Anbox (short for “ Android in a Box”) is a

free and open-source Free and open-source software (FOSS) is software available under a Software license, license that grants users the right to use, modify, and distribute the software modified or not to everyone free of charge. FOSS is an inclusive umbrella term ...

compatibility layer In software engineering, a compatibility layer is an interface that allows binaries for a legacy or foreign system to run on a host system. This translates system calls for the foreign system into native system calls for the host system. With s ...

that allows Android applications to run on

Linux distribution A Linux distribution, often abbreviated as distro, is an operating system that includes the Linux kernel for its kernel functionality. Although the name does not imply product distribution per se, a distro—if distributed on its own—is oft ...

s by using containerization techniques. Originally introduced by Canonical, Anbox executes Android applications in a lightweight system container, isolated from the host system for security and efficiency. Anbox was officially released on April 11, 2017, and rapidly gained attention as a bridge between the mobile Android ecosystem and desktop Linux environments. Anbox was deprecated on February 3, 2023 as it is no longer being actively maintained, as development has shifted to Waydroid (formerly called Anbox-Halium). Canonical's active development focus shifted t
Anbox Cloud
a platform for running Android applications in a cloud environment. Anbox Cloud is a closed-source, enterprise-focused version of the original Anbox, maintained by Canonical, offering extended features, better scalability, and support via Ubuntu Pro.

How Anbox works

Anbox executes the Android

runtime environment In computer programming, a runtime system or runtime environment is a sub-system that exists in the computer where a program is created, as well as in the computers where the program is intended to be run. The name comes from the compile time ...

by using LXC (Linux Containers), recreating the directory structure of Android as a mountable loop image, while using native

Linux kernel The Linux kernel is a Free and open-source software, free and open source Unix-like kernel (operating system), kernel that is used in many computer systems worldwide. The kernel was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and was soon adopted as the k ...

to execute applications. It makes use of Linux namespaces through LXC for isolation. Applications do not have any direct hardware access, all accesses are sent through the Anbox daemon. This ensures that Android apps can run on Linux without the need for emulation, offering improved performance compared to traditional methods like Android emulators.

How Anbox Cloud differs from Anbox

As the original Anbox project has been discontinued, Anbox Cloud has emerged as Canonical's fully supported, enterprise-ready solution for running Android in the cloud. Anbox Cloud is specifically designed to run Android at scale, securely, and independent of hardware requirements. Canonical provides 24/7 Anbox Cloud support through Ubuntu Pro, guidance for custom LXD image builds, knowledge transfer for setting up image infrastructure, and assistance with large-scale Android cloud deployments. Anbox Cloud logo

Anbox Cloud supports deployment across all major cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and private or hybrid cloud environments.

Key features of Anbox Cloud

* High Instance Density: Run numerous Android instances on a single machine, maximizing the use of cloud infrastructure. * Elastic Scaling: Scale up or down dynamically depending on the workload, with support for automated operations. * Full Automation: Easily deploy and manage large-scale Android environments, with minimal manual intervention. * Low Latency Streaming: Optimized for ultra-

low latency Low or LOW or lows, may refer to: People * Low (surname), listing people surnamed Low Places * Low, Quebec, Canada * Low, Utah, United States * Lo Wu station (MTR code LOW), Hong Kong; a rail station * Salzburg Airport (ICAO airport code: ...

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

, making it ideal for cloud gaming, mobile application use, or other latency-sensitive tasks. * Cross-Platform Support: Run on both Arm and

x86 x86 (also known as 80x86 or the 8086 family) is a family of complex instruction set computer (CISC) instruction set architectures initially developed by Intel, based on the 8086 microprocessor and its 8-bit-external-bus variant, the 8088. Th ...

servers, with GPU acceleration for enhanced graphics performance, particularly in gaming and media streaming.

Use cases for Anbox Cloud

* Cloud Gaming: Anbox Cloud allows for GPU acceleration, ensuring low-latency, high-frame-rate experiences across platforms, delivering high-performance mobile games to users on any device. * Mobile Application Testing: Automate testing workflows by running virtual Android instances on the cloud. Anbox Cloud provides full sensor integration and supports integration into CI/CD pipelines for continuous testing. * Automotive Development
Anbox Cloud includes support for AAOS
( Android Automotive OS) and VHAL (Vehicle Hardware Abstraction Layer), making it an ideal platform for developing and testing in-vehicle infotainment systems. Custom AAOS images can be easily deployed and tested in the cloud.

References

External links