Use the ARChon runtime environment to run Android applications on Ubuntu

Use the ARChon runtime environment to run Android applications on Ubuntu

Before that, we tried to run Android applications, such as Genymotion, VirtualBox, and Android SDK, on a variety of Android Application simulator tools. However, with this brand new Chrome Android runtime environment, you can run the Android Application in the Chrome browser. The following describes how to use the ARChon runtime environment to install the Android Application on Ubuntu.

Google has announced the first batch of Android applications that support native running in Chrome OS, and this new "android runtime environment" extension makes it possible. Now, a developer named vglad Filippov has found a method to port Android applications to the Chrome browser on the desktop. He closely integrates the chromeos-apk script with the ARChon Android runtime environment extension so that android applications can run in Windows, Max, and Linux Desktop Chrome browsers.

The performance of applications in this running environment is not very good. Similarly, because it is an unofficial secondary development kit for the official runtime environment and runs outside of Google's Chrome OS, therefore, some built-in devices such as cameras and speakers may need to be patched or not supported at all.

 

Install Chrome

First, install Chrome on the machine. The version must be Chrome 37 or later. You can download it from the Chrome download page.

To install the development channel version, follow these steps.

Use this command to add a software source list for Google Chrome:

1. $ wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -
2. $ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list'

After the software source list is added, run the following command to update the local software database index.

1. $ sudo apt-get update

Now, you can install the unstable version of google chrome, that is, the development version:

1. $ sudo apt-get install google-chrome-unstable

 

Install the Archon Runtime Environment

Next, you need to download the customized runtime environment installation package, because the official version is not recognized by the Chromium Android runtime environment created by Google or vglad Filippov. It is different from the official version in many aspects. The main difference is that it can be used on various desktop terminals of Google browsers. The following is the running environment installation package to be downloaded. select one of the following according to the number of installed Ubuntu systems.

32-bit Ubntu release:

• Download Archron from Ubuntu

64-bit Ubntu release:

• Download Archron on 64-bit Ubuntu

Download the installation package of the runtime environment, decompress the package from the. ZIP file, and move the extracted directory to the Home directory. The command is as follows:

1. $ wget https://github.com/vladikoff/chromeos-apk/releases/download/v3.0.0/ARChon-v1.1-x86_32.zip

1. $ unzip ARChon-v1.1-x86_32.zip ~/

The next step is to install the runtime environment. First open the Google Chrome browser and type chrome: // extensions in the address bar. Then, select "Developer mode ". Finally, click "load unpackaged Extended Program" and select the one you just placed in ~ /Home.

 

Install ChromeOS-APK

If you want to use the applications mentioned above, manual conversion of these APK does not require complex operations-you only need to install the "chromeos-apk" command line JavaScript tool. You can install it in Node Package Modules (npm) manager. To install npm and chromeos-apk, run the following command in shell or terminal:

1. $ sudo apt-get install npm nodejs nodejs-legacy

If the operating system is 64-bit, install the following Library:

1. $ sudo apt-get install lib32stdc++6

Then, run this command to install the latest chromeos-apk:

1. $ npm install -g chromeos-apk@latest

Depending on the system configuration, you may need to run the next command with the sudo permission.

Now, we will find an application APK to try it on the Google browser, but remember that not all android applications can, some of which may be unstable or lack some features. Most out-of-the-box Communication applications do not apply to this environment.

 

Convert APK

Put the android APK ~ /Home, and then execute the following command on the terminal for conversion:

1. $ chromeos-apk myapp.apk --archon

To run the application in full screen mode, replace it with the following command:

1. $ chromeos-apk myapp.apk --archon --tablet

Note: replace myapp.apk with the name of the android APK application to be converted.

To facilitate the conversion, you can also use Twerk to skip this step.

 

Run Android Apk

Finally, open the chrome browser, go to the chrome: // extensions page, and select the developer mode. Click the "load unpackaged extension" button and select the folder just created by the above script.

Now, you can open the Chrome app starter to run the Android app.

 

Summary

Long live! We have successfully installed the android Apk application in the Chrome browser. This article is about a popular Chrome Android runtime environment developed by vglad Filippov named Archon. This running environment allows you to run the converted Apk file in the Chrome browser. Currently, it does not support communication applications, such as Whatsapp. Therefore, if you have any questions, suggestions, and feedback, please write them in the comment box below. Thank you very much! Hug Archon! :-)