adding ashmem and binder to the kernel by default?? obviusly bc of anbox.

[Salvador Liébana]

Hi Folks! I think this would be great for testing Anbox easily on armbian. We are linux users (and we hate android), but in order to get ARM Linux attractive as desktop we may have to offer anbox.

the kernel modules have problems on latest kernels so would be great to have them included already. maybe that makes the kernel "too big" and isn't acceptable, but that's up to you to consider it or not.

best regards, Salvador.

[Werner]

It will probably not simply included in all builds. Barely anybody might use it.

However it seems that it is possible to rather simply add it via dkms. So I suggest to add this as an option via armbian-config that does the task installing it.

[Salvador Liébana]

well, ubuntu kernels seems to have them by default nowdays.

 

the problem with the modules is that sometimes they install.. and sometimes doesn't.  I tried to install this kernel modules several times on armbian 5.8+ and it have many problems lately (not only on ARM obviusly). they don't care that much bc ubuntu already have those by default. adding them by default it's just... enabling them on the script... 

 

I don't know how much impact could have enabling them for people that would not use them.

 

I am thinking on the long run on reliability as desktop.. and having anbox could make a difference..some people tested anbox on ARM devices lately with decent results so maybe would be a good idea. any reliable successor of anbox for arm linux devices will use those modules anyway. emulating would be stupid being able to not do it.

 

 

[Werner]

4 hours ago, Salvador Liébana said:

ubuntu kernels

ubuntu adds those themselves or just activates the modules?

[Salvador Liébana]

quote: Starting with Ubuntu 19.04 binder and ashmem are now build with the standard Ubuntu kernel (>= 5.0) and you don’t have to install the modules from the PPA anymore.

[Werner]

So ashmem and binder are part of mainline and just need to be activated. Just took a quick look and it seems actual for 5.10 they are no longer tristate but boolean.

Not sure when and why that changed because in Ubuntu 5.8 HWE kernel they are still modules....

 

cat config-5.8.0-33-generic |grep 'ASHMEM\|BINDER'
CONFIG_ASHMEM=m
CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDER_IPC=m
CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDERFS=m
CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDER_DEVICES=""
# CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDER_IPC_SELFTEST is not set

 

Anyway. I suggest to provide a PR with the changes.

[LiX]

One year has passed, and I am also looking for this feature on rockpi64.

[Werner]

1 hour ago, LiX said:

One year has passed, and I am also looking for this feature on rockpi64.

Feel free to volunteer and add this feature

https://docs.armbian.com/Process_Contribute/