used by the Android operating system, and a number of other Android-based operating systems for distribution and installation of mobile apps, mobile games and middleware. A file using this format can be built from source code written in either Java or Kotlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ubuntu Touch</span> Mobile interface for Ubuntu developed by Canonical Ltd.

Ubuntu Touch is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system, being developed by the UBports community. Its user interface is written in Qt, and is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, but the original goal of convergence was intended to bring Ubuntu Touch to laptops, desktops, IOT devices and TVs for a complete unified user experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire OS</span> Tablet operating system for Amazon devices

Fire OS is a mobile operating system based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). It is developed by Amazon for their devices. Fire OS includes proprietary software, a customized user interface primarily centered on content consumption, and heavy ties to content available from Amazon's storefronts and services.

Linux for mobile devices, sometimes referred to as mobile Linux, is the usage of Linux-based operating systems on portable devices, whose primary or only Human interface device (HID) is a touchscreen. It mainly comprises smartphones and tablet computers, but also some mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) portable media players that come with a touchscreen separately.

Console Enterprises is an American technology company headquartered in Chico, California, that focuses on high-performance Android platform design. It is best known for its Console OS Kickstarter campaign, a project intended on developing a native Android distribution for the PC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remix OS</span> Android operating system for Intel-based PCs

Remix OS was a computer operating system for personal computers with x86 and ARM architectures that, prior to discontinuation of development, shipped with a number of 1st- and 3rd-party devices. Remix OS allowed PC users to run apps made for Android mobile apps on any compatible Intel-based PC.

postmarketOS Free and open-source operating system for smartphones, based on Alpine Linux

postmarketOS is an operating system primarily for smartphones, based on the Alpine Linux distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TianoCore EDK II</span> Reference software implementation for UEFI

TianoCore EDK II is the reference implementation of UEFI by Intel. EDK is the abbreviation for EFI Development Kit and is developed by the TianoCore community. TianoCore EDK II is the de facto standard generic UEFI services implementation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bootloader unlocking</span> Process of disabling secure device booting

Bootloader unlocking is the process of disabling the bootloader security that makes secure boot possible. It can make advanced customizations possible, such as installing a custom firmware. On smartphones this can be a custom Android distribution or another mobile operating system. Some bootloaders are not locked at all, others can be unlocked using a standard command, others need assistance from the manufacturer. Some do not include an unlocking method and can only be unlocked through a software exploit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OpenHarmony</span> Family of open-source operating systems based on HarmonyOS

OpenAtom OpenHarmony, or abbreviated as OpenHarmony (OHOS), is a family of open-source operating systems based on HarmonyOS derived from LiteOS, donated the L0-L2 branch source code by Huawei to the OpenAtom Foundation. Similar to HarmonyOS, the open-source distributed operating system is designed with a layered architecture, which consists of four layers from the bottom to the top, i.e., the kernel layer, system service layer, framework layer, and application layer.

References

  1. ↑ "Release Note 9.0-r2". Android-x86.org. 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  2. ↑ "Release Note 8.1-r6". Android-x86.org. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  3. ↑ "Release Note 7.1-r5". Android-x86.org. 2021-02-14. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  4. ↑ DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 767, 11 June 2018
  5. ↑ Android-x86 4.0 review - Not impressed
  6. ↑ Android-x86 4.4 review – first Release Candidate | LinuxBSDos.com
  7. ↑ Android-x86 Just Might Make a Good Linux Desktop Alternative | Reviews | LinuxInsider
  8. ↑ DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 630, 5 October 2015
  9. ↑ DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 682, 10 October 2016
  10. ↑ "Android-x86 Google Group". android-x86@googlegroups. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "SwiftShader repo at Android-x86". android-x86 gitweb. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Android-x86 Release 4.4". android-x86@sourceforge. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "Source code branches". Android-x86.org. 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  14. ↑ "Source code branches". Android-x86.org. 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  15. 1 2 "Home". Android Open Source Platform for Intel Architectures. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  16. ↑ "FAQ". Android on Intel Architecture. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "[ANNOUNCEMENT] Release of Remix OS for PC Be... | Remix OS". Forum.xda-developers.com. 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
  18. ↑ Jide Tech (2017-07-17). "An update from Jide Team". Kickstarter.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  19. ↑ "Android TV x86 lets you repurpose your old PC into a media streamer". XDA Developers . 2020-11-14. Retrieved 2020-11-16.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.