this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2024
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[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 9 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Here's the thing. You said "Android is Linux." Is it in the same family? Yes. No one's arguing that. As someone who is a tech expert who works with Linux, I am telling you, specifically, in tech, no one calls Android 'Linux.' If you want to be "specific" like you said, then you shouldn't either. They're not the same thing. If you're saying "Linux family," you're referring to the group of Unix-like systems, which includes things from Ubuntu to Fedora to Debian. So your reasoning for calling Android 'Linux' is because random people "see Linux in the kernel?" Let's get macOS and BSD in there, then, too. Also, calling something Unix-based or POSIX-compliant? It's not one or the other, that's not how OS families work. They're both. Android is Android and part of the Linux kernel family. But that's not what you said. You said Android is Linux, which is not true unless you're okay with calling all Unix-like systems Linux, which means you'd call macOS, FreeBSD, and other OSes Linux, too. Which you said you don't. It's okay to just admit you're wrong, you know?

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 1 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

I'd even go so far to say Android is an API/shell on a Linux kernel.

Just like Mac is it's own API on a Linux kernel.

There's probably a better term for this today.

Even Windows is an API on the Windows kernel. At one time there was a Posix API for Windows. Today there's both an Android Subsystem for Windows, and a Linux Subsystem for Windows. Which are little more than APIs that run on the Windows kernel (though quite a hit more involved).

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 3 points 8 hours ago

Pictured: jackdaw

[–] kitnaht@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Slight correction, Mac is it's own API on a POSIX-certified UNIX kernel.

[–] Ajen@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 hours ago

Akchually... It's Unix-certified and POSIX-compliant.

[–] superkret@feddit.org 9 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Plain and simple: because you don't have admin rights.

[–] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

No no no, its "not Linux"! Which is bad! Or it "is Linux" if that's actually bad instead! Duh?

[–] superkret@feddit.org 4 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (2 children)

I don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about.
Android uses the Linux kernel. So it is a Linux system.
But only in the same way as your Chromebook, your TV, your car's entertainment system and your programmable vibrator are Linux systems.
Doesn't mean "good" or "bad", doesn't mean "hackable" or "free software".

Although on Android, it's trivially easy to install a proper Linux with all rights, and access to the phone's sensors, sms, phone calls, GPS, etc. in a chroot environment.

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Ugh, my car runs an os from Microsoft.

[–] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 4 points 12 hours ago

I was sarcastically mocking the guy who makes all the posts in this community

[–] kitnaht@lemmy.world 4 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

You can. You just use a chroot jail.

[–] sag@lemm.ee 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Google is working on this feature BTW. They announced just last week I guess. Currently you can run linux program using Termux.

[–] madthumbs@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Cool, can't wait for Vim and Librewolf on my phone.

[–] sag@lemm.ee 1 points 2 hours ago

Really? Is it sarcasm xD? If you actually want to use Vim on Android. Try VimDroid

[–] spacemanspiffy@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

Because Android is not Linux.

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

Really, we need to break out something like that "GNU+Linux" copypasta.

Android is more like Android/Linux than GNU/Linux.

[–] verdantbanana@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

yes, it is

same as Edge is Chrome albeit modified and using Trident which is just a forked/modified Blink which in turn is a fork from WebKit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser_engine

The Android kernel is based on an upstream Linux Long Term Supported (LTS) kernel. At Google, LTS kernels are combined with Android-specific patches to form what are known as Android Common Kernels (ACKs).

https://source.android.com/docs/core/architecture/kernel

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

But the Android API isn't Linux.

Android runs on a Linux kernel, not the same as Linux.

Wine isn't Linux. Wine runs on a Linux kernel giving us a Windows API on Linux.

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

What you're calling the "Linux API" is not really the Linux API. It's more like the "glibc API," if I had to give it a name. Few desktop Linux applications use Linux system calls directly.

And yes, it's true. The Android API is nothing like that.